Both techs told me the sound deadening foam is so packed in there they doubt the gunk would get to the leak. But I’ll still carry it because in an emergency you gotta do why you gotta do. My plan on a daily basis is is to still carry Slime, a plug repair kit, and a small compressor. On road trips I’ll also bring the spare and a jack.
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Roadside Assistance experience: Flat Tire
- Thread starter CarveDeeper
- Start date
Many car manufacturers are only providing a repair kit and and compressor in lieu of a spare and a jack. But Tesla doesn’t provide anything and no well under the cargo area to stow a spare either! There are several threads on this forum with the various options a people are going with.
JCtx
Member
Hey, have you used it on your car? I ask to make sure it can handle the 15 Amps. I have a similar one (but more compact) that I bought from Griot's Garage. Curious what's the rating of our car's 12V socket, and if it's has a fuse or circuit breaker, but haven't found anything yet. Thx.
Thank you for confirming that to me. I have a compact compressor, a Stop'nGo flat tire repair kit (the best IMO), a first aid kit, 2 pairs of gloves, and a couple of 3mil trash bags all inside the cubbyhole on the left side of the trunk
.Yes, used it a few times over the year to add air to my Model 3 and also used on my husband’s MS when he noticed his air pressure was low. Worked great, not too noisy and sits firm on the ground. Was able to access all 4 tires for both cars. Just be sure to follow the steps outlined in the directions when hooking into the 12v outlet (so as not to blow out the fuse - since Teslas are quiet make sure the car is powered “on” and the unit is off when connecting to the 12v socket). The QuickStart Guide is shown on the amazon page, swipe across for more photos/info. I thought this unit had a number of very good features. I like the auto shut off when pressure reached and good to know it has overheat shutdown protection. Check out the specs further down the listing page. *It’s rated for minimum 10A to maximum 15A. The power cable has a 15A fuse, and there is a backup fuse in the package. Carrying case is nice quality. I keep the manual and accessories in a ziplock bag within the carrying case.
*Page 23 “12 volt Power Socket” from Model 3 manual:
“The power socket is suitable for accessories requiring up to 12A continuous draw (16A peak).”
This product comes in other colors than yellow with matching color LED display screens. FWIW I thought that the white and black display with the yellow model provided the highest visual contrast and would easier to read in daylight or nighttime use, but to each his own.
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My wife and I were on our way to Santa Fe for a short vacation when I hit road debris that tore up my tire. I called roadside assistance, and after two hours, a tow truck came. Tesla gave us a voucher for Uber, but there were no Uber cars around in the remote place we were stranded. So, now what?!!!! Fortunately, a local business owner befriended us. He closed up his shop and drove us 40 miles to the nearest Tesla service center. At the end of the day, we lost 6 hours, and spent $377 for a new tire. I will be buying a spare from Modern Spare, and not allow myself to be in this situation again. I can't imagine what would happen if we were in a remote part of New Mexico. Or, in an area with no cell phone coverage. And, yes this still happens. I drove from Denver to LA earlier this year, and there was a long stretch in Utah with no cell phone coverage.
In short; Tesla roadside service is a joke. I hit a pot hole and had 2 blow outs at 6 pm today. It’s Friday. After a long and arduous texting foray I was told that they could not service my flats until Monday. But...... they did offer to arrange a tow. Really??? I thought we could get 24 hour, 365 days a year service.
Absolutely ridiculous. Unfortunately Tesla doesn’t have a real person to handle this. Just a digital algorithm.
Buyer beware!
Absolutely ridiculous. Unfortunately Tesla doesn’t have a real person to handle this. Just a digital algorithm.
Buyer beware!
rincewind
Member
And Tesla beware - VW has properly thrown down the gauntlet to them now.
How Volkswagen aims to beat Tesla at its own game
VW may be less flashy than its American rival, but it’s just as serious about electric cars.
www.politico.eu
Competition is great; it'll help spur Tesla in areas that they are currently sub-par, like customer service, etc.And Tesla beware - VW has properly thrown down the gauntlet to them now.
How Volkswagen aims to beat Tesla at its own game
VW may be less flashy than its American rival, but it’s just as serious about electric cars.
Having said that, one sentence in the article caught my eye: "Sometime after 2025, the German carmaker said it's aiming to cut ultra-fast charging time in its batteries for a trip of 450 kilometers — the distance between Munich and Leipzig, or Las Vegas and Los Angeles — down to 12 minutes using the technology, less than half today's maximum charge time"
Interestingly, if you bring up ABRP, and punch in Munich to Leipzig in a Model 3, at 108% speed, starting at 100% and running down to 5%, you only have one 12minute stop in Munich. So, Tesla is already at the 12 minute goal that VW wants to reach, or did I misunderstand what their goal was?
rincewind
Member
I think you're right. They'll need to get further ahead of the curve than that. Tesla have already announced a 56% battery capacity increase with their new cell architechture, putting their quoted range well over 400 miles.
CHARLIEVET
Member
Just purchased the following compressor (3-year warranty) and tire repair kit. Keep both in trunk's left rear "side pocket."
Amazon.com: HAUSBELL Portable air Compressor for Car Tires, 12V DC Air Compressor tire inflator Pump, 150 PSI with Emergency LED Flashlight for Car, Motorcycles, Bicycles, Inflatables: Automotive
Buy HAUSBELL Portable air Compressor for Car Tires, 12V DC Air Compressor tire inflator Pump, 150 PSI with Emergency LED Flashlight for Car, Motorcycles, Bicycles, Inflatables: Air Compressors & Inflators - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Amazon.com: GRAND PITSTOP Tire Puncture Repair Kit with 15 Mushroom Plugs: Automotive
Buy GRAND PITSTOP Tire Puncture Repair Kit with 15 Mushroom Plugs: Tire Repair Kits - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Note to all husbands out there. Please listen to every and all recommendations. Life is better that way.
Bill Foster
I'm going home!
I got a flat tire, within 2 hours they had it changed and I was back on my way . Best service ever
The service is free for I believe 4 years/50K miles… unless the duration has changed. It’s for warranty related issues making the car undrivable, lockouts, even flat tires (they will install a free loan spare). I’ve even read other threads saying they repair the tire for free. In my case the tire needed replacing. So they installed the spare and returned the next day with a new tire that they charged me fair market price for plus $40 labor.
bo3bdar
Member
I'm planning on taking a 1000 mile road trip soon, and hadn't really thought about needing tire service in some of the out of the way places I expect to be.
Just wanted to thank you all for bringing this up and providing info on your experiences. Looking at the tray of metal the Tesla service guy had really drives home the idea that even though I've not had a flat in 10 years- it's all around.
I'm going to be off the main interstates, and that suggested I should have at least some sort of backup beyond being able to call roadside service or AAA, because I might not be able to reach them.
For what it's worth I decided that the modern spare just takes up too much space and is not enough better than a fixit kit to justify that space. I decided to go with the Tesla kit that has the inflator and slime in one unit, because Tesla specifically says it's qualified for use on their foam inside tires. (18" Michelins) Difference in price to amazon kits was not enough to convince me to skip that advice.
I'm not too interested or expecting to need to fix a flat on the side of the road. So I feel like the right combo for me is to have the ability to add some air and maybe some slime if I really think it needs it, and limp to the next stop. Obviously I'm not going to be more than about 100 miles from the nearest L2 charger, so this balances my need for some sort of backup without a big expense.
Just wanted to thank you all for bringing this up and providing info on your experiences. Looking at the tray of metal the Tesla service guy had really drives home the idea that even though I've not had a flat in 10 years- it's all around.
I'm going to be off the main interstates, and that suggested I should have at least some sort of backup beyond being able to call roadside service or AAA, because I might not be able to reach them.
For what it's worth I decided that the modern spare just takes up too much space and is not enough better than a fixit kit to justify that space. I decided to go with the Tesla kit that has the inflator and slime in one unit, because Tesla specifically says it's qualified for use on their foam inside tires. (18" Michelins) Difference in price to amazon kits was not enough to convince me to skip that advice.
I'm not too interested or expecting to need to fix a flat on the side of the road. So I feel like the right combo for me is to have the ability to add some air and maybe some slime if I really think it needs it, and limp to the next stop. Obviously I'm not going to be more than about 100 miles from the nearest L2 charger, so this balances my need for some sort of backup without a big expense.
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
Unless your tire can be patched,
since it is very rare to find a tire shop having a correct size replacement
or finding a Tesla Service Center open on weekend or after hours,
I would prefer finding an hotel to stay until a new tire get delivered,
I dont have the original tires on. I have tires from discount tires. Im just trying asking if I get a flat will Tesla service tow me to discount tire?