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What's your best piece of Advice for a newbie?

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#21
Best advice of all is to relax and enjoy your awesome new toy! Don't show up at the delivery appointment ready to measure panel gaps and spoiling for a fight :). In the unlikely event that you observe something seriously amiss in the cosmetic department, decide whether you can live with it, and calmly reject the car if not.
 
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#23
Benjamin163 said:
Hello, I get my first electric car, a model 3 tesla, in 2 weeks. Before that I've been driving a civic estate diesel so I'm expecting some huge differences. I have no off street parking although there are a couple of street chargers not far away.
Anyway, just wondering what one piece of advice/insight anyone has for me?
All thoughts gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Read the car's manual before you pick it up, then read it again after you get home. Tesla's are so very different from ICE cars, and is so many ways that it really helps to read the manual
 
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#25
hellocar said:
Best advice of all is to relax and enjoy your awesome new toy! Don't show up at the delivery appointment ready to measure panel gaps and spoiling for a fight :). In the unlikely event that you observe something seriously amiss in the cosmetic department, decide whether you can live with it, and calmly reject the car if not.
Click to expand...
Isn't the delivery appointment the only time we have to inspect for panel gaps and other cosmetics? Or is there still a 100 mile or limited time "inspection window"?
 
#29
-My advice to most people is that it “can” be a lifestyle change since you would have to incorporate charging the car to your schedule unlike ICE cars where filling up the tnk would just be a second thought.
-like others have said, dont stress too much about the range. I changed mines to show % instead of number of miles and this alleviated some paranoia especially during road trips
—most important of all, ENJOY THE CAR! :)
 
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#30
From accessory viewpoint (most from Amazon):
  1. Hardened glass screen protector ($12)
  2. Small stick on blind spot mirrors from autozone ($3.95 each)..note where they will fit first with your mirrors folded.
  3. Small roll of ppf (3M vvivid) for the chrome door kick panels, the headlights and those tiny light panels below the headlights, and for placing on the paint under the mudflaps ($25)
  4. Mudflaps (don’t recall price but inexpensive and easy to install)
  5. Cover for the center console compartment door/elbow rest (we have a dog that we knew would sit there, but the cover held up well to many other types of abuse and no one has ever noticed it was even a cover)
  6. Tiny open door label for the passenger door unless Tesla has done this already.
  7. Put on a good nanowax or coating...I used last coat. Just helps keep it clean
  8. Grab some mr siga ultra fine microfiber window cloths. You have a lot of glass on the vehicle and this will do away with streaking and other annoyances as a last step in washing your car. Btw, in 18,000 miles so far I’ve never used anything but microfiber cloths and water to wash the car exterior...with occasional window cleaner during road trips on the windows. I do a quick clay before redoing the last coat every 6 months or so.
  9. Other things I’ve added over time...some $20 floor mats for the few times we are near snow or mud in the mountains...rest of the time they live in the trunk area protecting trunk from leaking bags of wood chips or whatever...also several $5 harbor freight black with white stitching moving blankets...they also protect the trunk...some adapters for use at home and at rv sites for charging...vinyl covers for that piano black gloss console...rubber inserts for cup holders and console storage to make cleanup of spills simple...also the coin and card holder for the forward console storage hole....and of course, right away a 4 port usb device and a USB stick for your sentry mode....and a tire repair kit, 12v air compressor, and just recently a modern spare tire kit (we travel in mountains a long way from any Tesla service center)...and don’t forget the hockey pucks.
 
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#32
Londonfamily said:
I love my 3 but- Experiment to find the fastest chargers in your area, and the ones you can leave a car at. There is an enormous difference between the actual performance and quoted in my experience so try a few. They also all have different apps and accounts. I charge at home now but I had a month or so charging in different places. Oh, and take a good book/ Netflix series as you do find some time spent waiting.
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Agree with this. Also, take a look at ones that match what you’re doing or want to do. I love the Level Two chargers at the mall as they give me time to browse around. Same thing with the ones at Target without incurring idle fees.
 
#35
As Xambler does, I have the Modern spare tire with their jack (I don't know if they ship overseas) and tire plugging and patching material and an electric pump. Xambler covered a lot of other accessories. I also have an inexpensive carrier-divider I put in the lower trunk with my tire repair materials. Unfortunately, the spare does not fit there. Don't feel too bad, about 30% of ALL cars sold in the USA do not come with spares! Things I carry in any car include a flashlight, reflectors, work gloves, rags, simple tools, etc.
 
#36
Andy7 said:
As Xambler does, I have the Modern spare tire with their jack (I don't know if they ship overseas) and tire plugging and patching material and an electric pump. Xambler covered a lot of other accessories. I also have an inexpensive carrier-divider I put in the lower trunk with my tire repair materials. Unfortunately, the spare does not fit there. Don't feel too bad, about 30% of ALL cars sold in the USA do not come with spares! Things I carry in any car include a flashlight, reflectors, work gloves, rags, simple tools, etc.
Click to expand...
Bmw comes with runflat tires. Is tesla only brand with no spare and doesn't come with runflats? That is horrible.
 
#39
robski said:
Know your pedals and drive modes:
  • Left pedal is for brake
  • Right pedal is for acceleration
  • D means your car will move forward
  • R means your car will move backwards
Nobody wants to read about your unintended acceleration. Other than that, enjoy! :)
Click to expand...
Also, you need to learn how to turn on N mode. When you need it, you may find yourself out of time to learn it.
 
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