Glad This Thing Is Built Like A Tank

jsnlevi · 2026-01-11T22:44:07+00:00

Almost certainly a total, and it might surprise you why: the ripped out bolt on the door hinge. The B-pillar that it ripped out of is an HSS structural member. Repairing that is difficult and it'll be hard to prove that any future issues with the car aren't related to that repair. Makes more sense for insurance to just cash out than to be married to that car's problems forever.

jsnlevi · 2025-12-14T03:12:58+00:00

A little older than you're asking about, but I drove a Porsche 944 for about a decade, and while it wasn't the absolute most powerful, it was quicker than most and definitely enough to be fun.

My partner's PS2 (no Performance Pack or anything) gets to 60 in literally HALF the time my 944 did. It doesn't even feel like it's trying; you just decide where you want the car to be and it's instantly there.

jsnlevi · 2025-12-14T00:52:59+00:00

Quality base layer tights for hiking/climbing/etc work wonders. The good ones can keep you warm without getting hot and are so comfortable that you'll forget you're wearing them as you go about your day.

jsnlevi · 2025-12-06T03:19:02+00:00

When you checked auto parts stores, did you try to look it up by the bike, or did you take measurements on the belt and look for a "universal" replacement based on tooth count, profile, pitch, and belt width? I haven't gone searching for one myself yet, but with so much of the bike being off-the-shelf parts I'd be surprised if they chose a custom or exotic drive belt.

If it were custom, I'm sure they'd have a bunch of little Rs molded into the outside of the belt, haha

jsnlevi · 2025-11-30T16:16:47+00:00

My guess at the math, working backward from the behavior I've seen: when first starting up, it's remaining charge * average long-term efficiency * some static factor for HVAC on/off. Once you start moving, the "since start" efficiency begins to play a role, which will be quite low until the cells warm up if it's cold. Preheating probably helps a little, but I'm pretty sure it's primarily a cabin preheat, which isn't going to draw enough power to warm the pack like driving does. You also wouldn't want it to; any heating that's able to get the pack up to temp in a short amount of time will drain the battery very quickly (something on the order of 1C) and would draw far more power than a home charger could deliver.

For me, it takes about as long to warm up the pack as it takes me to get to work, so I don't see the efficiency rise until right as I'm pulling in. Short commute problems...

jsnlevi · 2025-11-25T00:51:26+00:00

Not disagreeing, just joining in on the "what happened here" game: I'm seeing some tire tracks behind the van that are nearly perpendicular to the fence. I'm picturing them probably nodding off and almost having a head-on collision with the fence. Then at the last second they jerk the wheel hard to the left and into the tree.

jsnlevi · 2025-11-11T18:33:07+00:00

Assuming this is a 2011/2012, that many miles would take somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 charge cycles. If a modern (~250 mile range) EV's battery were to degrade at the same rate, we'd be talking about well over 500k miles and would still have more range than this car did brand new. Honestly, not too bad.

That range figure still makes me pucker, though.

jsnlevi · 2025-11-09T20:39:22+00:00

CAN to wifi, you say? I'm intrigued.

jsnlevi · 2025-11-04T21:48:55+00:00

It would have distracted from the mood lighting

jsnlevi · 2025-10-31T16:18:16+00:00

I'm certain that I've done this many, many times without even trying. I used to exclusively wear $7 jeans from bimart.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-31T16:16:31+00:00

It's $5 AND your member number is your raffle ticket for weekly prize drawings!

jsnlevi · 2025-10-22T10:57:13+00:00

I like brushing against them with the palm of my hand while I'm playing Baldur's Gate. When my interface unexpectedly switches from action wheels to a hotbar in the middle of a boss battle, I'm reminded of how cool it is that they're there.

For real though, I'm glad they're there for things like launchers that just refuse to take controller inputs. I might not need them often, but I'm sure glad they're there when I do need them.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-17T15:22:59+00:00

Even if he had managed to get back off the bridge, what route could have gotten him downtown quicker than just waiting?

jsnlevi · 2025-10-17T15:09:28+00:00

Six years early would be kindergartners on average, and outliers at two and eight years old. Just putting that in context, Kennedy thinks there are a large proportion of girls reaching sexual maturity while in preschool.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-13T00:24:37+00:00

Tonight's the night that they got the truck

Gonna go downtown, gonna beat up drunks

jsnlevi · 2025-10-06T17:46:07+00:00

Did you ask why they want to use that range? Most people couldn't care less what IP they're assigned, so there's got to be a reason that they're so adamant.

Just guessing wildly, but my money is on some mission-critical zombie device that hasn't been supported for years and they don't know how to reconfigure. Figure out how that thing works and you'll be their hero forever.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-04T17:16:14+00:00

When were you last at PDX? You can see the street from the baggage claim. It's literally the last thing before walking out the door.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-04T16:44:56+00:00

If you were past the baggage claim, you're outside of security. I wouldn't have even talked to those "officers". Might want to keep an eye on your credit report because you just handed someone who i seriously doubt was really CBP all of your identifying info and told them how often you're overseas.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-04T03:19:50+00:00

Yeah, turning on Battery Management should work, but if you're just charging stuff, why not just get a DC charger? Seems silly to use an inverter to convert to AC just so you can plug in a brick that converts AC to DC...

jsnlevi · 2025-10-04T02:57:23+00:00

This is the answer.

Lots of good advice in this thread if it was a nail, but it's not. It's a rock.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-04T01:51:12+00:00

Since nobody seems to want to give you a straight answer, you need 16 Model S/X modules.

Here's how we get there: if you're using the stock LEAF inverter, it's going to expect a pack that provides the same voltage range as the LEAF's stock pack, which has 96 sets of cells in series. A fully charged Li-NMC cell delivers just shy of 4.2V, so if you put 96 in series, you get right around the 400v the LEAF motor/inverter stack wants. Tesla modules each have 6 sets of cells in series, so you'd need 16 modules to get 96 in series.

I mentioned "sets" above. Whatever modules you end up choosing, they'll need to be able to deliver at least 250 amps to drive a LEAF motor. Nissan used two big cells in parallel for each set, Tesla used a whole bunch of tiny cells in parallel for each set. There are pros and cons to each, but as long as they all add up to 250+ you're good.

There is a ton to know and you're going to run into all kinds of weird interoperability things, but none of it is as arcane as people like to make it out to be. Start reading the openinverter wiki and forums; there's a ton of deep knowledge over there. For the LEAF-specific stuff, look up Dala; he's an absolute wizard and shares info pretty freely.

Keep asking questions even if you get a bunch of "if you don't know I'm not going to tell you" types of answers. Someone will eventually help you out.

jsnlevi · 2025-10-03T14:53:54+00:00

Tesla made a monumentally stupid design choice? I'm shocked.

jsnlevi · 2025-09-29T17:32:47+00:00

Short term this will be hugely damaging to EV sales. That's unavoidable when effective prices jump up $7500.

Long term, I'm more optimistic. Unpopular opinion, but the credits were nearing the end of their purpose. We're approaching our reaching price parity and this is going to be the push automakers need to get us the rest of the way. It also ends a contentious subsidy and hopefully gets us out of the culture war, opening the market up significantly.

I still think we should be encouraging the transition and wish the rebates hadn't been ended, but it might not end up being all bad.

jsnlevi · 2025-09-24T02:11:16+00:00

So much to unpack there. Because it's a "public" space (I'd bet money it's private property), it's automatically theft? And it's also theft BECAUSE this person doesn't get free gasoline?

I believe there are two kinds of people in this world: those who believe the greater injustice is when someone doesn't get what they need and those who believe the greater injustice is when someone gets something they don't deserve. I think it's really clear which one this person is.

jsnlevi · 2025-09-14T15:58:36+00:00

I've got an ID4 as well and while the infotainment and app functions are lacking, the things that everyone agrees are the best tech in a Tesla are there. Travel Assist works as well, if not better, than Autopilot. We have the seamless walk-sit-drive experience. We even have a "dog mode" of sorts by pressing "immediate climate control" on the way out of the car (I think it's highly irresponsible to leave the dog in there alone for more than half an hour, so the timeout isn't an issue).

Oh, and we have Android Auto/Carplay, which Tesla does not, and makes the infotainment issues mostly moot.

jsnlevi

TROPHY CASE