Reliable v enthusiastic but wrong advice on some forums

[DrJFoster]

I don't post much as I'm a subscriber to the "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" and "if you don't know, shut up". I'm not perfect in either regard, but I read a lot of the forums and over the years have built up what I consider a reasonable amount of Tesla knowledge. What I've seen increasingly is just how badly so many questions get answered on other forums, maybe due to the influx of enthusiastic new model 3 owners who don't appreciate the variety of scenarios that might exist across the models, or bring expectation based on how other cars work

Take the various Facebook owners club/group, every question gets about 4 different answers and a whole load of nonsense. Ask a question about charging stopping short and you'll get:
- show %
- its because its cold
- you can go 10 miles after it reaches zero
- does the app keep the car awake?
- #teamblue
- Does the MY have a LFP battery?
- It's because you use Teslafi
- What's an LFP battery?
- After a year mine still shows 293 miles
- It's adjusted to your driving style
- Sentry mode
- Does it matter? There are various influences- last week I had fish and chips there were 30 chips yesterday same shop, same order but I only had 29 chips

Maybe its the moderation on here, maybe it's just people are more informed (and often more informed than Tesla), maybe it's because you don't need to stray far to tap into the worldwide knowledge. What's worrying me even more for new owners is the owners group are running "orientation" sessions for new owners yet the same people running the sessions seem to be riddled with mistakes and misinformation, they must be to let what to me appears to be the wrong answers go unchecked.

To any new owners, would something from here along the lines of common beginner questions or a new owners guide be useful?

And any other suggestions for the most unhelpful but often quoted answers to questions?

 

[Kansalis]

Welcome to the internet, where misinformation is rife Facebook groups are the worst for it by far.

A "new owners" FAQ or wiki would definitely be useful, but the biggest problem is keeping it current and accurate. Speaking as a new Tesla owner myself (2 weeks), it can definitely difficult to find accurate info on certain things. I'm a seasoned techie and do a lot of research before taking anyone's word for anything, but it's still hard to find some things.

Small things like why my tyre pressures were blank on the screen or why the radio was missing from my infotainment took a bit of time to find answers to. It's probably very daunting to non-techie people when they first get a Tesla.

 

[Jason71]

I went to pick up a new model Y with a friend on Saturday and stopped at a V2 supercharger. Stuff that we take for granted like preheat, which plug and not to share power supplies he of course had no idea about. We did have to share and he would have been very miffed at only getting 56kw max if I had not been there to explain it.
I was also a bit surprised the interface was still on V10. If I had not made him check for and do any updates he would have spent all afternoon learning where everything is then on Sunday morning everything would have moved when it updated to V11 overnight. I wonder how many new owners have been caught by that recently!

 

[Dangerous Fish]

The 'official' Tesla Owners Group on FB - TOGUK had a mentoring scheme where they put new owners in touch with existing ones. That was useful but I don't know if it's going now. They also hold online live sessions fairly frequently to introduce new owners to all things Tesla.
Having said that, I agree that Facebook is part of the problem. Too many people who think they are experts shouting down the actual experts or just wanting an argument.
TMC and the search facility here is probably one of the best sources of factual information. Eventually, most questions are answered properly here.

 

[Jason71]

The 'official' Tesla Owners Group on FB - TOGUK had a mentoring scheme where they put new owners in touch with existing ones. That was useful but I don't know if it's going now. They also hold online live sessions fairly frequently to introduce new owners to all things Tesla.
Having said that, I agree that Facebook is part of the problem. Too many people who think they are experts shouting down the actual experts or just wanting an argument.
TMC and the search facility here is probably one of the best sources of factual information. Eventually, most questions are answered properly here.

I don't disagree but searching for stuff can be tricky. when I go back to find an old thread to point someone too it sometimes is hard to find even though I know it is there. So we need to be as tolerant as possible of people who ask questions even ones that feel as if they have been answered several times before.

 

[Dilly]

part of the problem is changes by OTA updates.
a couple of updates ago, the charge port was like Arkwright’s till drawer. It snapped shut the second the plug came out. Now it’s quite sedate.

Holding the lever down for TACC engaged at the speed limit. it doesn’t seem to now but it does for AP

the front DRL’s stay on if the door is left ajar. They never used to.

nothing major it’s just different. I expect things will change next month too…

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

The 'official' Tesla Owners Group on FB - TOGUK had a mentoring scheme where they put new owners in touch with existing ones. That was useful but I don't know if it's going now. They also hold online live sessions fairly frequently to introduce new owners to all things Tesla.
Having said that, I agree that Facebook is part of the problem. Too many people who think they are experts shouting down the actual experts or just wanting an argument.
TMC and the search facility here is probably one of the best sources of factual information. Eventually, most questions are answered properly here.

I saw that but given how bad many of the responses are on Facebook I fear DrF has a point and they’re just spreading a little confusion as much as helping

Take charging etiquette, it would be useful but I think nobody agrees on what it is at destination chargers as we have debates on here over free chargers, EV v PHEV, etc. a mentor is likely to share their view which might not be universally upheld, there’s also a bit of an elitist attitude on Fb where other makes of EV are unworthy.

We have the sticky’s on here so we can develop something if people want to contribute. There’s already some knowledge on specific subjects such as superchargers.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

I saw that but given how bad many of the responses are on Facebook I fear DrF has a point and they’re just spreading a little confusion as much as helping

Take charging etiquette, it would be useful but I think nobody agrees on what it is at destination chargers as we have debates on here over free chargers, EV v PHEV, etc. a mentor is likely to share their view which might not be universally upheld, there’s also a bit of an elitist attitude on Fb where other makes of EV are unworthy.

We have the sticky’s on here so we can develop something if people want to contribute. There’s already some knowledge on specific subjects such as superchargers.

A decent FAQ could be very useful if it was properly moderated and filtered so only the best/factual answers are shown.
I've left several FB groups recently because I'm just fed up with the FUD and nonsense FB attracts. Trouble is I still feel a sense of loyalty to those asking genuine questions and not getting the right answers, so I lurk and contribute every now and then.

 

[pgkevet]

The biggest concern is your chip shop. Around here a portion feeds myself, wife and enough for hen, dog and spare for the wildlife. I've never dared ask for a large portion..

 

[Undecided_2]

I don't disagree but searching for stuff can be tricky.

I had that issue here. I was searching for about an hour but couldn’t find what I was looking for. I posted a question and got told off for not searching…

A lot of questions quickly go off of topic and I’m guilty of that myself.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

Facebook seems to breed short conversations that never reach a conclusion. Here we have a bit of back and forth and tend to reach or consensus (or at least a peaceful disagreement) and the thread is all there for people to see.

I've all but given up correcting myths on facebook as you know an hour later someone will come along and say the same thing..

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Ok, if we were to do a FAQ, what would be say the top 5 or 10 items?

Initial stab at a list, but given I’ve owned a Tesla for many years I may forget what’s far from obvious to a newbie

- various charging topics, speeds, cables, etiquette related
- trip planning
- software updates and what to expect
- keys, fobs, phones and cards
- how to book a service, get help from Tesla
- range, what the numbers mean and what they dont
- we get a lot of questions about the order process so maybe something about order to delivery (anybody fancy consolidating the 3 million posts we have on the subject?!)

Feel free to copy and edit, or wherever people think

 

[Dangerous Fish]

That's a good start TBH.
It's probably a good idea to monitor a couple of the FB groups for a while and jot down the questions coming up there. Especially from all the new Model Y owners who could be first time Tesla owners.

 

[init6]

I like the idea of this and thought of doing a "welcome to winter" guide. The problem is though, no matter where you put it, people won't use it. The front page is awash with sticky threads, but still we get questions such as "how can I contact Tesla". Every car comes with a manual but people don't think to look in there first. Even when you start a new thread suggested threads pop up, but people ignore that too. There are also a number of users (42 I think ) that insist on a new thread for every thought they have. So it'll be quite a challenge to get people to read the beginners guide.

The mods do a great job of bringing the threads together and its one of the reasons I like this forum. Keeps a good the signal to noise ratio as someone on here once said.

 

[G4WFT]

I must admit that I left the Facebook Tesla group (or should that be "a" Facebook Tesla group as there may be more than one) because I got fed up with some of the drivel that was being posted. The last straw for me was when I made a comment about the appalling spelling and grammar of much of the content and was told in no uncertain terms by one of the admins that "spelling and grammar doesn't matter in this group". That's fair enough, but a certain basic use of punctuation does make text easier to read.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I like the idea of this and thought of doing a "welcome to winter" guide. The problem is though, no matter where you put it, people won't use it. The front page is awash with sticky threads, but still we get questions such as "how can I contact Tesla". Every car comes with a manual but people don't think to look in there first. Even when you start a new thread suggested threads pop up, but people ignore that too. There are also a number of users (42 I think ) that insist on a new thread for every thought they have. So it'll be quite a challenge to get people to read the beginners guide.

Thats a good point, I suppose if we do go ahead then we have the option of pointing to "the knowledge" and shutting down the thread, or just moving the posts to the "the knowledge" thread if its answered there.

I think "Contacting Tesla" and "there is a manual" are two worthy builds/items for the FAQ. A quick browse of the facebook groups, phantom braking and maybe broader advice on autopilot and its options in the UK as "is FSD worth it" is one that comes up a lot, and vampire drain. I've also seen more confuision over premium connectivity with claims like you need it for the Tesla spotify account

List is getting longer...

- various charging topics, speeds, cables, etiquette related
- trip planning
- software updates and what to expect
- keys, fobs, phones and cards
- how to book a service, get help from or just contacting Tesla
- range, what the numbers mean and what they dont
- we get a lot of questions about the order process so maybe something about order to delivery (anybody fancy consolidating the 3 million posts we have on the subject?!)
- RTFM and where to find it
- Autopilot, its use, its pitfalls, its features and what you get for your money
- premium connectivity, pro's and cons.

 

[Unclepaul]

Responses are most likely because people on these types of forums are enthusiasts, not technicians.

 

[Casss]

You just described Facebook in general. There are some very knowledgable owners on the various Discord channels for different Tesla Vehicles though, so not all "off-forum" spaces are bad.

 

[Undecided_2]

The process from ordering to actually taking delivery. E.g., check source code for VIN and that they’ll be different experiences for other peeps in the same ordering process but you will get your registration and yes you can insure the car with a VIN but don’t expect to know which ship your car is on…

Lots of people get super angry about the ‘blackout’ once they’ve ordered as if it’s a conspiracy from Tesla and then shout here on the wrong threads and it goes off of topic quickly.

I’m about to take delivery of my first EV - Model Y - and I’ve enjoyed the process. Even when TA and CS have given me different information I wasn’t bothered. However, I had spent a lot of time here reading so I knew what to expect, and I’m easy going even when £60k has been spent as I knew a car was heading my way.

 

[DJP31]

I've been on the FB groups for over 5 years now and have largely given up,unless I see something so daft it needs a swift correction.

My biggest gripe though is the abject laziness shown by so many, just RTFM would be a great start for most. I know that sometimes it's not upto date but the vast majority of questions are perfectly well answered.