I was intending to get some Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons to replace my stock Continentals on my Model 3 that has been modified with a Mountain Pass Performance Comfort Adjustable set up lowered the recommended inch and change. But, I suffered a flat a hundred miles from home and was lucky to be able to roll into a reputable tire shop chain garage in Portland, OR (Les Schwab). Anyway, I ended up with two new Contis on the rear end. The next weekend when I was taking a spirited drive on some twisty back roads, I noticed right away in the first turn an unsettling problem, literally. It's been two weeks now, and going into every hard turn fast, the outside front wheel, the one catching the Gs, locks up for an instant, often skidding slightly (you can hear it), before releasing, then traction control often cuts power for a moment as the car settles. The faster I'm going, and the higher Gs, the more likely this unpleasant, and potentially dangerous, phenomenon occurs. Just in case the tire shop mechanics didn't go into the service menus and Update the Tire Change menu, I've done that several times and driven a couple hundred miles. I have loved my Model 3 with the suspension upgrade. To me, it's the best combination of comfort and performance for the money on the market, but I'm bummed out now. I've got an appointment with a Tesla shop tomorrow, so we'll see if they can solve the problem and return me to driving happiness. I figure I may have to get two more new tires for the front end, since the difference between front and rear tire tread depths in 4.5/32nds. Then, I'll probably be on two more new Contis, Damn! Anyway, anybody else experience or hear of this handling issue that the computer just doesn't seem to be able to solve itself? Many drivers would not even notice the issue, though it clearly would be dangerous in a pinch, and anyone who really likes to drive fast in twisties would notice it immediately.
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Weight shift and handling? M3LR
- Thread starter metroplex
- Start date
Are you sure that isn't something typical of RWD biased vehicles?
Roughly in my experience there is supposed to be a weight shift in RWD through corners, and it's a good one---you feel the pressure move from the front to the rear during turns, so that you can now apply more acceleration through the rear? The weight in front first to help change direction, then towards rear to help acceleration. Performance driving is about managing and exploiting that weight shift like dancing, to synchronize the timing of steering, brake and acceleration with the physics.
This is forward rear weight transfer---if it's up and down weight transfer then that's probably more likely suspension as others have described.
To me the stability control and traction control interventions sound normal for this car, when not in Track Mode. The nannies keep a short leash on things. Stability control likes to grab a little brake when cornering really hard, before getting to the limit of performance tires. And traction control on this car really hates the idea of powering out of a turn. Mash the accelerator while still unwinding from a turn and it severely limits power until the wheels are pointes straight.
I do my spirited drives in Track Mode for these reasons. Also, the extra strong Regen available in Track Mode is nice when hustling along a windy back road.
If this behavior feels new to you, my guess is you're pushing the car a bit harder on average now than you were before. Maybe confidence from the new tires, maybe these tires are gripping better in different weather, maybe just increased confidence as you drive the car more and more.
Or maybe Tesla made the nannies more intrusive in a recent software update. I've actually felt the opposite, I feel like the nannies (outside of Track Mode) have maybe been less intrusive for me on recent software than they used to be. But that's just butt meter readings, I could be totally wrong on that, and these days it's pretty ingrained in me to turn on Track Mode when really attacking the twisties. Also, I've been on 500TW UHP allseason tires since this past winter, which are quite good for what they are, but they're no summer tires.
Ahh yes, a long discussion on track mode in a thread titled "M3LR" and now against a brand new poster who doesn't mention what model they have at all, but does mention all season tires and stock continentals that never came on a M3P 
I'm personally biased to the fact that they have 4.5/32" tread difference front to rear, and that doesn't surprise me that this could cause the stability or traction control to intervene differently than before. That kind of tread depth diff for sure will eventually throw a "check your tires" error in the car.
I'm also personally biased based on my experience that you have to drive like an absolute maniac to trigger stability control on the street, much less in every corner, much less noticing it locking up the wheel, much less this being a new phenomenon only after changing only two tires on the rear of the car, making the car think the front axle is going faster than the rear.
I'm personally biased to the fact that they have 4.5/32" tread difference front to rear, and that doesn't surprise me that this could cause the stability or traction control to intervene differently than before. That kind of tread depth diff for sure will eventually throw a "check your tires" error in the car.
I'm also personally biased based on my experience that you have to drive like an absolute maniac to trigger stability control on the street, much less in every corner, much less noticing it locking up the wheel, much less this being a new phenomenon only after changing only two tires on the rear of the car, making the car think the front axle is going faster than the rear.
it only takes a few degrees, not even anything serious. In both of my M3Ps I hit it regularly and have hit it multiple times in the MYP not even really trying to slide it.
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@gearchruncher Okay fair enough, it's probably the tread depth difference!Ahh yes, a long discussion on track mode in a thread titled "M3LR" and now against a brand new poster who doesn't mention what model they have at all, but does mention all season tires and stock continentals that never came on a M3P
I'm personally biased to the fact that they have 4.5/32" tread difference front to rear, and that doesn't surprise me that this could cause the stability or traction control to intervene differently than before. That kind of tread depth diff for sure will eventually throw a "check your tires" error in the car.
I'm also personally biased based on my experience that you have to drive like an absolute maniac to trigger stability control on the street, much less in every corner, much less noticing it locking up the wheel, much less this being a new phenomenon only after changing only two tires on the rear of the car, making the car think the front axle is going faster than the rear.
I don't have time or money for track days these days. But I do regular drives on very twisty roads that are sometimes also very empty of any other souls. Life is different for each of us.
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