On Monday when driving back from Reno to the Bay Area I went to charge at the Rocklin supercharger near Sacramento. Shortly after backing in and charging my low tire pressure warning came on, which I thought odd because the tires are less than two months old and I hadn't hit anything.
Anyway, it turns out that the tire stop at the supercharger sliced open the inside sidewall of my tire. While not perfectly centered in the wide parking space when I backed in, I wasn't that far off as the pictures below show.
The parking stop is a low 72" long beveled plastic stop that goes across much of the back of the parking spot. When the back tire is against the stop the charging port is about perfectly aligned with the charger with the charging port located just to the side of where the supercharger connector normally rests in the pedestal. The 72" stop is not much wider than the back of the model S. The parking spot was quite wide as well. I was around 7-8 inches to the left in the parking space when I backed in.
I believe this is the parking stop: Parking Stops - 6', Plastic, Gray H-2309GR - Uline
These pictures were taken after I pulled forward to see where the leak was coming from. It's not clear at the angle this picture was taken but the parking stop is actually quite low to the ground and is less than 3" high (lower than many speed bumps). There's actually quite a bit of clearance. The edge of the parking stop is actually rather sharp. I contacted ULine who sells the parking stops and they quickly replied back that they'll contact their manufacturer, presumably to round the corners off.
To add insult to injury, I had purchased the 19" rims and tires less than two months earlier because I had too many problems with potholes in San Jose destroying my 21" rims. In the past year I had three rims destroyed due to the roads near where I work. I figured that since I was at a service center with stock Tesla tires that it should be easy to just replace the tire and be on my way. WRONG! Tesla doesn't stock the tires that ship with their wheels (at least at Rocklin).
Since my car was full of luggage the Rocklin service center charged me to ship my wheel back to Fremont (the service center I normally use) because they don't carry the tire that ships with the wheels I bought from Tesla! I couldn't simply replace the OEM tire that shipped with my wheels at the Tesla service center (and pay $300).
Tesla — 19" Slipstream Wheel and Winter Tire Package
Also, according to the Rocklin service center Tesla doesn't include road hazard with their tires, unlike buying tires from Tirerack or other shops. If I weren't in a hurry I'd have Tesla tow me to a tire place to replace the tire (stock) which Tesla doesn't carry at their service center.
I also had backed up quite slowly until I felt the rear tire(s) bump against the parking stop. I was somewhat off-center but not excessively so as the photos show plenty of space on the driver's side. Obviously I could not see the stop in the driver's side mirror either and I could not see well in the passenger's side. If I had been a couple of millimeters left or right there would not have been an issue, but the sharp corner of the parking stop sliced open the inside sidewall of my tire.
I've seen similar stops at other superchargers, but they're usually rubbery and rounded on all sides. There were three spots like this here, one of which had the stop well off-center.
I will never buy tires from Tesla. The fact that there is no road-hazard and they don't carry the tires they sell means I can't rely on them if I get a flat. Not only that but I'm paying straight retail.
Anyway, it turns out that the tire stop at the supercharger sliced open the inside sidewall of my tire. While not perfectly centered in the wide parking space when I backed in, I wasn't that far off as the pictures below show.
The parking stop is a low 72" long beveled plastic stop that goes across much of the back of the parking spot. When the back tire is against the stop the charging port is about perfectly aligned with the charger with the charging port located just to the side of where the supercharger connector normally rests in the pedestal. The 72" stop is not much wider than the back of the model S. The parking spot was quite wide as well. I was around 7-8 inches to the left in the parking space when I backed in.
I believe this is the parking stop: Parking Stops - 6', Plastic, Gray H-2309GR - Uline
These pictures were taken after I pulled forward to see where the leak was coming from. It's not clear at the angle this picture was taken but the parking stop is actually quite low to the ground and is less than 3" high (lower than many speed bumps). There's actually quite a bit of clearance. The edge of the parking stop is actually rather sharp. I contacted ULine who sells the parking stops and they quickly replied back that they'll contact their manufacturer, presumably to round the corners off.
To add insult to injury, I had purchased the 19" rims and tires less than two months earlier because I had too many problems with potholes in San Jose destroying my 21" rims. In the past year I had three rims destroyed due to the roads near where I work. I figured that since I was at a service center with stock Tesla tires that it should be easy to just replace the tire and be on my way. WRONG! Tesla doesn't stock the tires that ship with their wheels (at least at Rocklin).
Since my car was full of luggage the Rocklin service center charged me to ship my wheel back to Fremont (the service center I normally use) because they don't carry the tire that ships with the wheels I bought from Tesla! I couldn't simply replace the OEM tire that shipped with my wheels at the Tesla service center (and pay $300).
Tesla — 19" Slipstream Wheel and Winter Tire Package
Also, according to the Rocklin service center Tesla doesn't include road hazard with their tires, unlike buying tires from Tirerack or other shops. If I weren't in a hurry I'd have Tesla tow me to a tire place to replace the tire (stock) which Tesla doesn't carry at their service center.
I also had backed up quite slowly until I felt the rear tire(s) bump against the parking stop. I was somewhat off-center but not excessively so as the photos show plenty of space on the driver's side. Obviously I could not see the stop in the driver's side mirror either and I could not see well in the passenger's side. If I had been a couple of millimeters left or right there would not have been an issue, but the sharp corner of the parking stop sliced open the inside sidewall of my tire.
I've seen similar stops at other superchargers, but they're usually rubbery and rounded on all sides. There were three spots like this here, one of which had the stop well off-center.
I will never buy tires from Tesla. The fact that there is no road-hazard and they don't carry the tires they sell means I can't rely on them if I get a flat. Not only that but I'm paying straight retail.