Our Tesla Crash

[DigbyChicken]

That 20% Sentry Mode auto cancel is worth its weight.....

It certainly was. Eventually the body shop discovered how to recharge it (I told them there was the 3-pin stuff in the boot, but for a long time, this fell on deaf ears). It got scarily low at one point - <5% over Christmas, if memory serves.

 

[DigbyChicken]

Picked up Tessie the Tesla on Monday (no pictures as, well, it's just a repaired Model 3 in white). I was almost emotional to see it - and not sorry to drop off the Mercedes EQA, though I've grown to appreciate its SUV-ness (and blindspot indicator, and working automatic headlights) at points over the last five months. It looks as if the body shop has done a good job on the Tesla (there was very fine paint spray on some of the frunk plastics under the bonnet which I only noticed when I got back, but it seems to have rubbed off with no issues). Overall, the car looks in pretty good nick (though the alloys haven't miraculously healed themselves - I seemed to kerb the bloody thing just about every week on the narrow streets of Winchester). We've got about a year and a half before we hand it back to the NHS lease company and it'll be interesting to see what we do next. We're wary of losing the parking sensors via some future update (I'm assuming they're still working?) but conversely we really don't want to ever be reliant on non-Tesla chargers again.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I had an enjoyable and reasonably uneventful drive home: I've missed the rapid acceleration, the openness of the cabin and how effortless it is to drive long distances on motorways! My wife (who's the only one of us to have driven it in the dark) swears that the headlights are more 'sensible' than before; is this plausible? (We were on... whatever software version was standard back in August... and it was updated to 2022.44.30 while being checked over at Tesla Milton Keynes.) I've certainly noticed that the camera view that pops up when you're indicating is now in a more sensible place and could almost be useful.

Pretty much since it's been fixed (bit late, guys!) I've had a few emails from some of the Tesla email addresses I spammed when trying to get the correct wiring loom sent over to Rugby. (Apparently the body shop still has a wing or something they were sent two of; in a nutshell, they're hoping never to have to repair a Tesla again, though I did see another M3 in the car park...) FWIW, the Customer Services address - [email protected] - responded in about 7 days (and seemed genuinely sorry to hear of my/our poor experiences emailing Tesla and were keen to know which addresses hadn't got back to me). The Bristol Sales address, despite being featured on the main Tesla website, bounced (at least for me). (I didn't even get an acknowledgement from the person at Bristol I'd dealt with back at the beginning: hardly a surprise, as they're only interested in selling cars, not customer support once you have one.) [email protected] pinged an automatic message acknowledging receipt, but I never heard from them again. I didn't get anything from [email protected] at all. (Perhaps they felt it was nothing to do with them so didn't bother. Anyway, I note all this here just in case it's useful to someone.) By the time UK Customer services suggested I try the [email protected] address, the car was fixed, but I *did* hear from a human being there as well. Crumbs!

All that's outstanding now is to sort the steering alignment (the car suggested a service of this kind partway home and the steering wheel does seem very slightly cocked to one side when driving straight). After stating that I didn't really fancy another 340-mile round trip so the body shop could have a look, the lease/fleet company and insurers agreed that Tesla sort this and that they'll bundle the cost into the insurance claim against the other driver. (Apparently, while the M3 is there, they're going to 'Insulate AC Low-Pressure Pipe and Install Harness Corrective Cover' and 'Install O-Ring on Trunk Power Strut' - anyone know about this? What have I missed??) Anyway, it's all booked in for the week after next and - barring goodness knows what on the insurance front (though at least it's not our problem) - we're delighted it's all over...!

Quick update. The car is (more than) fine, and we're glad to have it back. (I'm certainly pleased to have not encountered conzam's problems, as evidenced on the M3 been in bodyshop for 5+ months - both batteries dead thread.)

The new Bristol Tesla Centre on Centaurus Road (guess who drive to Lysander Road without thinking?!) was very welcoming, sorting the soft recalls and the steering alignment (see above) in about two and a half hours. It was great driving home with a steering wheel that's at 9 and 3 on a clockface, if you see what I mean, and not 10 and 4.

One problem I did have, on the way back from the appointment, was 10-20 warnings about 'corrective steering' being applied (especially when using TACC on appropriate motorways, but occasionally when just driving along twisty A- or B-roads and minding my own business). I've had this happen a few times in the past (and am never quite sure if the car is making an adjustment, or simply warning me) - but never as frequently or as pointlessly as this! I'm guessing something was recalibrating after the work on the steering/wheels? I messaged the technician afterwards, and he'd said he'd done an extensive road test afterwards, and TBF, by the next long journey, everything seemed to be fine. Phew!

Oh, and the automatic dipping on the headlights is definitely a huge improvement over what we had before, when it would get frightened by roadsigns and plunge you into darkness just as you were approaching a hairpin (or, alternatively, dazzle an oncoming car that it simply did not perceive). The system might not be quite as reliable as the Merc's, though in truth, I don't think I've had to manually override it at any point, and nor have I been flashed for blinding some poor sod.

Happy days. (Well, I likely have Covid for the first time ever, so I'm not able to drive at the moment, but I can't blame the Tesla for that.)

 

[Wattsisname]

.......but I can't blame the Tesla for that.)

Ha! Someone will!
Congrats on getting her back in good fettle. Covid commiserations. Get well soon.

 

[CWT3LR]

Ha! Someone will!
Congrats on getting her back in good fettle. Covid commiserations. Get well soon.

Cos they are made in China innit!

@DigbyChicken thanks for taking the time to so such a comprehensive write up of your experiences and glad you have it back in fine fettle.

 

[Wattsisname]

Cos they are made in China innit!

@DigbyChicken thanks for taking the time to so such a comprehensive write up of your experiences and glad you have it back in fine fettle.

Cos they are BOTH made in China innit!