Do Not Make These Mistakes and Ruin Your Tesla

Do Not Make These Mistakes and Ruin Your Tesla

There are 10 things you can do that will ruin your Tesla vehicle. Ryan Shaw gives great advice in how to keep your Tesla from having problems. Here they are.

1: Charging to 100%

The first thing you can do that is wrong is charging to 100% in most cases. Most Tesla batteries have a lithium ion battery. Elon Musk said it himself that a car should go from 30% to 80% when the battery chemistry is primarily lithium.

The exception to this rule is an LFP battery, which the RWD Model 3 is now using. That can charge to 100%. Everything else should follow the 30% to 80% rule. Even the RWD Model 3 with LFP batteries can charge to 90% to 95% in order to make use of regenerative braking. Tesla still recommends LFP batteries being charged to 100%.

2: Running the Battery to 0%

When it comes to a battery pack, going to 0% can harm the battery long term. Tesla will give you warnings when the battery is below 20%. If the battery charge goes to 0% for a long period of time, it may not be possible to restart the car. You may even have to get your Tesla jumped to start it.

3: Slamming the Front Trunk

A Tesla front trunk can be ruined by slamming it. You need to close it softly in order to prevent damage to the front trunk. The Model 3 hood is not heavy enough to latch on to its own weights. Tesla has specific directions on how to close the trunk. It requires care and paying attention.

4: Software Unlocking and Jail Breaking

There can be acceleration boosts that can be unlocked by software. Top speeds can also be locked out by software for good reason in order to protect your Tesla. There are also 3rd party companies that can upgrade your Tesla to be faster. However, this requires extra software and things that may not be compatible with future Tesla updates...

It's best not to try and add 3rd party modifications to your Tesla.

5: Don't Pay Attention to Curbs

Your Tesla's wheels can get dinged by curbs if you are not paying attention. This will cause scrapes and scratches to be on your wheels. It's important to keep your cameras on when pulling up to curbs. Pay close attention to curbs.

6: Opening Doors Incorrectly

It's confusing to get into a Tesla when you haven't done it before. There is a manual release inside each door, but that is not meant for regular use. To open the front door, use the button on top of the door handle on the inside. Regularly using the manual door opener will cause damage to the door trim.

7: Hardware Upgrades

There can be issues with your vehicle if you do 3rd party upgrades and finding out an issue and who is responsible can be difficult. A 3rd party upgrade can void the warranty on your car. This can cause a huge headache. Again, it's best not to apply 3rd party software or hardware to your Tesla.

8: Misusing Autopilot

Tesla has autopilot, which can drive on the freeway for you. You must be ready to take over at all times. Tesla has recorded 1 crash for about every 4.31 million miles driven. That is a very safe driving record. For regular cars, it's about 1 crash in every 484,000 miles. Auto pilot appears to be about 10 times safer.

9: Bi-directional Charging

Tesla will void your warranty if you try to power your home with your vehicle. Other vehicles besides Tesla vehicles are enabling this feature. Tesla will void your warranty if you use your battery to charge other things.

In the future, and with the Cybertruck, Tesla will likely make it so that your vehicle can charge other things.

10: Third-Party Service

There are some warranty restrictions in regards to who can work on your car. Non certified personnel, not charging correctly, using your vehicle as a power source, etc... go against Tesla's warranty.

If you are under warranty, make sure Tesla service replaces a bad battery. If you are not under warranty - I really don't know what to do in that case!

What do you think about these 10 things that can ruin your Tesla? Are there others that weren't mentioned here?

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers.

Jeremy Johnson is a Tesla investor and supporter. He first invested in Tesla in 2017 after years of following Elon Musk and admiring his work ethic and intelligence. Since then, he's become a Tesla bull, covering anything about Tesla he can find, while also dabbling in other electric vehicle companies. Jeremy covers Tesla developments at Torque News. You can follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow his Tesla news coverage on Torque News.

Image Credit, Ryan Shaw, Screenshot