Possible new Tesla Owner with some Qs!

[ecarfan]

Lots of creaks and noises on interiors of the 3 and Y over time… Is the paint that bad on the 3 and Y?

My 2018 Model 3 is still very quiet (as is my 2017 Model X). When I took delivery of my 3 I could not find any paint flaws.

My 2013 Model S had some issues but it was an amazing, extraordinary car that never failed to get me to my destination. My 2009 Roadster did have some major issues. I still enjoyed it every time I drove it. Over that timespan Tesla has made massive improvements to their vehicles and will continue to do so.

I have probably almost 3000K on the various Teslas I’ve owned. Teslas are certainly not perfect. No manufacturer makes consistently perfect vehicles. Every car forum online contains numerous complaints because people don’t typically post saying “Well another day of ownership and no problems today.” They post about issues they are having, and that’s fine. But it is easy to lose perspective reading car forums. You are reading personal anecdotes, not data on a random sampling of hundreds of thousands of vehicles produced.

I sometimes wonder if some noises are noticed more in a Tesla because there is not the drivetrain noise that may cover the noise in ICE vehicles.

I think that is clearly true.

 

[MacNeil]

Another thing to consider when reading online comments about the Model 3 (or Y) is that the number of complaints needs to be in the context of the number of units sold. The Model 3 is no longer a new product that sells in small numbers; cumulative global sales of the Model 3 are now over one million in total. (As compared to 25-30,000 in June 2018 when we took delivery of ours.)

 

[Calliope]

some noises are noticed more in a Tesla because there is not the drivetrain noise that may cover the noise in ICE vehicles.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!
We hear more little things, because we don't have the normal engine noises of an ICE.

 

[roblab]

On the Tesla wall charger... How much faster is it vs the 240v?

You might find that speed is not an issue when you begin to charge overnight. I have used a 220 volt outlet for the last dozen years on four Teslas, and NEVER have I even thought of getting a wall charger, which costs quite a bit more and cannot be used for anything else, while the outlet can be used for several things. Let's say that you can charge twice as fast with the wall charger. So it takes an three hours instead of an hour and a half. You're asleep.

The outlet will let you run 42 amps. Let someone else tell you how much time it saves them running the wall charger. And then have them tell you why you need to save all that time while you are sleeping and won't be needing to unplug for eight hours.

You don't need one.

 

[ecarfan]

The outlet will let you run 42 amps. Let someone else tell you how much time it saves them running the wall charger.

My understanding is that a NEMA 14-50 outlet can be on a 240V/50A circuit but as you noted it is then limited to less than that. The wall connector can deliver up to 11.5kW/48A. See Wall Connector

The difference is inconsequential. If you want to save some money don’t bother getting a Tesla wall connector. I say this as an owner of two of them, which I bought years ago for my Roadster which could take up to 72A (I had it on an 80A circuit) and for my 2013 Model S which could take up to 80A (which I had on a 100A circuit). That was in California. Now in West Vancouver I have both wall connectors connected to a single 240V/40A circuit (which is all my condo garage can provide) and they do load sharing between my 3 and X. I used them because I already had them.

 

[pbcsd]

My understanding is that a NEMA 14-50 outlet can be on a 240V/50A circuit but as you noted it is then limited to less than that. The wall connector can deliver up to 11.5kW/48A. See Wall Connector

The difference is inconsequential. If you want to save some money don’t bother getting a Tesla wall connector. I say this as an owner of two of them, which I bought years ago for my Roadster which could take up to 72A (I had it on an 80A circuit) and for my 2013 Model S which could take up to 80A (which I had on a 100A circuit). That was in California. Now in West Vancouver I have both wall connectors connected to a single 240V/40A circuit (which is all my condo garage can provide) and they do load sharing between my 3 and X. I used them because I already had them.

Just so I'm following....if I install a 40 amp or possibly 60amp circuit from my panel to my garage, if I was to get two Teslas down the line I could hook it up to two different wall chargers and they won't trip the circuit as they'd regulate the power accordingly?

 

[pbcsd]

Another Q as I do research. For the Y's and the 3's (the Yoke has completely turned me off the S and X), am I reading it right that there is no regular cruise control? I.e., cruise control enables some light form of automated driving with no ability to "just" have it cruise and leave the driving/braking up to me? Have read about phantom braking, which even the risk of that on a highway seems concerning.

 

[ecarfan]

Just so I'm following....if I install a 40 amp or possibly 60amp circuit from my panel to my garage, if I was to get two Teslas down the line I could hook it up to two different wall chargers and they won't trip the circuit as they'd regulate the power accordingly?

Yes, multiple Tesla Wall Connectors can be connected to the same circuit and they can communicate with each other and “load share” so that multiple cars can be charged simultaneously. That is the setup I have in my garage. See photos below.

Another Q as I do research. For the Y's and the 3's (the Yoke has completely turned me off the S and X), am I reading it right that there is no regular cruise control? I.e., cruise control enables some light form of automated driving with no ability to "just" have it cruise and leave the driving/braking up to me? Have read about phantom braking, which even the risk of that on a highway seems concerning.

Tesla calls its cruise control “Traffic Aware Cruise Control” (TACC) and it maintains spacing from the car in front of it (the spacing can be adjusted slightly by the driver) so if the car in front slows to below your set speed you slow down. If there is no car in front it maintains your set speed.

With TACC on you still steer the car (unless you have Auto Steer turned on) and if you brake then TACC turns off. Turn on AS and TACC stays on and the car steers itself.

Until you have spent time driving a Tesla and using TACC and AS and Full Self Driving (FSD) with Navigation it can be difficult to understand the various levels of automation that Teslas provide. I can assure you that after an hour behind the wheel and experiencing everything it’s not difficult. NOTE: if you do not buy the FSD option you only get TACC and Auto Steer which simply keep the car in the lane at the speed you set.

As far as the TACC/AP “phantom braking” issue goes, I get it very occasionally and it doesn’t bother me; the car will suddenly slow 3-4kph, I apply pressure to the accelerator to get back to speed and then let go and the car resumes the set speed. I’ve never felt like I was in danger or an accident could potentially occur. And it happens much less often than it used to.