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Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

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Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#171

Post by smileysteve »

jonknee wrote: post #24
twblalock wrote: post #5

A lot of early adopters were probably worried that Tesla would go out of business and they wouldn't be able to get parts. Tesla is still in business and there still aren't parts. Hopefully enough of the current Tesla models will end up on the road to make it profitable for aftermarket suppliers to make some parts. So far it doesn't seem like that is happening at very much scale.

Parts are hard to come by for their mass market models too, it's crazy.

But this is true of many car models;

I've done 3 projects on my 2004 BMW post 2012 (where as time passed, more parts become available); one of the last years before everything became more computer integrated, where there weren't significant, cheap, readily available parts

- Xenon Headlight Baskets; factory headlights only sold as a sealed unit (that would likely suffer the same burn issue), aftermarket whole units don't have self leveling to be road legal; Had to find from a crashed 2006 on eBay and modify.

- Windshield washer pump. This simple pump didn't become readily available in parts stores until about 2013. The factory unit costs 10x what it should cost.

- Valve cover gasket; the best one is the OEM bmw, brand, any aftermarket part is likely to leak sooner rather than later.

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#172

Post by ptaipale »

magashna wrote: post #163
ptaipale wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. I must admit that the 39 € oven isn't "beautiful" in terms of artistic design and implementation; it is merely practical and not an eyesore. It is made cheaply, so now after 5 years of use, the paint has chipped in some places where it has been cracked by hitting it with dishes, etc. However, functionally it is just what I want. It could be improved by making the design smoother so that it would be easier to…

Who's asking for a beautiful microwave? It's a microwave. You put old food in it for 30 seconds and then eat it as fast as possible before it gets rubbery. No beauty there.

Well, many people spend thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars or euros to make their kitchen look nice (even if they don't use it very much).

Quality is of course always also subjective and dependent on needs. For instance, this cheap and nice microwave that I have is also very light. That's good because no material is wasted in manufacture, and it is easier to transport and install, but it means that if I slam the door, the unit will actually move on the kitchen desk. I'd like it to stay put.

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#173

Post by bumby »

navigatesol wrote: post #151
londons_explore wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's s tricky issue to fix - often parts fail due to a bad design (eg. 1 part too weak). Everyone wants to buy that replacement part, leading to a shortage. At the same time, Tesla doesn't want to increase production of the faulty parts - in fact, they want to reduce production so they can redirect machines to making the new, better part. But it takes time to understand what was wrong and to design and test. Overall,…

> But it takes time to understand what was wrong and to design and test. These seem like obvious problems to anyone in manufacturing, especially in the auto world. The fact that Tesla didn't foresee them is scary.

I wonder how much of this is a cultural issue, with Tesla being more aligned with the tech world where it's more acceptable to "move fast and break things" and fix them later. Anecdotally I know some people who have a similar culture fear of the way SpaceX appears to operate

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#174

Post by [deleted] »

smileysteve wrote: post #171
jonknee wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parts are hard to come by for their mass market models too, it's crazy.

But this is true of many car models; I've done 3 projects on my 2004 BMW post 2012 (where as time passed, more parts become available); one of the last years before everything became more computer integrated, where there weren't significant, cheap, readily available parts - Xenon Headlight Baskets; factory headlights only sold as a sealed unit (that would likely suffer the same burn issue), aftermarket whole units do…

[deleted]

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#175

Post by wil421 »

smileysteve wrote: post #171
jonknee wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parts are hard to come by for their mass market models too, it's crazy.

But this is true of many car models; I've done 3 projects on my 2004 BMW post 2012 (where as time passed, more parts become available); one of the last years before everything became more computer integrated, where there weren't significant, cheap, readily available parts - Xenon Headlight Baskets; factory headlights only sold as a sealed unit (that would likely suffer the same burn issue), aftermarket whole units do…

e46? I had a 2000 and it was extremely easy to find parts. Denso AC compressor, idler pulley, belt tensioner, coils, wheel bearing, and a window motor. Everything was reasonably priced and I had choices of OEM, Aftermarket, or Genuine BMW. The AC compressor was the only part I didn’t buy Genuine because of the massive up-charge. Amazon had lots of OEM options that were the same brand as Genuine BMW.

I would’ve changed the gasket but I “totaled” it. A cheap gasket is going to cause problems.

BMWs are expensive and you have to be very careful of aftermarket parts or you’ll cause more issues.

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#176

Post by wil421 »

gambiting wrote: post #164
brianwawok wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a tidy profit for the leasing company for taking this fear over for you.

Actually, for some reason leasing ends up cheaper than PCP, so it looks like you're paying extra for the ability to buy the car out at the end, which I don't particularly care about.

If I buy and you lease for 4 years who will come out better at the end if keep mine for 8-10 years?

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#177

Post by FussyZeus »

smileysteve wrote: post #171
jonknee wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parts are hard to come by for their mass market models too, it's crazy.

But this is true of many car models; I've done 3 projects on my 2004 BMW post 2012 (where as time passed, more parts become available); one of the last years before everything became more computer integrated, where there weren't significant, cheap, readily available parts - Xenon Headlight Baskets; factory headlights only sold as a sealed unit (that would likely suffer the same burn issue), aftermarket whole units do…

> I've done 3 projects on my 2004 BMW post 2012 (where as time passed, more parts become available); one of the last years before everything became more computer integrated, where there weren't significant, cheap, readily available parts

This is a far cry from there being no parts, cheap or otherwise. And even if there aren't OEM parts I'm betting there are tons of knockoff and third party/performance/budget parts you can get too, which these Tesla owners also cannot.

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#178

Post by gambiting »

wil421 wrote: post #176
gambiting wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, for some reason leasing ends up cheaper than PCP, so it looks like you're paying extra for the ability to buy the car out at the end, which I don't particularly care about.

If I buy and you lease for 4 years who will come out better at the end if keep mine for 8-10 years?

Uhm..........that heavily depends on many factors, some of which can be hard to predict.

Do you already have an answer in mind?

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#179

Post by wil421 »

icelancer wrote: post #120
twblalock wrote: post #5

A lot of early adopters were probably worried that Tesla would go out of business and they wouldn't be able to get parts. Tesla is still in business and there still aren't parts. Hopefully enough of the current Tesla models will end up on the road to make it profitable for aftermarket suppliers to make some parts. So far it doesn't seem like that is happening at very much scale.

Lots of would-be buyers won't purchase until the supply lines and insane repair wait times are fixed. Source: I am one, as are many of my friends in Seattle.

Looking to buy my wife a car next year and it’ll likely be an Audi ICE or similar.

The two biggest problems are no superchargers where I vacation in Florida and parts issues which include fixing manufacturer defects.

Re: Keeping Tesla Roadsters Alive Is Serious Work

#180

Post by mikestew »

benj111 wrote: post #156
AmVess wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's pretty unreasonable for many components in a car if you are paying for it yourself. There's a Model S owner who is on the 7th drive unit replacement for his car. This is a $15,000 unit. These cars are too expensive to be disposable, but that's where they are headed because parts are difficult or impossible to obtain out of warranty.

Right, that isnt a car that never breaks down though. Teslas might not be at the required reliability to day, EVs one day might be. Re price, an interesting point. Do I not repair my TV because its so reliable, or because the replacement is cheap?

Teslas might not be at the required reliability to day, EVs one day might be.

EVs already are, they’re just not made by Tesla.

—

Happy Leaf Owner for Eight Trouble-Free Years

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