Tesla has released new ‘Do It Yourself’ maintenance procedure instructions to help owners work on their own cars.
Over the last few years, Tesla has said that it’s working on opening up its service tools and helping owners repair their own cars, but we haven’t seen much evidence of that — though things have been slowly moving in the right direction.
Last year, Tesla released the parts catalog for Model 3, Model S, Model X and Roadster to the public.
Now Tesla is also releasing a series of new instructions for ‘Do It Yourself’ procedures for Model 3 vehicles.
The automaker says that owners could avoid having to go to service centers:
“Tesla owners who wish to perform basic procedures or maintenance on their vehicle can do so without having to schedule a Service appointment. Only perform a procedure if you feel comfortable doing so, and always follow all provided instructions.”
Most of the procedures consist of fairly simple maintenance or troubleshooting:
- 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
Some things, like replacing cabin filters are a little more intricate and would have generally been handled by the service center.
Tesla released step-by-step instructions, which includes removing some panels and screws, as well as a gif:
Tesla has put a lot of emphasis on the air quality inside its vehicles. One of Tesla’s goals is to improve overall quality by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, but Tesla owners who are doing their part should also enjoy good air quality in their own cars.
With the Model X, Tesla put a lot of effort into developing a more powerful air filtering system in order to not only contribute to the reduction of local air pollution with electric vehicles but also to reduce the direct impact of air pollution on the occupants of its vehicles.
Musk credited Google co-founder Larry Page for turning him onto the idea and with the Model X in 2015, Tesla introduced a brand new HEPA air filter system.
The automaker claims that it is about 10 times larger than a normal car filter (pictured above) and it is “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters” as it removes “at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores.”
Tesla later introduced the same filter for Model S, but CEO Elon Musk says that there wasn’t enough space in Model 3 to have the same filter.
Nonetheless, the CEO claims Model 3 is equipped with the best air filtration system that can fit and it can have similar capabilities if you filter the air through several times.
Musk said:
“Set air flow to recirculating mode & manually raise blower speed to 5 in Model 3 for best air quality. Air filters are smaller than S/X, so clear air is achieved by circulating through filter several times.”
If owners decide to do that, the air filter will wear faster, but now they can change it themselves with the new instructions released by Tesla.
Electrek’s Take
I think they still have a long way to go, but Tesla is clearly going in the right direction when it comes to helping owners take care of their own cars.
The biggest issue is still likely access to parts.
Tesla needs to make it easier for owners to be able to buy parts that they need and reduce the lead time.
It’s something that Tesla claims to have been working on for a long time, but we haven’t seen much progress.
Let us know if you have recent experience with Tesla’s service and parts departments.
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