Help Me With Flat/Spare Situation

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski WTH? All that battery power available and it can't run a tire inflator? Seriously, are there posiive and negative terminals available? On my inflator I spliced in a couple alligator clips so I can run the inflator from the lighter socket or directly from a battery. I use it all the time with my lawn tractor to inflate trailer tires for trailers that are parked where it isn't convenient to drive a car or truck to.

Yes, I could access the 12V battery directly by removing a panel in the frunk. It’s not a big deal but I’d rather not mess with it, and I don’t want to put any extra stress on the 12V battery since if it dies the entire car becomes non-functional.

I needed a tire inflator for our bicycles as well and I don’t really want to have to run the inflator off my car to inflate bicycle tires. The rechargeable just seemed to be a lot more convenient overall. It’s free this weekend at Home Depot if you buy the Ryobi battery and charger, so it was a really good deal.

[pb4uski]

Interesting, but I already have the Ryobi battery (2 actually) and charger.... but I'll check it out... I can see where it would be convenient for bikes, trailer tires, etc.

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Interesting, but I already have the Ryobi battery (2 actually) and charger.... but I'll check it out... I can see where it would be convenient for bikes, trailer tires, etc.

It’s $50 for just the tire inflator, or $99 for the tire inflator, a charger, and two spare batteries. Today is the last day of the sale for the combo.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready One thing I learned this weekend about our Model 3 is that the cigarette adapter in the car does not provide enough power to operate a tire inflator. I tried two different models and neither one stayed powered on for more than a few seconds before the software breaker tripped. So if you want to carry a tire inflator in your car it will need to be powered by a rechargeable battery. Tesla sells an inflator for $80 that is supposed to work on the cigarette adapter but I don’t have a lot of confidence in it. I went with the Ryobi P747 rechargeable inflator and now I keep it in my frunk along with two fully charged batteries. So far it’s been working out great.

Interesting.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XWHL2BW

and I just tested it by bringing a 40 psi tire up to 44.5. It took about a minute and worked fine. I'd test more, but DW needed the car. I'll do a full inflate when she gets home. Perhaps it works because it's cheaper/slower/uses less power.

Someone on TeslaMotorsClub.com says this one works fine, which I'm sure is the same as the one I have. In fact, there seem to be quite a few that work okay.

The power socket is suitable for accessories requiring up to 12A continuous draw (16A peak). The specs for my compressor (above) say it draws 10 amps. What does yours draw, Ready (OCR1)? And what did you do when circuit breaker tripped?

[TromboneAl]

TRY THIS:

From this thread:

"I always start the air pump, then connect it to the tire. I learned this after blowing the fuse in my 2015 model S and other cars. If the air pump is started while connected to the tire the starting current is greater than 15 amps and blows the fuse every time. I've had four flats on my two Teslas in the last three years and use the Tesla pump all the time. No problem if I start the pump first, then connect it."

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Interesting. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XWHL2BW and I just tested it by bringing a 40 psi tire up to 44.5. It took about a minute and worked fine. I'd test more, but DW needed the car. I'll do a full inflate when she gets home. Perhaps it works because it's cheaper/slower/uses less power. Someone on TeslaMotorsClub.com says this one works fine, which I'm sure is the same as the one I have. In fact, there seem to be quite a few that work okay. The power socket is suitable for accessories requiring up to 12A continuous draw (16A peak). The specs for my compressor (above) say it draws 10 amps. What does yours draw, Ready (OCR1)? And what did you do when circuit breaker tripped?

The inflator I bought did have a warning on the Amazon page stating that it requires 180 watts. I did not see it. But after trying that one and an old one I had lying around I just didn’t want to take any more chances with an inflator that only draws power from a cigarette adapter.

I needed something to inflate bicycle tires as well, and it seemed silly to draw power from the 12V on our Tesla to inflate bicycle tires. Why put any extra stress on the 12V if you don’t need to?

But I know a lot of people have tried other inflators and they have worked fine on the Model 3. So I think I just had some back luck with mine.

[Music Lover]

For those who use a compressor through the 12V auxiliary...a word of warning. Please check the current draw of the compressor. If it's too high it can melt/burn the small wires that connect it. This happened to me on my last car.

For less than $100 there are several battery power packs available on Amazon. Not only can they power a compressor but they can jump start a car several times, act as a flashlight, charge your phone, etc. Here's one (picked (at random):

https://www.amazon.com/Audew-Starter...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[Sunset]

I carry a bicycle pump in each car, as I don't want to worry that the battery in an inflator will be dead, or the wire is too hard to stretch to the tire from the cigarette lighter.

Besides, my tire pumps only cost $10 each.

[RetiredAt55.5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover For those who use a compressor through the 12V auxiliary...a word of warning. Please check the current draw of the compressor. If it's too high it can melt/burn the small wires that connect it. This happened to me on my last car. For less than $100 there are several battery power packs available on Amazon. Not only can they power a compressor but they can jump start a car several times, act as a flashlight, charge your phone, etc. Here's one (picked (at random): https://www.amazon.com/Audew-Starter...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I dunno, I have 2 of those, but I'm leary about keeping them in the car trunk all the time - too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. It does affect their lifespan, and I worry about the batteries exploding under high temperatures.

Anything rechargeable, you have to remember to recharge them periodically. Murphy's law comes into effect when you get in a jam.

[Ready]

This was my alternate choice to a rechargeable solution. It gets good reviews and doesn’t require any power (beyond that from your foot).

https://www.amazon.com/Audew-Dual-Cy...9530123&sr=8-5

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I carry a bicycle pump in each car, as I don't want to worry that the battery in an inflator will be dead, or the wire is too hard to stretch to the tire from the cigarette lighter.

LOL, I've done that, too, but I decided not to mention it here, because the EV-deniers would have a field day:

"What? Your high-tech, $60,000 car needs a bicycle pump??"

[RetiredAt55.5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl LOL, I've done that, too, but I decided not to mention it here, because the EV-deniers would have a field day: "What? Your high-tech, $60,000 car needs a bicycle pump??"

Well, putting the $60,000 price aside, you'd have to admit there is some irony that the car has a battery large enough to power a 3,000+ pound car for 300 miles but can't power a tire inflator.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredAt55.5 Well, putting the $60,000 price aside, you'd have to admit there is some irony that the car has a battery large enough to power a 3,000+ pound car for 300 miles but can't power a tire inflator.

Yes, ironic.

The explanation is this: The 12V never has to be used to run a starter motor, so it's smaller on the Tesla than on ICE cars. It is recharged from the big mother battery, but not fast enough for some loads.

I don't know if it's smaller to reduce weight or for some other reason.

The early Tesla Roadsters had no 12V battery, but that led to other problems such as the main battery dying if the car was left for months with no charging.

With the Leaf, I ran things off the 12V during power outages. I can do the same with the Tesla, but more gingerly.

[freedomatlast]

IMHO, Al is doing the right thing getting the spare tire kit. I recently did the same for my BMW.

To me, the most important thing if I get a flat tire along the interstate or anywhere else, is to get it fixed as quickly as possible and be on my way.

I don't want waste time trying to find the hole, plugging it along the side of the road, and waiting for a 12V air compressor to refill it. I don't want to depend on AAA or anyone else to get there in a timely manner for help. I don't want to be sitting along the side road doing nothing, taking the risk of some inattentive texting driver crashing into me. I don't want to risk some thief stopping by and causing trouble.

Swapping a flat tire for an inflated spare is clearly the quickest option independent of how badly the flat tire and/or wheel is damaged.

I can change a tire in less than 10 minutes using hand tools. I personally torque all of my lugs with a torque wrench so I know they won't be over-tightened when trying to remove them. To me carrying a spare tire is the only way to go. And when you think about the total amount you pay for insurance in a year, approximately $300 (which is a one time charge) for a spare tire kit is a bargain. And when you sell the vehicle, you can resell the spare tire kit if you want to, for most of what you paid for it.

[gerntz]

I thought run flat tires got rid of the need for spares.

[TromboneAl]

Well put, FAL. My spare is on the way.

As with many things, I see the high cost of the spare as, in part, a problem of standards. How many different sizes, bolt patterns, tires, etc. are there? I'm guessing hundreds or thousands.

Eli Whitney came up with the idea of interchangeable parts in 1798.

Couldn't a given car be designed to work with one of only 10 or 20 wheel/tire designs? If so, spares would be dirt cheap, and there would be plenty of used ones on the market.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz I thought run flat tires got rid of the need for spares.

Apparently they currently have a high rolling resistance.

[travelover]

I don't know....it seems like this whole topic should be in a special thread for electric vehicles.

[TromboneAl]

Here's the new spare. When I get my torque wrench and high-quality chocks, I'll try it out. I'll be getting a cover for the tire. I have an electric inflator, and the bike pump is the backup.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredAt55.5 Well, putting the $60,000 price aside, you'd have to admit there is some irony that the car has a battery large enough to power a 3,000+ pound car for 300 miles but can't power a tire inflator.

or that a $60,000 car doesn't come with a spare tire or even offer a OEM spare tire as an accessory.