Sidewall damage, rubber chunk hanging off, thoughts?

[andyaycw]

I'm due to visit the service center soon anyway for the anti-rust coating for the orange stuff that comes out the front of my car whenever I wash it, but wanted to get a poll on what people think before I go in for my own peace of mind on this separate issue - see attached picture showing tire sidewall chunk of rubber hanging loose.

I just noticed this damage to my rim and sidewall this morning (was about to wash the car). I think it may have occurred about a week ago when I ran into a curb. Didn't think much of it at the time as I was going pretty slow I estimate <5mph backing up to get a better angle to park into a diagonal parking spot and it didn't feel that bad on impact.

The damage to the rim seems cosmetic to me. If this is the case I don't care about getting it replaced. Biggest concern for me is the tire sidewall. Looks like a chunk of rubber is hanging loose.

So the question is: thoughts on whether this is safe to drive on for another week before I visit the service center, and anyone care to comment if they think it might need to be replaced?

I'd hate to replace the tire. I've got a 70D, and from what I read online, many people recommend replacing all 4 tires on an AWD vehicle at the same time. I'd be looking at probably ~$1300 for tires + labor and I'd like to avoid that, but of course, safety comes first.. (tires I have are at ~16k miles, and 6 remaining for tread as measured by the service center a few weeks ago)

 

[McRat]

If you cannot see copper colored wire, you are most likely safe. Low profile tires have a band of rubber at the rim to help stop curb rash, which is what you cut into.

EDIT - The wire is not copper, the coating they put on it is.

 

[Off Shore]

FWIW I put the same divot in one of my tires. The Tesla Service Center made me replace just the one. On the Internet there are lots of videos describing how to fix these. No reputable tire shop will do it, plus it doesn't work. Replace the tire, then you can worry about something else. Good luck!

 

[bkp_duke]

Wife's car has a couple tires with divots like this. I would just ride them out and keep a Slime Kit in the back in case of flat. Her's look substantially worse and have not caused an issue to date (knock on wood).

 

[McRat]

A normal profile tire does not have any rubber in that region. Only low profile tires.

I've taken tires with cuts in their "curb protector" band past 150mph on closed course events with no issues.

Since you don't flex that region of the tire much, it never becomes a stress-riser.

 

[andyaycw]

No wires visible, looks like more rubber underneath when I lift up the existing loose piece.

I have the 19" wheels, Michelin Primacy MXM4 245/45R19 tires. Is that considered a "low profile" tire? A quick google search tells me yes.

My original hesitation with replacing the tire would be that I'd have to replace all 4 at the same time. I wouldn't want to potentially mess up the car's drive train with 1 brand new tire and 3 older tires. Pretty costly for 4 new tires considering I only have 16k miles on my current set, though I'd still agree it's a small price to pay for peace of mind and safety.

I was actually lucky to spot this. Every night when I get home I always walk around the car to check for scratches or other damage. However, didn't notice this for about 9 days after hitting the curb. Only reason I noticed it was because I decided to wash the car this morning and top up the tire pressure with my 120v (110v?) (plugs in to the wall, NOT the car) portable air compressor. Hooking up the nozzle to the tire, noticed that the air cap was missing (probably from my previous service center visit, but I don't care if they forgot to put it back on, no big deal to me), the tire rim was damaged, and a rubber chunk hanging loose. The latter 2 probably my fault from hitting that curb.

 

[beefnog]

...
My original hesitation with replacing the tire would be that I'd have to replace all 4 at the same time. I wouldn't want to potentially mess up the car's drive train with 1 brand new tire and 3 older tires. Pretty costly for 4 new tires considering I only have 16k miles on my current set, though I'd still agree it's a small price to pay for peace of mind and safety.
...

Your Model S does not have a mechanical AWD system, so there's no real harm in replacing only one tire. That said, if you do decide to replace this tire then I would recommend doing both tires on that end of the car. Having uneven tread depth front-to-back isn't a big thing, but having uneven tread depth side-to-side can result in unpredictable wet weather traction.

 

[theslimshadyist]

The wheels can be refinished, I have seen many before and after photos here in the forums and the results are fantastic. The tire however, will need to be replaced.

 

[andyaycw]

Thank you all for the replies! I emailed a picture of it to my service advisor, and he stated the tire was fine. I'll probably ask again when I bring it in for the anti corrosion coating I need to get done (orange rust-colored spots coming out the front of my car).