PSA: Don’t replace Tesla Tires too early.
Many tire shops are fraud and recommend replacing tires too early. Just replace tires when the wear indicator line on tires matches to tread. I was advised to replace tires at 19000 miles and still going strong after 24000 miles. https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_ie/GUID-94F63B13-EA2C-45D9-83AB-5DCA6295D587.htm Update: This post is for awareness purposes so that you don’t blindly trust tire shops. Do your research before committing to tire changes. This issue is prevalent for EVs as shops use that as an excuse for early changes. Also for the people who are doubtful about my post, I have worked in auto industry for years as an engineer
Definitely worth buying a tire tread gauge if you don’t own one already. Like $4-5 on Amazon or any auto shop and extremely easy to use. Start shopping for new tires at 4/32” and replace by 3/32” is a good rule of thumb.
Or use a penny.
Too expensive. I'll just run my tires until they are shiny.
Like a penny!
smoother the tire, smoother the ride
Hydroplaning is FREE, reducing battery usage.
Like a penny!
If you’re in New Zealand, use a 20c coin. If you can see all of the number 20, it’s time for new tyres
Also $4-$5 on Amazon.
I’ll never understand Americans and their metrics… what the hell is 4/32”? How do you live in this insane fractional world instead of going 3mm?
No one here has the courage to change it. We almost all have a metric socket set though.
Except the 10mm
They always get lost somewhere in the customers car.
There are those that use the metric system, and then there are those that have been to the moon.
NASA used the metric system for all the calculations in the Apollo missions 😂
r/ShitAmericansSay
I find that very unlikely. I'm sure the German scientists did. The fact that we describe rocket performance in seconds, instead of exhaust velocity was a compromise to allow American and German rocket scientists to use the same units. Just divide the exhaust velocity (either meters per second or feet per second) by the acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/s² or 33 f/s²) to yield specific impulse in seconds.
There was also the Mars Climate Orbiter screw up in 1999 due to a mixup of metric and imperial units.
https://www.simscale.com/blog/nasa-mars-climate-orbiter-metric/
That is very clever.
American here. I agree our system of measurements is dumb af.
Yeah, we are funny that way - but you must admit that you are joining in on the fun, inch by inch:
what size TV do you have
what size laptop display
what size tires on your car
😀
Point taken on the crazy fractions. Stocks used to be that way, too.
Because pirates. I read somewhere that a ship was on it's way over here with with "metric system stuff" but it got captured by pirates. Dang pirates. Arrrr yourself.
They tried to change it in the 1970’s. It went over like a lead balloon. See U.S. Interstate 19. It’s still in clicks.
Great advice all around. Thank you
Who is this guy!? The tire whisperer? 😬
Better yet read the manual. Tesla tires have a wear indicator built into the rubber compound. They recommend replacing it when you can see it, or before
True for the original set, but wear bars can range from 2-4/32” on subsequent sets depending ding on mfr and tire. There’s a reason every tire shop anywhere is going to use that cheap gauge and I highly recommend one. Let’s you check for even wear across the tread pattern to see if your alignment is good too!
Point taken, yep
The tire tread indicator line is at 2/32nds which is very low. Replacement is generally recommended at 4/32nds. If the vehicle doesn’t have proper grip in certain weather conditions you’ll have a much larger expense than new tires.
As you said, legal replace is not the same as best grip. Depending where you live, the conditions and the season, it can be worth it to replace them a few months before they hit the tread indicator.
But I would take advice from shop with a grain of salt: got a shop told me my brake pads were dead. Bought some and did the switch with my dad: they we are 9/10 good. (Cost me 40€ + time, shop quoted me 350€ - not a Tesla)
The article says the indicator line appears at 4/32
Mine were at that (4/32) around 28,500 miles and I replaced them just before a trip to the mountains where I expected (and got) lots of snow and ice. Feeling pretty good about not waiting until 2/32. Tires held great in those conditions.
Not blaming you for this but god 32nds is a hideous unit. Can we use mm?
Not in the US we can’t, unfortunately.
Yet not a single mechanic can always find their 10mm….
Could call it 1/8…..
0.25/2
A bit like the “sell by” date in grocery store. Food doesn’t go bad on that date. So, the correct answer, in most cases is “it depends.”
We don't have that kind of weather in California.
Legally, 2/32 is the minimum. In continental units that's 1.57 mm
It’s a better safe than sorry scenario.
PSA: get a good ($10) tire depth gauge and keep track of your tires yourself.
5/32 minimum for snow, 4/32 for rain, 2/32 for dry. Make sure to check all across the width of the tires, not just the middle.
And definitely in the inner tread. Teslas wear out fast in the inner side of the tire due to the factory camber setup.
0/32 for dry… you don’t need tread for dry weather, in fact bald tires will give you better grip if it’s dry outside 😝
But they are not legal to drive on below 2/32.
That’s some states… California and Idaho consider 1/32 the minimum, and Arkansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina and West Virginia have no standards on tread depth.
So it really depends on where you live
PSA: If you don't know what you're talking about, don't make a PSA.
The wear indicator bars are the minimum legal depth, not the minimum safe depth. It all depends on conditions.
Having experience hydroplaning, I will say don't replace them too late either.
The feeling of feeling the car lift, then the loss of ALL steering feeling is not one I wish to experience ever again.
Mine have like 60k
Yea. There’s no safe way.
How?! My tires wear so uneven. I always end up wearing out the inside edge. It’s almost certainly because of the camber.
it's the camber, esp if you have an X or S. get aftermarkets (N2itive, Macsboost, etc.) and your tires and wallet will thank you for it
This. I solved my inner tire wear issue by installing the adjustable rear camber arms from Unplugged Performance. Any shop can do it, and when they do the alignment have them set rear camber to -0.5 when the car is in the “LOW” suspension setting.
I see this statement all the time, but on my 2020 S I rotate regularly and I am getting 40,000 miles between tire changes. Currently at 71,000 miles.
The new S/X are all staggered, meaning rotations aren't as significantly meaningful thing to do for the primary cause of tire wear on them. The problem tends to be the camber, the inside of the tire tends to get eaten away faster than the outside, and a side-to-side swap won't change that unfortunately.
That’s great. And if you don’t experience any shudder on hard acceleration, then consider yourself lucky.
Tesla model 3 performance, I'm on my 3rd set at 50,000 miles 😆 😭
Please tell me what tires you have, I drive like a granny and mine will likely need replacing after 25k.
Crossclimate 2. 65k miles on last set.
Take it from someone who worked at shops years ago, yes.... we lie. Lol. The stories I can tell would make you all crawl into a fetal position and suck your thumbs. Lol
So the PSA should be don’t trust any tire shop LOL
I took my car in to get a tire patched one time and the guy told me I should get all my tires replaced.
My tires were 1 year old.
I drove 20k miles a year. Have 12k currently and they still look meaty. I would get a 2nd opinion
I am at 52000 miles with my original tyres still look good. Tyre rotation was done only once at 40000 miles.
Why the heck wouldn’t you rotate them lol
We are twins.
I replaced my tires at 52k because of damn near 8 plugs in them. Other than me running over nails and screws constantly, the tires are still in nice shape. I have them propped against my garage wall for spares now in case of emergency.
I’m at 51,000 miles in my M3LR and finally need tires. They lasted way longer than I expected.
This is for ANY car. But based on posts here, there are LOTS of green Tesla owners that will fall for anything, the PSA is probably warranted.
Thanks for the link. What does the tread depth indicator look like? Wish there were photos in the manual
Look at your tires and you’ll see the tread. Inside the big ones, you should see small piece of rubber. This is what you are looking for
https://www.tyremarket.com/tyremantra/tread-wear-indicator/
Note: all season tires with winter ratin (3 peaks) have dual tread indicator: for winter and then for summer. You really feel it when driving on snow with tires too old
Look for a horizontal bar across the treads in the tires. If the horizontal bars start showing, the tire needs to be replaced
https://www.tyremarket.com/tyremantra/tread-wear-indicator/
Oh…. Guess I could easily google, lolz…
https://images.app.goo.gl/oS4JpG5eoKWEJkih7
Just replaced my original MXM4s with 33k miles at 3/32nds - was starting to slip in the wet (nevermind snow).
Wait you guys are changing your tires before they go bald and blow out doing 80 down the interstate?
Really depends on your driving conditions. Arizona hot dry no water sure. Snow or Vancouver rain then don’t go to the wear bars
What are “Tesla tires”?
From your link: “For optimal performance and safety, Tesla recommends replacing tires before the wear indicators are visible.”
Do not wait until tread wear indicators are visible, for everybody’s safety. Measure tread, and generally, I get good information from professional technicians like those at Discount Tire for example.
The manual says to be sure to replace the tires with tires that are fit for EV models. Is this legit?
You’ll be happier, yes. Range and noise.
Especially the noise. I had no choice but to get non EV optimized winter tires for my 2024 Model 3 Performance (all were mostly out of stock/backordered) and the tire noise is significantly louder.
We have long overlooked how much noise ICEs make.
A 4 cylinder cruising at 2500 rpm executes about 80 explosions per second, with a valves opening and closing, injectors squirting, pumps pumping, fans whirring, gears meshing, turbocharger whistling...
Take all that away, and road-and-wind noise is suddenly front and center. To someone new to EVs like me, the transformation is almost startling.
Gotta say, I never minded the sound of a well-sorted inline-6...
Yes, the load rating for an EV is typically more than an ICE due to weight. From a comfort perspective, EV tires have sound deadening or may have more efficient tread for range.
Mileage is irrelevant. What’s your tread depth and tyre condition?
Not sure if this is a good PSA in that it’s YMMV when it comes to tires. If you’re worried about replacing tires to the furthest you can ride out per “legal” limit then maybe Tesla ain’t it for you. For those that need proper traction in different weather patterns, def invest in new set of all seasons for your safety and others. Tires are best investment you can make for your car.
Also because Teslas are EVs, because of instant torque and way some people drive, miles on tires are not a good indicator of when someone should get a new set of tires, and then there’s consideration of staggered or square setup between LR and P models for Model Y, etc.
You buy 50K+ plus car, don’t be cheap. Make sure tires are in good condition. In bad climate conditions, cars can act as a bar of soap. Be smart and get your tires checked and replaced on time. Yes they are expensive but physics applies to everyone
I replaced my original 2021 MY at 60k. The tire place was shocked that it lasted that long.
I’m shocked that yours lasted that long
This is happening to me. When I got my first tire rotation at ~6,000 miles they tried to tell me I should just go ahead and buy new tires now because the ones that Tesla put on in their cars are no good. At my next rotation at ~12,000 miles they told me to be prepared to buy new tires at my next rotation at 18,000 miles, because they were wearing out fast. They're not. I drive most of the time in chill mode.
I just did the 18,000 mile rotation and told them before they started to not bother telling me I need new tires because I bought a tire gauge and knew I didn't need them. They were pissed and kept me waiting for almost 2 hours to get them rotated.
They do the rotations for free so I feel an obligation to buy them there when I truly need them, but if I get any more attitude from them they can kiss it.
Discount tire told me I needed to replace mine at my first rotation. I still had a considerable amount of tree left.
I just replaced my factory given Tesla tires at 69k miles into new ones from Costco, rated at 45k miles but hoping to get another 60-70k miles out of these.
A tire ship wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't tell you if your tires were actually low. Because of they didn't and then you get into a tire related accident, the shop could be held responsible.
How about you post a picture of your tires treads and use the penny method.
Just because you're "going strong" isn't good if you actually are at or below 2/32 then you're tire needs to be replaced.
Braking distance is increased, handling on wet roads is decreased, more prone to hydroplaning, etc.
I replaced when it’s below 4/32, but I also get a warranty credit. If the tire has a 70,000 mile warranty and I have to replace it at 25,000 miles. I get a 35,000/70,000% credit on the next set.
Discount tire loyal customer
Make sure you’re looking at the inside of the tread as well. Mine looked good on the outside but were bald inside. The rear camber is not adjustable during an alignment, and it seems pretty common that people are having inside tire wear.
i replaced my first set of tires at around 51,000 miles with the continentals. Thread was around 3-4 when i switched them out. im running EVO AS now from discount tire.
What about non-“Tesla tires”?
I’m at 30k and they’ve been trying to tell me to change for the last 10k, every time saying “the time to change is real close”
I went into a discount tire for a patch and they said I’d need new tires soon. The car was 3 months old and had 4k miles on it. I’ve driven 25k more miles since then. Currently at 6/32.
This is why you should do as much work as possible and never let anyone else touch your car if you can help it.
And for the love of God, stay away from the Tesla Service Centers!
Easy. Get yourself a tire gauge and replace around 4/32 especially if a winter climate is on the way for you. Go to 3/32 if you live somewhere that does not freeze and is generally dry. Got 2.5 years and 37K miles out of my OEM tires in my MYLR in Northern Ohio