Are you a car enthusiast that likes to maintain his/her car on your own? If yes, then you would be happy to know that Tesla has released a ‘maintenance’ guide that enables owners of Model 3 sedans to maintain their own Tesla. But there’s a catch!
If you are the hardcore type who doesn’t mind spending the weekend in the garage; then you will be disappointed with Tesla’s DIY maintenance guide. According to the online guide, ‘Tesla owners who wish to perform basic procedures or maintenance on their vehicle can do so without having to schedule a Service appointment.’ However, it still warns that the owners should ’only perform a procedure if [they] feel comfortable doing so, and always follow all provided instructions.’
The most complicated task on the list is actually ‘replacing cabin filters’. The guide covers topics such as restarting the touchscreen and checking and adjusting tire pressures. The full list includes the following;
- Restarting the Touchscreen
- Pairing a Bluetooth Phone
- Connecting to Wi-Fi
- Programming HomeLink®
- Adding and Removing Keys
- Replacing the Key Fob Battery
- Installing Phone Charging Cable
- Installing Front License Plate Bracket
- Replacing Cabin Filters
- Checking and Adjusting Tire Pressures
- Topping Up Windshield Washer Fluid
- Replacing Wiper Blades
- Manually Releasing Charge Cable
- Calibrating Windows
- Removing and Installing Aero Covers
- Removing and Installing Lug Nut Covers
There were times when owning a car meant that you had to perform all of the maintenance on your own. However, those days are almost long gone. However, it has more to do with the owners getting lazy. Dedicated shop classes that taught vehicle maintenance haven’t been seen in a generation as part of American high schools.
However, the primary reason is the fact that cars have become much more complex and digitized. The paradigm shift towards software has made it much harder to maintain your own vehicles. There is a debate, though about whether the owners should have access to their vehicles’ software or not. But the debate is an ongoing one. Diesel-gate has also demonstrated that making changes to the software can cause a compliant car to become a car that violates the regulations. Another reason is the safety issue.
Anyway, coming back to the Tesla’ maintenance guide; while changing the key fob battery hardly accounts for maintenance from the point of view of a car enthusiast, we are lucky to be able to do this nonetheless. Because soon enough, even the minor maintenance will be carried out by the automakers.