Project: Labelling and Documenting the Tesla Tire Inflation Kit

[berkeley_ecar]

In the absence of a spare tire, I opted for the lazy alternative option, and purchased a Tesla tire inflation kit. This is basically a compressor that runs off of the car's 12V outlet, and can pump either air, or air mixed with a goopy liquid sealant intended to help temporarily fix a puncture, to temporize until you can get the car to a proper repair facility.

I was a bit disappointed with the documentation associated with the kit. For example, if one followed the misleading diagram associated with the printed instructions in the Owner's Manual, one could easily break the cover over the sealant canister. Also, the unit was handed to me at the Fremont Service Center in a clear plastic bag (no case). So I set out to add labeling, documentation, and packaging for it before putting it into the Rola trunk organizer that I placed in the footwell along the back of the vehicle (great product, perfect fit).

I printed five labels for the device (using 0.94" white tape in a Brother PT-P700 label printer), and produced a single-page document containing the four pages from the Owner's Manual dealing with the tire kit. I put the result in a small TESLA recycled polypropylene bag I received with a purchase from the store at the factory delivery center. A modest little project, but cheap and tidy. I thought others might appreciate seeing the result.

The front of the unit, with the power cord unwound to expose the power switch. Four labels are visible: POWER Below the power switch), PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE (below and in line with the red button), and, as the far left, a label that provides a space to record the expiration date for the enclosed sealant canister, and instructs the user as to how to properly remove the cover for the canister The label at the top shows the correct place to grasp and pull on to remove the canister cover.


A close-up of the two labels providing instructions for removal of the sealant canister cover. The expiration date for the canister is written on a small piece of Scotch tape so it can be replaced when the canister is replaced.

Label for the inflator adapter compartment on the back of the unit.

Here the kit has the power cord wrapped in its place, obscuring view of the power button, and is sitting in front of the recycled polypropylene bag it will be placed in.

The single-page instruction summary in a plastic sheet protector, trimmed to wrap around kit.

Kit and documentation in the TESLA-branded bag, ready to pop into trunk organizer.

 

[David29]

I wanted to thank you for this post. It helped to prompt me to do some preparations for the possibility of a tire problem.

Next week my spouse and I are headed to Maine for a few days of vacation. In the past few days, I have seen a couple of posts either on Facebook or here on TMC by people who had flats or a leak. I gather that it can be a nightmare, especially on state highways with restricted towing policies (i.e., Tesla roadside assistance is not allowed to respond) and/or if you are a long distance from a Service Center. This got me starting to think about what could happen if we have a tire leak in Maine, or on the way. There is no Tesla facility in Maine or New Hampshire, and I do not know what the state police policies are regarding towing on the Maine and New Hampshire Turnpikes. I have driven in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont before and had not particularly worried about this in the past, but these recent posts had me thinking that it would be prudent to get the tire repair kit.

And by the way, I have already had one tire with low pressure because of a leak caused by a puncture. But I was lucky that time because the leak was slow and the service center was only a few miles away. (The tire had to be replaced.)

I read some other posts on TMC that concerned tire repairs and the tire repair kit. One of the posts suggested that it is smart to become familiar with the procedure required for towing, including the location of the towing eye and how it is used, in case towing is needed. So I looked in my frunk to find the towing eye, just in case. The owner's manual said to look under the carpet. But I could not see an edge for the carpet so I (incorrectly) assumed it must be elsewhere. In the 2 years I have had the car, I had never seen the towing eye.

So I stopped by my local Tesla Service Center to ask about the towing eye and to see if I could buy a tire repair kit. Immediately a technician greeted me and asked what I needed. He showed me who to speak to about the tire repair kit. While the service writer checked if there was a kit in stock, the technician pulled up the carpet of the frunk and found the towing eye -- right where it should have been. What I had missed is that the "carpet" is really the entire frunk liner, which has to be pulled out from under the edge of the rubber gasket that runs around the top of the frunk. (Good to know -- This detail was not covered in the manual.)

The technician suggested that another place to store the towing eye is in the bag for the UMC, which in some models, including mine, has a special place for it. This seemed like a good idea because it would likely be easier to get at if, for example, the frunk were full of stuff such as luggage. And it avoids the need to remove and reinstall the frunk liner. So we stowed in the UMC bag.

By coincidence, another Model S pulled into the service center driveway while the technician was helping me. The tech asked the other driver what he needed, and he said he had a flat tire! Turns out that he'd had a low tire pressure alert a short time earlier on the Mass. Turnpike, and found there was a puncture. He had the Tesla tire repair kit and had used it to inflate the tire, three times, until he could reach the SC. (He had not known how to use the tire sealant, apparently -- so there is another lesson, make sure you know how to use the sealant, and have some to use.) Using the pump had allowed him to avoid a tow. He said Tesla roadside assistance told him they could not service the car on the Turnpike!

This coincidence definitely convinced me I should get the tire repair kit, and so I bought it. I hope I never need it, but it is better to be prepared. I also printed out the instructions for both towing and the tire repair kit and placed them in the glove box. (That will have to do until I get fancy and use the labels as you suggested!)
As they say, forewarned is forearmed.

PS: Apparently my local SC does not stock the sealant cartridges and they have to be ordered. So if you do use the sealant, be aware that there may be a delay in receiving a replacement supply.

 

[gagarcia]

I have read on another blog that if you use the tire repair kit with the sealant on a tire that has a foam sound deadening coating on the inside (e.g., Goodyear Eagle Touring 245/45R19 TO Tesla, SoundComfort Tech), the tire cannot be repaired and must be replaced. Is this true?

 

[bishoppeak]

You can display the applicable instructions on the main screen.