New Owner in Hawaii. Any tips?

[pawsonkeyboard]

Hello Tesla owners! I just put my order in for my Midnight Silver LR Model 3 here in Hawaii. My car is still on a ship heading to Oahu where it will stay for 5 days and then it'll ship out to me on Maui

So I've been waiting years and years to get a Tesla and I thought that this was the time to get one. Unfortunately I still have many reservations (still bought it though XD) about Tesla's quality. When I still lived in California my friends father bought a Model S, my buddy bought a Model X and someone else in the family has a Model 3. EVERY single one of those cars had problems, minor problems but still problems. Now I was always saying thats what you get for reserving a car and getting the first generation of any model regardless of which manufacturer you go to this isnt a Tesla specific problem.

Now I've seen many articles on checklists to go through when you take delivery. Are there any things that I should look out for at delivery that you would recommend that wasnt mentioned on a checklist? I see paint problems being listed as something to look out for, but for every paint complaint I see, I see a buttload of Model 3 owners that have at least 10k miles with very little problems regarding the paint. I am especially worried about the paint since I have to go to Kihei a few times a week for my job and it is a very salty area where you can always spot an old car that wasnt taken care of that has chips in the paint or pieces of the lower panel falling off. Can anyone give me tips on how to spot a bad paint job? I know nothing about the painting process of a car and all of the problems I see on forums are always spotted after they get the vehicle home. Here on Maui we have no Tesla store so I will be taking the delivery at a golf course which is outside and I'm not sure if that will alter my ability to see any defects, if there are any at all.

I do plan on getting a bunch of after market things to help with the care of the car. Door handle wrap, headlight wrap, alloygators if I can find someone here to install it (we have no authorized alloygator installers), and mudflaps in terms of the exterior.

Thanks for any help!

 

[AEdennis]

Well...

Specific to Hawaii, they have a club, it's the same one here (Hawaii Tesla Owners | Tesla Motors Club) as on Tesla Owners Club Directory

 

[ElectricLee]

Congrats. Does Tesla offer powerwalls in Hawaii?? Are you planning or have Solar?

 

[CharleyBC]

Sure, there have been quality problems, including the ones in your own family. But remember that problems get more "air time" on forums. People don't often post, "My car was flawless again today. Anyone else experience this?"

So here's one happy data point. We're had our 3 for 13 months and 22,000 miles. Not a single service issue yet.

 

[Wyomingtim]

My car was flawless again today! Anyone else experience this?

 

[ecarfan]

My car was flawless again today! Anyone else experience this?

Yes.

@pawsonkeyboard you are a brave man to buy a car in a location where you cannot drive to a Tesla Service Center. I realize that Tesla has Mobile Service techs but they still have to get on a plane to reach you.

I genuinely hope you have a positive ownership experience. But no car works perfectly 100% of the time.

 

[groovidad]

Congrats. Does Tesla offer powerwalls in Hawaii?? Are you planning or have Solar?

Yes, we do have them here.

 

[groovidad]

Sure, there have been quality problems, including the ones in your own family. But remember that problems get more "air time" on forums. People don't often post, "My car was flawless again today. Anyone else experience this?"

So here's one happy data point. We're had our 3 for 13 months and 22,000 miles. Not a single service issue yet.

Another "flawless day", here! Other than a few screen hicups, it;s been a fantastic journey, so far!

 

[derotam]

Hello Tesla owners! I just put my order in for my Midnight Silver LR Model 3 here in Hawaii. My car is still on a ship heading to Oahu where it will stay for 5 days and then it'll ship out to me on Maui

So I've been waiting years and years to get a Tesla and I thought that this was the time to get one. Unfortunately I still have many reservations (still bought it though XD) about Tesla's quality. When I still lived in California my friends father bought a Model S, my buddy bought a Model X and someone else in the family has a Model 3. EVERY single one of those cars had problems, minor problems but still problems. Now I was always saying thats what you get for reserving a car and getting the first generation of any model regardless of which manufacturer you go to this isnt a Tesla specific problem.

Now I've seen many articles on checklists to go through when you take delivery. Are there any things that I should look out for at delivery that you would recommend that wasnt mentioned on a checklist? I see paint problems being listed as something to look out for, but for every paint complaint I see, I see a buttload of Model 3 owners that have at least 10k miles with very little problems regarding the paint. I am especially worried about the paint since I have to go to Kihei a few times a week for my job and it is a very salty area where you can always spot an old car that wasnt taken care of that has chips in the paint or pieces of the lower panel falling off. Can anyone give me tips on how to spot a bad paint job? I know nothing about the painting process of a car and all of the problems I see on forums are always spotted after they get the vehicle home. Here on Maui we have no Tesla store so I will be taking the delivery at a golf course which is outside and I'm not sure if that will alter my ability to see any defects, if there are any at all.

I do plan on getting a bunch of after market things to help with the care of the car. Door handle wrap, headlight wrap, alloygators if I can find someone here to install it (we have no authorized alloygator installers), and mudflaps in terms of the exterior.

Thanks for any help!

You should do a drive to Hana...with all those curves should be fun! My wife and I just got back from a trip to Oahu and Maui...No tesla rental though.

 

[pawsonkeyboard]

Congrats. Does Tesla offer powerwalls in Hawaii?? Are you planning or have Solar?

We have them everywhere in Hawaii with authorized installers. Pretty good incentives too. My parents want to get a solar system, but if my Tesla experience works out they will either buy a Model 3 or wait for the Model Y.

You should do a drive to Hana...with all those curves should be fun! My wife and I just got back from a trip to Oahu and Maui...No tesla rental though.

Lol no thanks. Even if the my Model 3 is AWD, I only go to Hana once a year to go Ulua fishing. The Model 3 will not make it to our fishing spots without needing 100 washes. That being said I'm very interested in the detection system thingy. It is proper etiquette on a few specific turns to Hana to stop and honk to check if there is a car also trying to take the same turn from the oncoming lane and I was wondering if you can see that oncoming car on the screen with the radar.

Yes.

@pawsonkeyboard you are a brave man to buy a car in a location where you cannot drive to a Tesla Service Center. I realize that Tesla has Mobile Service techs but they still have to get on a plane to reach you.

I genuinely hope you have a positive ownership experience. But no car works perfectly 100% of the time.

I'm a lot more worried about problems that can be avoided before delivery with a good inspection by Tesla before they ship it to me than the things that will show up naturally over time and are covered by warranty.

 

[groovidad]

Sounds like you should jump an Inter island flight to check it out BEFORE shipping it to Maui (?)

 

[jamessmooth007]

Another "flawless day", here! Other than a few screen hicups, it;s been a fantastic journey, so far!

Just got back from Oahu (and eating at the Teddys in Ewa Beach). I was pretty surprised as to the number of Tesla’s on island. There weren’t many, but more than I expected to see!

 

[derotam]

Lol no thanks. Even if the my Model 3 is AWD, I only go to Hana once a year to go Ulua fishing. The Model 3 will not make it to our fishing spots without needing 100 washes. That being said I'm very interested in the detection system thingy. It is proper etiquette on a few specific turns to Hana to stop and honk to check if there is a car also trying to take the same turn from the oncoming lane and I was wondering if you can see that oncoming car on the screen with the radar.

Yeah if you can't see the other car then the Radar probably can't see it either...I'm trying to go though that road in my head to see if I can think of some odd exception to that statement but I can't think of one...Even if it could...on that road I don't think you would want to be looking at your screen, haha...unless you have a death wish.

 

[pawsonkeyboard]

Sounds like you should jump an Inter island flight to check it out BEFORE shipping it to Maui (?)

I'm heading to the Ala Moana location to check it out for a bit since I'm required to sign the Young Brothers shipping documents after they receive the car. Not sure if I can get a lot of time with the car though.

Yeah if you can't see the other car then the Radar probably can't see it either...I'm trying to go though that road in my head to see if I can think of some odd exception to that statement but I can't think of one...Even if it could...on that road I don't think you would want to be looking at your screen, haha...unless you have a death wish.

On the road this guy was talking about you come to a complete stop on certain turns and honk because its an extreme sharp curve at the edge of a cliff. If you hear someone honk back its because there is someone 30ft away right on the other side of the turn. I was just wondering if I'm stopped at one side and someone else at the other at very close proximity, would I be able to see them on the screen. I'm just curious, it'd be stupid not to do the normal honk because even if I can see them on my screen it doesnt mean the other guy is also driving a Tesla and can see me lol.

 

[Kitfox]

I was just wondering if I'm stopped at one side and someone else at the other at very close proximity, would I be able to see them on the screen. I'm just curious, it'd be stupid not to do the normal honk because even if I can see them on my screen it doesnt mean the other guy is also driving a Tesla and can see me lol.

The cars on the screen are from the cameras. The radar only gives relative speed* and only in front, not to the sides. If you can't see them, the car can't either.

* I'm actually doing hobby projects with radar speed systems that are the same as but just less powerful than the ones in cars and it's pretty interesting. A directional antenna to transmit, and one to receive, and then a simple mixer pair that calculate and output the difference in frequency between the transmission and reception. If there is none (or no reception), then it's a flat line. Otherwise it's a mixed wave form that has an amplitude based on the power (generally how far away something is, but really how 'bright' the reflection looks), and a frequency based on the speed delta. Multiple moving objects will create multiple signals at different frequencies and amplitudes, but altogether there's nothing the computer gets except a wave form. Translating that into something useful is a fun bit of code, and Tesla's done an awesome job with some tricks they pull, like reflections under the first car ahead of you. FFT calculations can give a general idea, but I get a feeling that Tesla's doing something a lot more fun and complex.

Anything that is 'moving toward you" at the same speed you are traveling is considered to be stationary, and -EVERYTHING- stationary in the radar beam will show up. Signs, walls, trees. Anything moving toward you faster than you are moving is probably oncoming traffic. Both of these things are ignored by the system because they will always be there and the radar can only give literally a list of speeds and reflective brightness (which usually relates to distance) of everything in its beam. It can't tell where in the beam those things are.

Now you know. ^.^

 

[pawsonkeyboard]

The cars on the screen are from the cameras. The radar only gives relative speed* and only in front, not to the sides. If you can't see them, the car can't either.

* I'm actually doing hobby projects with radar speed systems that are the same as but just less powerful than the ones in cars and it's pretty interesting. A directional antenna to transmit, and one to receive, and then a simple mixer pair that calculate and output the difference in frequency between the transmission and reception. If there is none (or no reception), then it's a flat line. Otherwise it's a mixed wave form that has an amplitude based on the power (generally how far away something is, but really how 'bright' the reflection looks), and a frequency based on the speed delta. Multiple moving objects will create multiple signals at different frequencies and amplitudes, but altogether there's nothing the computer gets except a wave form. Translating that into something useful is a fun bit of code, and Tesla's done an awesome job with some tricks they pull, like reflections under the first car ahead of you. FFT calculations can give a general idea, but I get a feeling that Tesla's doing something a lot more fun and complex.



Now you know. ^.^

Thanks for the info Not going to lie a lot of that went over my head but it sounds cool haha.