New EV owner: how do you prepare for unusual situations?

[dpilot83]

I live well over 200 miles from the nearest service center and I’m hoping to not rely on them much at all. Will be picking our new MY up today and I’m just trying to get prepared for unusual situations. So far this is my list:

1. Will be buying a 19” Gemini wheel and tire from someone on FB Marketplace while I’m in Denver getting the MY. We put as many as 24 miles per day on dirt and gravel roads. Farmers and ranchers often have screws or staples or nails fall out of their pickups and you’ll damage a tire once a month or so. When my wife gets a flat I’ll be able to come to her with the spare and swap it out and send her on her way. Then we’ll get the damaged one repaired while she’s still using the car. No different than what we have to do with our Odyssey.

2. Will be buying lift pucks so I can facilitate the above mentioned process

3. Will have a mobile charger with some adapters so I can plug it into various 240V NMEA connectors. Will make sure I can plug it into my 3-phase Miller Bobcat welder/generator so if we have a mistake on trip planning nearby our house at some point, I can just go charge with the generator for a bit to get the rest of the way home

4. Maybe have a battery powered heat gun in the vehicle? I have heard that supercharger cords can be difficult to deal with when it gets really cold? Also my home charger for the fIt at year will be outside so it might need some TLC from the heat gun occasionally as well?

I’m struggling to think of other things. I guess there is no point in carrying jumper cables even for helping others as you’re not supposed to jump another car with a Tesla? I have a battery powered air compressor but I will probably leave it at home almost always because it takes a fair amount of room.

What am I missing?

Thanks

 

[Tam]

I live well over 200 miles from the nearest service center and I’m hoping to not rely on them much at all. Will be picking our new MY up today and I’m just trying to get prepared for unusual situations. So far this is my list:

1. Will be buying a 19” Gemini wheel and tire from someone on FB Marketplace while I’m in Denver getting the MY. We put as many as 24 miles per day on dirt and gravel roads. Farmers and ranchers often have screws or staples or nails fall out of their pickups and you’ll damage a tire once a month or so. When my wife gets a flat I’ll be able to come to her with the spare and swap it out and send her on her way. Then we’ll get the damaged one repaired while she’s still using the car. No different than what we have to do with our Odyssey.

2. Will be buying lift pucks so I can facilitate the above mentioned process

3. Will have a mobile charger with some adapters so I can plug it into various 240V NMEA connectors. Will make sure I can plug it into my 3-phase Miller Bobcat welder/generator so if we have a mistake on trip planning nearby our house at some point, I can just go charge with the generator for a bit to get the rest of the way home

4. Maybe have a battery powered heat gun in the vehicle? I have heard that supercharger cords can be difficult to deal with when it gets really cold? Also my home charger for the fIt at year will be outside so it might need some TLC from the heat gun occasionally as well?

I’m struggling to think of other things. I guess there is no point in carrying jumper cables even for helping others as you’re not supposed to jump another car with a Tesla? I have a battery powered air compressor but I will probably leave it at home almost always because it takes a fair amount of room.

What am I missing?

Thanks

Sounds pretty good.

4. I think the other issue is: very slow charge if your battery is not pre-warmed.

5. New Tesla low voltage battery is very small. Tesla doesn't allow using Tesla battery to jump others.

When it's dead, You still need a jumper cable hooked to it in order to wake up doors, computers... as well as Tow Mode.

 

[gx9901]

I keep a rechargeable air pump in the car. Not sure if that would help the OP if the tires constantly get punctured though.

Another thing I have is a battery use to jump start car batteries, but I keep that at home unless I’m going on long trips. I haven’t used that on the MY but did use it to jump my daughter’s ICE car once.

 

[Jerry Ham]

You might test that charging from the generator. Many generators don't output the cleanest wave form and the car may not accept it. Best to test that out before having to rely on it.

 

[ucmndd]

You might test that charging from the generator. Many generators don't output the cleanest wave form and the car may not accept it. Best to test that out before having to rely on it.

In addition to needing a good ground as the mobile connector executes a ground check before initiating a charge.

 

[Pianewman]

Make sure your car has the PPF installed on the rear doors, as they flare out in front of the wheel arches. It only takes a few miles of dirt/gravel driving to permanently damage that area of paint.

Ditto for having front mud flaps.

If I were driving daily on dirt/ gravel, I'd invest in an aluminum skid plate. The OEM plastic is probably just fine, but...I'm more than a little OCD!

You might find the paint is not fully cured, and a bit soft/ fragile, for several weeks. The debate rages on as to why this might be, but it's my opinion that any automotive paint requires more "cure" time than a Tesla gets, since they're in the hands of the consumer so quickly after manufacture.

 

[bruce4000]

I have started carrying a bottle of glass cleaner and wipes to clean windshield and camera’s as usually not available at SC. Otherwise so little maintenance that I have to remember to add washer fluid and check tire pressure in fall when gets cold. Being so far from a service center is a worry but i have never had anything done to car (rotated tires myself) after 2.5 years, knock on wood.

 

[dpilot83]

Make sure your car has the PPF installed on the rear doors, as they flare out in front of the wheel arches. It only takes a few miles of dirt/gravel driving to permanently damage that area of paint.

Ditto for having front mud flaps.

If I were driving daily on dirt/ gravel, I'd invest in an aluminum skid plate. The OEM plastic is probably just fine, but...I'm more than a little OCD!

You might find the paint is not fully cured, and a bit soft/ fragile, for several weeks. The debate rages on as to why this might be, but it's my opinion that any automotive paint requires more "cure" time than a Tesla gets, since they're in the hands of the consumer so quickly after manufacture.

Thanks. I’m not familiar with PPF. I did a Google search and kinda got a basic idea but I wonder if some sources are higher quality sources than others. Where should I look?

 

[dpilot83]

I have started carrying a bottle of glass cleaner and wipes to clean windshield and camera’s as usually not available at SC. Otherwise so little maintenance that I have to remember to add washer fluid and check tire pressure in fall when gets cold. Being so far from a service center is a worry but i have never had anything done to car (rotated tires myself) after 2.5 years, knock on wood.

Good idea, thanks.

 

[dpilot83]

You might test that charging from the generator. Many generators don't output the cleanest wave form and the car may not accept it. Best to test that out before having to rely on it.

Wise words. Thanks.

 

[dpilot83]

Sounds pretty good.

4. I think the other issue is: very slow charge if your battery is not pre-warmed.

5. New Tesla low voltage battery is very small. Tesla doesn't allow using Tesla battery to jump others.

When it's dead, You still need a jumper cable hooked to it in order to wake up doors, computers... as well as Tow Mode.

I am a bit confused about jumping the low voltage side if it’s dead. Isn’t the lithium low voltage battery like 16 or 18V? How do I jump that with the 12V system on an ICE car? Even when running it’s unlikely an ICE will be putting out much more than 14V…

 

[Tam]

I am a bit confused about jumping the low voltage side if it’s dead. Isn’t the lithium low voltage battery like 16 or 18V? How do I jump that with the 12V system on an ICE car? Even when running it’s unlikely an ICE will be putting out much more than 14V…

When your very small 15.5V Lithium battery is dead, your whole car is dead: You can't access door, after you break the window to get into the car, you can't shift it to tow mode. Everything is all dark.

Thus there are 2 steps.

1. Access to your small 15.5V Lithium battery. You can't push a button for the hood to unlock when the whole car is dead.

2. Hook 12V to small 15.5V Lithium battery terminals to power the doors, computer, and Tow Mode.

For step one to pop the hood: I would carry around a small 12V battery in my pocket. It's less than $5:

It is smaller than a regular AA battery.

For step 2: You need a powerful enough power source to jump the 15.5V battery. The main objective is just enough power to unlock doors, turn on the computer, and shift to Tow Mode. To do that, I think an ICE 12V could do the jump fine.

 

[father_of_6]

Maybe have a battery powered heat gun in the vehicle? I have heard that supercharger cords can be difficult to deal with when it gets really cold? Also my home charger for the fIt at year will be outside so it might need some TLC from the heat gun occasionally as well?

I haven't experienced this. Supercharger cords are like 2" thick and aren't very flexible to begin with. I've charged many times in the winter, zero problems with supercharger cords.

 

[father_of_6]

I suspect the actual day-to-day usage won't pose any problems. It's being 200 miles from a service center that will be the hassle. You may not need them at all, but if you do... cross fingers they have a mobile ranger in your area.

 

[SilverSp33d3r]

Thanks. I’m not familiar with PPF. I did a Google search and kinda got a basic idea but I wonder if some sources are higher quality sources than others. Where should I look?

Tesla sells a kit for this in their shop. Ask for it to be installed at delivery.

 

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[Calliope]

I would carry around a small 12V battery in my pocket. It's less than $5:

You may be able to secure to the car in a way that you can get to it if the car is dead - I have one stored behind the tow hook cover. That's also where the wires are to pop the frunk open. I have a battery booster in my frunk (I have a 2021 MY, and fortunately haven't yet had to use it).

 

[BitJam]

Over the past 2.5 years I've had 3 tire punctures resulting in leaks. A rechargeable tire inflator has helped immensely to help me limp along and get me to a tire shop for repairs. But so far I haven't needed a spare. Some tire shops will fix the OEM Tesla tires with the silly interior foam. Others won't.

I had zero punctures over the previous 20 years driving ICE. Conclusion: electric cars have magnetic wheels.

 

[Calliope]

Conclusion: electric cars have magnetic wheels.

 

[ucmndd]

I keep a plug kit and air compressor in the frunk. Used it several times. Thats about the extent of my kit.