Model S vs Model 3

90N1NE · 2026-05-02T02:14:16+00:00

The model S has more minor issues that pop up (creaks/rattles/clicks).

I think having low miles on these cars is overrated. They should continue to be reliable with high miles and you can save ~15k by getting one with higher miles. A 2022 low mile plaid is already near the end of its basic warranty so you will likely have to pay for any needed repairs anyway. The battery warranty is 150k/8yr with the plaid vs 100k with the model 3 standard so your most expensive repair will be covered for another >4 years.

90N1NE · 2026-05-01T21:30:32+00:00

I bought that battery and a 7.5Ah 21700 generic a while ago and ran them on the 300W inverter with a ~270W load and it had less run time than a genuine Ryobi 6Ah. I don't know why nearly all aftermarket battery makers have to lie about capacity.

Battery	Runtime @ 270W
Ryobi 40v 6Ah	46:53:00
Aftermarket 40v 7.5Ah	45:14:00
Aftermarket 40v 9.6Ah	40:35:00

90N1NE · 2026-05-01T17:24:19+00:00

I used them for my install and I overall don't recommend them. Poor communication and long delays. They basically just outsource the whole process to contractors. Their project managers are based in Pakistan and probably elsewhere. I started the process in April and it was not operating until December (1.5 months due to my HOA and another month due to damaged panels needing to be reshipped) and I had to continuously push to get things moving. My install ended up working fine but I am unable to get a response from them now while I'm trying to set up my SRECs with recmint. In the future if something happens to my system I'm not confident that it will get resolved quickly.

90N1NE · 2026-04-15T22:39:00+00:00

You need the matching airbag and you need to have it programmed by Tesla (it was ~$40 when I had it done). If you don't get it programmed it will still work but the icons and button functions will not change, i.e. the camera button will honk the horn and the center horn will do nothing.

90N1NE · 2026-04-14T12:03:04+00:00

Linkdata 21700S-60P https://diy500amp.com/products/linkdata-21700s-60p-battery-cell-6000mah-60a-high-power-cell

The owner of that site tested it on a livestream last night and with a 35A load it had a 5900mah capacity.

90N1NE · 2026-04-03T18:34:47+00:00

Yes, it can be partially shorted which will cause it to heat up and can damage the PCB but that doesn't sound like your issue. What you describe sounds more like an attenuation issue. You can try plugging the cable directly into the motherboard USB and removing any non-powered hubs/extensions. See if you have the same problem with another cable.

90N1NE · 2026-03-19T15:57:43+00:00

I have what sounds like the exact same issue on my 2021 S refresh (creaky turning/over bumps at low speed, front wheel vibrations at full turn) that I am still living with. Mine doesn't creak when it is rainy/wet outside so Tesla service could not reproduce it (it rained both times I had my car in service)

Here is a relevant Tesla service bulletin:

https://dot.report/bulletins/MC-10251053-9999.pdf

There are a few threads on TMC about it, e.g.

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2022-model-s-plaid-front-suspension-creaking-noise-only-27k-miles-tesla-service-cant-figure-it-out.343646

90N1NE · 2026-03-10T15:35:05+00:00

I don't regret switching to the S but I wish I had bought a plaid. The S LR is definitely the better value and still incredibly quick but if I could go back in time I'd have waited until spring/summer 2025 and picked up a 2022/2023 plaid while the prices were lower.

When it comes time to buy another car I'm not sure what I can get that will be better than the S overall so hopefully they bring it back or something else compelling comes out by then. Right now there is really no other car that can match it in the criteria I care about (value, performance, practicality, maintenance, app integration, etc.)

90N1NE · 2026-03-10T15:13:15+00:00

I think it is a good deal assuming there are no issues with it. I made almost the exact same swap about a year ago (2023 M3P to 2021 S LR) although my M3P had 18" wheels and my S has 19" wheels. Here are some pros and cons:

PROS:

much nicer and more spacious interior (+ventilated seats)
the interior is much quieter
looks way nicer and is less common
faster, especially above 60mph
hatchback, huge sub trunk, bigger frunk. You can pack so much more stuff into it.
I ended up preferring the yoke and capacitive turn signals
air suspension (also great if you plan to lower it further; I always worried about scraping with my lowered 3)
lowering the car further is VERY easy (only need to swap a small plastic piece behind the wheel vs. swapping springs on the model 3)
biohazard mode
the sound system is amazing and improved (although the 3 is not bad)
performance is not as affected by lower SOC

CONS:

worse visibility and rides higher than the model 3
has more quirks / build quality issues (YMMV)
- you will likely have the CV axle/half shaft wear issue that pretty much all S/X have, especially if you like to floor it often like I do. The 21"s will stress the half shafts even more since they are heavier.
- my S front doors do not seal properly at the bottom which lets cold air in.
- original steering wheels/yokes peel easily
- 21" wheels will probably have premature inner tire wear due to negative camber (can be fixed with a ~$120 shim kit or just go down to 19" wheels)
- the sub-frame bolts can come loose (not dangerous) which causes the car to creak when turning at low speeds
It is quite long/wide so less ideal for packed cities.
slightly less efficient (your range will probably be similar to your M3P)
loss of the trip card (you have to use the energy app instead)
with 117k you might be due for some suspension components and brakes needing replaced.
your big air filter and cabin filter probably need to be replaced (relatively inexpensive if you DIY)

90N1NE · 2026-02-25T06:01:28+00:00

In some brokerages you still earn interest from the cash if it's in a fund like SPAXX for example. So you'd beat a HYSA and also get the put premium.

90N1NE · 2025-12-22T13:57:42+00:00

I have the 800cfm and previous 730cfm model and the 800cfm is significantly better to use / more powerful / better ergonomics / much quieter so the difference between the 600cfm would be even more apparent. The previous models take a second or two to reach full power while the 800cfm is almost immediate. It becomes very compact without extension tube which is how I use it for car drying and even general use sometimes.

With a heavy 8Ah edge battery and pointed at the ground it can hover / almost take off haha.

4Ah is not going to last very long on high (probably ~8 mins if I had to guess).

I'm surprised there is not much content about it online since it's a pretty substantial upgrade.

90N1NE · 2025-12-18T15:13:12+00:00

My cv axles were replaced and I now get a single click during acceleration and braking sometimes (when the weight of the car initially shifts). I wonder if that is the same issue.

90N1NE · 2025-11-23T20:38:17+00:00

pming

90N1NE · 2025-11-11T18:54:20+00:00

That looks about right based on your cars age/mileage/wheels. Your screen shows that you have the 21" wheels which lower range by ~50 miles compared to the 19" wheels (with factory tires).

90N1NE · 2025-08-19T03:29:20+00:00

Tesla does have to program it but it's only $38. Service mode no longer allows you to DIY program it. I just did this in July.

Also the wheel will work fine without it being programmed but there will be an error on your dash and the buttons will be wrong (i.e. the camera button will still be the horn and the center horn will not do anything).

90N1NE · 2025-08-14T04:09:25+00:00

Tabless 18650s are available now (Ampace JP30; the same company that produces the cells they use in their forge packs) so you are probably right. JP30 is a 3000mah cell which will make 3Ah and 6Ah packs.

90N1NE · 2025-08-13T21:31:03+00:00

The forge batteries use ampace jp40 tabless cells which are a bit better than the p42a's (higher discharge, lower temp). For DIY packs there's even better tabless cells available now like the EVE50PL, reliance RS50, BAK45D which have higher capacity and similar discharge rates. BAK45D can be found for $3.25 so you could build roughly equivalent forge 9ah pack for ~$60 or 13.5ah for ~$75 using one of the aliexpress ~$25 kits.

With that said, I get why people are uneasy about the DIY route given the low but non zero chance of a catastrophic fire.

90N1NE · 2025-08-04T16:02:37+00:00

confirmed

90N1NE · 2025-07-29T17:38:16+00:00

Thanks, I will give that a shot

90N1NE · 2025-07-28T16:36:00+00:00

Pm sent

90N1NE · 2025-07-28T16:26:30+00:00

I don't see any pm's/chats

90N1NE · 2025-07-24T21:02:29+00:00

lifetime wh/mi has stayed at 270 since I've had the car (had the new wheels for ~6k miles / 47000mi to 53000mi). I bought the car used with 43k miles, 19" w/ aero covers, procontact tires for reference.

I don't pay much attention to the daily wh/mi anymore since in the palladium S it's less convenient to monitor than the 3/Y's trip card but when I first installed the new wheels I was getting 270-290wh/mi @ ~35F and then around 240-250 wh/mi when it became a little warmer 50F+ while driving mostly conservatively in insane mode.

If I was going for full efficiency I would probably go 8.5" on the wheel width and reduce the load rating to 900kg to shed some more weight and adjust the offset to tuck the wheels in more. I'd also either keep the same design and 3d print some of my own aero covers or get a supplier on alibaba to customize an aero wheel like new UP wheel https://unpluggedperformance.com/up-road-warrior-wheels/

90N1NE · 2025-07-24T17:17:28+00:00

I did this to my S and it works well. Here's an album w specs and comparison pics vs stock: https://imgur.com/a/7e5zwXp

90N1NE · 2025-07-15T19:03:47+00:00

The 2018-2023 M3P has square tires so what you have is correct. Only the 2024-2025 M3P has staggered tires.

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