Tire replacement at non-Tesla shop?

[efusco]

The closest Tesla Service Center to me is 230 miles away. I want to order new tires from Tire Rack and have them installed locally. Is that an option? Will the TPMS need to be reset by Tesla? If they do, how annoying is the sensor warning until I can get Tesla to reset it?

 

[mnx]

The closest Tesla Service Center to me is 230 miles away. I want to order new tires from Tire Rack and have them installed locally. Is that an option? Will the TPMS need to be reset by Tesla? If they do, how annoying is the sensor warning until I can get Tesla to reset it?

I find the warning to be not very annoying at all. I drove with the error for 3 months this year (no TPMS in my winter set). There is an alert on the 17" touchscreen at the top and on the speedo at the bottom it shows an alert as well. (similar to most other error messages i think.) I think there is also a chime but it's so quiet I can't hear it while driving.

FWIW this is likely what I'll do when I need to replace my first set of tires. In my case Tesla is 60km away and charges 45$ more for mounting and balancing. I'm also unsure if they'll be willing to touch my aftermarket rims...

 

[ViperDoc]

Tire swaps

I find the warning to be not very annoying at all. I drove with the error for 3 months this year (no TPMS in my winter set). There is an alert on the 17" touchscreen at the top and on the speedo at the bottom it shows an alert as well. (similar to most other error messages i think.) I think there is also a chime but it's so quiet I can't hear it while driving.

FWIW this is likely what I'll do when I need to replace my first set of tires. In my case Tesla is 60km away and charges 45$ more for mounting and balancing. I'm also unsure if they'll be willing to touch my aftermarket rims...

I have had a local shop do the tire swaps on my Roadster several times (winter/summer times) and never had an issue. They are cheaper and way more convenient (I live near Burlington, VT and closest Tesla is near Boston, MA).

I haven't gotten TPMS errors (not related to the tire swaps anyway!) and don't think there is a big problem.

 

[mknox]

The closest Tesla Service Center to me is 230 miles away. I want to order new tires from Tire Rack and have them installed locally. Is that an option? Will the TPMS need to be reset by Tesla? If they do, how annoying is the sensor warning until I can get Tesla to reset it?

I don't believe the TPMS would need to be reset as long as the tires go on the same wheels, and the wheels go back on to the same corner of the car.

I plan on having a local tire shop mount winter tires on to my stock 19" rims, then source new summer rims over the winter.

What I have done and would recommend is to print out the Owners Manual page on jacking and lifting the car and give it to the tire shop personnel. They'll need to know about putting the car in Jack Mode and where the lifting points are so as not to damage the battery.

 

[efusco]

I don't believe the TPMS would need to be reset as long as the tires go on the same wheels, and the wheels go back on to the same corner of the car.

I plan on having a local tire shop mount winter tires on to my stock 19" rims, then source new summer rims over the winter.

What I have done and would recommend is to print out the Owners Manual page on jacking and lifting the car and give it to the tire shop personnel. They'll need to know about putting the car in Jack Mode and where the lifting points are so as not to damage the battery.

Good tips. I'd hoped that the TPMS wouldn't require resetting. I would guess it doesn't matter which corner the rims go on either, so long as you know that if you get an alert that it may indicate the wrong tire is low.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

It is easy to get a shop to do it & TPMS are fine. The local place put a set of tires on my wheels for free. Twice. :biggrin:
They were excited to see the S

 

[mknox]

I would guess it doesn't matter which corner the rims go on either, so long as you know that if you get an alert that it may indicate the wrong tire is low.

As far as I know, the Model S only throws up a warning telling you a tire is low, but not which one, so in that sense you're right it shouldn't matter. I believe however that the car actually does know which tire is on which corner, but it's just not exposed to the user. It seems a simple thing to ask the tire shop to keep the rims on the same position when new tires are mounted, so that's what I'll do come autumn when I get my winters.

 

[FlasherZ]

It works if you want to use the TPMS sensors from your existing wheels, which requires complete deflation and partial dismounting. It takes a bit more time. I think it's in your best interest, knowing where you live, Evan, to do so. Someone who lives closer might find a new set of TPMS sensors and having Tesla reprogram is easier.

 

[mknox]

It works if you want to use the TPMS sensors from your existing wheels, which requires complete deflation and partial dismounting. It takes a bit more time.

The last time I got new tires (my Cadillac), the tire shop just mounted the new tires on the rims and didn't have to do anything with the TPMS sensors. On that car, it would not only display low pressure warnings, but you could call up each tire on the screen and see the actual PSI. What would be different on the Model S?

 

[wormhole]

Its my understand that so long as you but the same rims back in the same location, you won't get a tire warning, but if you move around the tires you will - simply solution, keep tabs on which wheel goes where and keep it there...

 

[JohnnyMac]

The TPMS may very well know which wheel is on which corner but as others have pointed out, it is not exposed to us nor does it seem to care which wheel is where. I just rotated my 21s front to rear myself and there is no error whatsoever.