One Pothole, 2 Flat Tyres on a Model 3P+

[Jimat]

Have you used your Tesla pump without the goop? I have the same setup, repair plugs and Telsa pump. My current plan should I get a nail, is to plug it and pump it with Telsa pump. Unless I am at home where I have a full size compressor.

I haven’t used the Tesla pump at all. I was “lucky” enough to spot the flats at home and fixed in my garage where I have a real air compressor.
All the repairs lasted until the tyres needed replacing.
AND if the plugs leaked surely the TPMS system would alert in the usual way?

 

[Vostok]

All the repairs lasted until the tyres needed replacing. AND if the plugs leaked surely the TPMS system would alert in the usual way?

You would presume so.

I’ve had a weird bug since I got my car - my tyre pressure warning indicator is permanently on, regardless of the pressures in my tyres. When I had my boot rivets installed early January at Alexandria, they had a look at it, pumped the tyres up a bit, reset the TPMS, drove it around the block, but the icon did not clear. They said they’d never seen this issue before and don’t know how to fix it. CPU resets didn’t help either.

If/when I take it in for my 12 month service, and if this problem is still there, they will have a deeper look at it. But it does mean I need to manually check my tyre pressures occasionally, because I currently have a non-functioning warning system.

 

[Dborn]

You would presume so.

I’ve had a weird bug since I got my car - my tyre pressure warning indicator is permanently on, regardless of the pressures in my tyres. When I had my boot rivets installed early January at Alexandria, they had a look at it, pumped the tyres up a bit, reset the TPMS, drove it around the block, but the icon did not clear. They said they’d never seen this issue before and don’t know how to fix it. CPU resets didn’t help either.

If/when I take it in for my 12 month service, and if this problem is still there, they will have a deeper look at it. But it does mean I need to manually check my tyre pressures occasionally, because I currently have a non-functioning warning system.

I wonder whether the batteries in the sensor units in the wheels are flat/defective? Third party product, and who knows how long they were on the shelves before being installed in your car.

 

[Vostok]

I wonder whether the batteries in the sensor units in the wheels are flat/defective? Third party product, and who knows how long they were on the shelves before being installed in your car.

I should have clarified that “manually check my tyre pressures” means swiping to the tyre pressure card. The sensors are reporting pressures correctly, so it’s not flat batteries, but for whatever reason, the car thinks those pressures are not where they should be and the icon is stuck on. Weird.

 

[Flatbat]

I wonder whether the batteries in the sensor units in the wheels are flat/defective? Third party product, and who knows how long they were on the shelves before being installed in your car.

Unlikely all four are flat (battery). Another possibility is that the sensors are still in shipping mode and were never activated at the factory. Would be easy enough to test, if only you can temporarily fit a wheel of someone else's m3 and drive around the block. Next thing to check would be if the TPMS receiver is actually connected properly.

 

[mswlogo]

The last time I pumped them up to 43 PSI after a bit of driving, but they were only at 41 when this happened.

They should be 42 PSI COLD which will be like 45 PSI or higher while driving.

Higher Pressure WILL protect the road from hitting the RIM.

41 while you were driving is definitely on the low side and making them more vulnerable.

 

[Flatbat]

I should have clarified that “manually check my tyre pressures” means swiping to the tyre pressure card. The sensors are reporting pressures correctly, so it’s not flat batteries, but for whatever reason, the car thinks those pressures are not where they should be and the icon is stuck on. Weird.

Disregard my previous post then. Have your tried taking the pressure up to maximum. 50psi all round then see if the icon clears. That would confirm for you that the warning threshold is incorrectly set.

 

[mswlogo]

Yes, but I save that for remote flats.

You do realize that the goop will NOT work on tires with the Acoustic foam.
Get a Plug Kit, it will work better, won't ruin the tire and might even work (for a nail or screw in the tread).

With blowouts due to pot holes and low profile tires, often the tire is not goop-able [even with no foam] or pluggable or plug-patchable.
Often there is sidewall and rim damage as well.

@Vostok

 

[Xenoilphobe]

The rain has been intense on the Gold Coast over the last few days and the roads have suffered with potholes opening up all over the place. I was on my way home from my parents in Helensvale on the Gold Coast and hit a pothole with both left tyres at less than 60 km/h. It was bad enough that I thought I'd better check the tyre pressures straight away and sure enough the rear left was near 0 and the front left was deflating fast.

In the video you can see the pothole just after the 60 km/h speed limit appears on the road surface at around 44 seconds. Towards the end of the video you can see I'm deciding where to pull over. It happened that fast. I ended up driving slowly with the hazard lights on to a dog park with parking off the road and called roadside assistance. From what I could see there was no damage to the rims.

The lady who answered was very helpful, arranging for a flatbed tow truck to arrive within 25 minutes. The tow truck driver had moved a few Teslas, so it was a simple matter of giving him a key and contact details. I had read all the towing information from the manual before he arrived, just in case.

My parents were able to pick me up and drive me home.

Unfortunately the nearest service centre is in Brisbane and they don't have an after hours drop off area, so I'll only find out what will happen in the morning. I'll update the thread once I know more.

I love the look of the wheels and tyres on the car, but it could get expensive over the lifetime of the car if a pothole at <60 km/h is all it takes to require a call to roadside assistance.

Welcome to the club - P3D 20" Bent Rims (Please reply if Bent or Not) and Woes of having the 20" performance wheels (busted tires... constantly)

 

[Vostok]

Disregard my previous post then. Have your tried taking the pressure up to maximum. 50psi all round then see if the icon clears. That would confirm for you that the warning threshold is incorrectly set.

That’s my final option. Is 50 psi safe? I’d let them down a bit before driving.

 

[Vostok]

You do realize that the goop will NOT work on tires with the Acoustic foam.

The Tesla tyre repair kit is designed to work with the provided tyres. They in fact warn you that buying third-party goop won’t work and shouldn’t be used. I used the term “goop” in reference to the Tesla kit.

 

[Flatbat]

That’s my final option. Is 50 psi safe? I’d let them down a bit before driving.

Yeah 50 PSI is safe. Mine has 18" Michelin Pilot Sport tyres fitted. They are placarded on sidewall "Max inflation pressure 50 PSI". Given Michelin consider that a maximum for general utilisation of the tyre, I would not hesitate to inflate to that for your testing purposes and a run around the block to check the TPMS.

I realise you have the TPMS orange tyre with nail in it warning icon on display. Do you also have:
1) the system alert exclamation in a triangle on display that leads to a low tyre pressure error message when you tap it? and
2) on the tyre pressure card are the pressures displayed in orange instead of black?

My car throws the TPMS error somewhere between 37 & 38 PSI. I had it yesterday with all four tyres at 37 PSI on a cold morning. Interestingly while all four pressures indicated 37 PSI on the card, only two tyres on one side displayed in amber while they other side was still in black font. Perhpas the warning triggers at 260kpa which is in between 37 & 38 somewhere. Topped the tyres back up to 42 PSI and of course the message cleared.

 

[mswlogo]

The Tesla tyre repair kit is designed to work with the provided tyres. They in fact warn you that buying third-party goop won’t work and shouldn’t be used. I used the term “goop” in reference to the Tesla kit.

Can you share where that exact warning is?
Or let me guess, a Tesla Tech told you this, or even better your Order Advisor told you at pick up.

Tesla also warns you, you will need a new tire and TPMS. Which is in writing with the product listing. No thanks.

 

[Grenadine]

Sitting here at Dargo High Plains Rd with a flat tyre. Going to cost me $620 to get to the nearest town. Then $250 to stay overnight. Then $100 to get to Melbourne. Then $750 for a new tyre. Then another $50 in petroleum to go get my car back in the weekend.

so $2k down

My wife and I will miss an entire day at work. My kids will miss a day at school.

a spare tyre would have been nice. 21 inch wheels suck. I am a little mad right now.

 

[Flatbat]

Sitting here at Dargo High Plains Rd with a flat tyre. Going to cost me $620 to get to the nearest town. Then $250 to stay overnight. Then $100 to get to Melbourne. Then $750 for a new tyre. Then another $50 in petroleum to go get my car back in the weekend.

a spare tyre would have been nice.

Bummer. Shame you don't have the repair kit with you to get out of trouble. Am also in Gippsland, but it is a big place and you are still four hours drive from me, otherwise I would run my kit across and get you up and running.

 

[Flatbat]

Can you share where that exact warning is?
Or let me guess, a Tesla Tech told you this, or even better your Order Advisor told you at pick up.

Tesla also warns you, you will need a new tire and TPMS. Which is in writing with the product listing. No thanks.

Let me guess, you have not had time to read the owners manual....

"Tire Care and Maintenance" (P150) Warning do not use any tire sealant other than the type provided in a Tesla tyre repair kit. Other types can cause tyre pressure sensors to malfunction....."

That said I am pretty sure @Vostok would be like me and use the Tesla repair kit in the first instance as a compressor to re inflate after plugging the tyre. Goop is a last resort, but yell yeah I would use it if I was broken down in the middle of nowhere like poor @Grenadine

 

[Vostok]

That said I am pretty sure @Vostok would be like me and use the Tesla repair kit in the first instance as a compressor to re inflate after plugging the tyre. Goop is a last resort, but yell yeah I would use it if I was broken down in the middle of nowhere like poor @Grenadine

Correct @Flatbat - if the puncture is in the tread, try to plug the tyre first and then pump using the compressor, or if plugging the tyre is not easily done or doesn’t work for some reason, use the Tesla goop as a last resort. If the puncture is in the sidewall, you’re getting towed.

Hard to believe a new tyre costs $750 though for @Grenadine - why that much?

 

[Grenadine]

I was stupid enough to get the 21” rims which means basically they are bespoke to those rims on Teslas. I am buying 19” rims after this stupidity.

 

[EcoCloudIT]

I was stupid enough to get the 21” rims which means basically they are bespoke to those rims on Teslas. I am buying 19” rims after this stupidity.

I had the 21st on my S, drove all over Australia and only had the one issue once.....really not that bad I don’t think....

 

[louco73]

Sitting here at Dargo High Plains Rd with a flat tyre. Going to cost me $620 to get to the nearest town. Then $250 to stay overnight. Then $100 to get to Melbourne. Then $750 for a new tyre. Then another $50 in petroleum to go get my car back in the weekend.

so $2k down

My wife and I will miss an entire day at work. My kids will miss a day at school.

a spare tyre would have been nice. 21 inch wheels suck. I am a little mad right now.

That makes my little incident in suburbs of the Gold Coast look rather painless. I feel for you.

How did it happen and what type of damage did you get to the tyre? Rim ok?

I now have a pot hole paranoia problem and avoid even the smallest blemishes in the road surface if I can. I still love the way the low profile tyres look on the car though.