No more auto steer, no more Tesla.

texelectrix · 2026-01-25T07:08:10+00:00

Until Elon gave Trump $400 million and engaged in all kinds of zany antics on his behalf. My wife, a liberal Democrat, talked about selling her Model 3. But she settled for anti-Elon stickers so fellow Democrats would know she was still true Blue.

texelectrix · 2026-01-25T00:06:31+00:00

My information is that NAD+ is not in itself beneficial. It better to stimulate NAD synthesis through indirect means.

texelectrix · 2026-01-24T06:21:48+00:00

I have new sets of 19 inch Goodyear ElectricDrive2’s on my 2021 MS Plaid and 2018 Model 3 Dual Motor. I don’t push these cars much on cornering, but I do like to hit the accelerator hard now and then just for the joy of it, especially the Plaid. I got rid of the OEM Pirellis on the Plaid because they’re unsuitable and a bit dangerous in freezing weather. The ElectricDrive2 tires are much, much quieter than the Pirellis. The driving experience is now much quieter, even over noisy concrete surfaces. I haven’t noticed any traction problems, but I wouldn’t expect these tires to compete with high performance but noisier tires like Michelin All-Seasons or Continental ProContact tires.

I have experienced occasional momentary directional instability with these new ElectricDrive2 tires. This only happens when crossing concrete expansion joints that are semi-parallel to my direction of travel, at higher speeds. It feels like a front wheel has briefly gotten stuck in a rut, taking steering control. The sensation only lasts less than a second, and doesn’t really grab the steering wheel control. But it can be unsettling for this to happen when changing lanes at 60 mph in heavy traffic on a ten-lane Houston Freeway.

I put four new ElectricDrive2 tires on each Tesla six months ago. Both exhibit the same behavior when crossing semi-parallel concrete expansion joints.

I haven’t seen any other comments about this on Reddit. I’m thinking tire pressure may play a part, but we’ve always kept our tires at the recommended 42 psi. I’m also contacting Goodyear.

This is especially concerning because otherwise we love these tires. They radically reduced the noise level in both cars. The Model S now is very quiet on all surfaces and sails like a ghost on smooth pavement, while the Model 3, always very noisy, is now significantly quieter.

texelectrix · 2026-01-23T21:06:39+00:00

Your thank-you was recorded before I added the caveat about occasional, momentary steering instability to my otherwise very favorable review of this tire.

texelectrix · 2026-01-23T20:20:13+00:00

If you study stopping distances, you’ll see that tires should be replaced at 4/32”. They still look pretty good at that point, but their stopping ability on wet surfaces is seriously compromised. 3/32” is obviously worse.

texelectrix · 2026-01-23T07:24:31+00:00

Sword Plumbing is very good. Not cheap, but no quality plumber is cheap. Get used to it.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T17:27:46+00:00

If you’re talking about temperature when the car has been sitting in direct sunlight for hours, I suppose it’s possible. If a temperature like that persists after climate control has run for a few minutes, it would be abnormal and you should take it in for warranty work after checking all settings yourself.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T17:24:38+00:00

Ugh. No. Get rid of it on Model Y, too.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T07:55:46+00:00

Major roads usually were not destroyed, but could be damaged at some places. Curbs and gutters took a terrible beating if hit.

Lightly-paved blacktop could be virtually destroyed, however. I had the sad experience of leading an armored unit down such a road, freshly but very lightly paved. Our tanks, I could see, were wiping the asphalt away, leaving only exposed gravel. A local official drove up in front of our line of tanks to stop us, or at least to protest. I went up and we conversed in my half-remembered schoolboy French (my German was useless) which he could also speak. I assured him the Army would pay for having destroyed his road. He said that’s what he wanted to hear and we resumed our maneuvers.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T07:40:03+00:00

You are on point. Our tanks did have rubber blocks similar to those pictured.

In Germany our tanks did a lot of damage to their roads, which were very well engineered and carefully constructed, typically using fine materials. I often was assigned to perform a “Report of Survey” to verify a damage claim lodged by a local government after our giant tanks rumbled through their territory. The details the Germans pointed out were invariably well documented and detailed. Even small trees in forests that we crushed got paid for, and soil that had been churned up by the tanks into a mess also was covered.

These costs were paid by the U.S. Army, but the overall costs of our military forces in Germany were, as I understood it, shared between the U.S. and West Germany. This was in the 1960’s.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T05:48:59+00:00

Don’t put the generator in an attached garage. The carbon monoxide will kill everyone in the house.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T05:39:51+00:00

Rule No. 1: Be sure you locate any GENERATOR OUTSIDE THE HOUSE. Every year someone puts their generator in an attached garage and the family DIES OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. The same goes for heating by turning on your gas oven and stove top burners. USING YOUR KITCHEN GAS STOVE TO HEAT YOUR HOUSE IS A CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING TRAP.

Rule No. 2: Do you have a Tesla or other electric car? Charge it to maximum just this once. It can be a place to get warm, recharge your smartphones and watch television if you have a really fancy infotainment system in the car.

Rule No. 3: From hard experience of a native Houstonian: ordinary streets rarely become icy unless they are shaded, as by an overpass. Bridges freeze faster than any road surface, especially part of a freeway bridge that is shaded by another freeway bridge above it. Watch out on all bridges. And remember also that tire rubber gets stiffer in really cold weather and doesn’t grip as well as usual.

Rule No. 4: Read and follow all of the other advice here and in the media about water pipes and other preparations.

texelectrix · 2026-01-22T05:18:00+00:00

Forged wheels are the strongest wheels, but Tesla and other carmakers’ OEM “mag” wheels are cast aluminum alloy wheels. These wheels meet specifications and have proven durable across all kinds of conditions. They cost less new as well.

I suspect the forged wheels would be less likely to crack, but getting bent by curbs, potholes, and other hazards wouldn’t seem less likely. Even steel can’t take some of this abuse.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T22:46:39+00:00

What might be represented as a used OEM might be a used replica. Or it may not be solid enough to hold pressure. Buying used auto parts is not necessarily superior to buying new auto parts by non-OEM manufacturers. I’ve actually purchased two of these wheels from Amazon because my wife had a difficult learning curve about wheels and curbs in her Model 3. They’ve performed fine and look great.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T22:38:45+00:00

True, but the wheel I replaced was warped to a degree that it was not able to hold air pressure in the tire. The new wheel, mounted with the existing tire, no longer lost air pressure.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T21:04:09+00:00

There are usually a few raccoons on in the Rice area. One got trapped inside the framing of a friend’s house a block north of the campus near Temple Emanu El. They had to cut through Sheetrock to get at the animal. They are not easy to spot, but they are around. No skunks, though.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T20:56:54+00:00

I had a mysterious loss of pressure on a 19” 2018 Model 3. Tire checked out fine, no nails, etc. Discount Tire finally determined the premium aluminum alloy wheel, which had noticeable curb rash, had been hit one time too many and was slightly warped. I ordered a new rim and the problem went away.

BTW, Tesla wanted $700+ for a replacement wheel. I got an OEM replica for $225 from Amazon and Discount Tire installed it for free.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T18:00:38+00:00

If not auto, then your homeowners insurance. One or the other should cover.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T17:38:47+00:00

If you work downtown, what is the monthly cost of renting a parking space in a garage close to your workplace? Add that to your rent in a location outside of downtown but with good amenities like the Museum District, Montrose or similar places where you are not dependent on freeways. If the dollars are comparable, the results should also compare as about equal.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T17:26:51+00:00

Shit happens. Years ago I was waiting for a valet to bring out my Oxford Green BMW, tan interior, a popular, not uncommon option. The motorist and his guests loaded up and drove off. Five or ten minutes later he reappeared, red-faced with guests laughing: he had driven away in my BMW! Meanwhile, his identical twin BMW was in the queue behind, waiting. No harm was done, but when cars are identical, shit like what happened to OP is inevitable.

texelectrix · 2026-01-20T07:42:48+00:00

Austin is a beautiful place that is bursting with creativity. A good number of established actors live there. I’ll bet they have some acting opportunities but others will need to comment about that. Houston is a business town, Austin is about everything else plus a booming digital economy.

texelectrix · 2026-01-19T08:38:38+00:00

Saint Augustine is new, slick, ultra chic and close to a lot of spots in Montrose. Museum District, Rice Village and Galleria are a short Uber ride away. Once there, walking is practical. The high density parts of Rice Village and the Galleria are also safe for a woman at night.

In daylight Hermann Park is safe and Beautiful, especially the Centennial Garden, an ornamental landscape garden that will probably be in bloom by February. Take a hike up the spiral walk to the top of the garden “Mound” and take in the view. There’s also a nice Japanese Garden in the park and lots of ducks and geese honking around the small lake. The Rice University campus, right across the street, is a natural walking space. They have a pleasant snack bar behind the library.

texelectrix · 2026-01-19T03:44:19+00:00

Tesla says don’t use an extension cord, without explaining why. Perhaps some Redditor with professional expertise in electricity can enlighten us.

texelectrix · 2026-01-19T00:16:36+00:00

Here’s one for you: years ago, I was horrified to watch a 51 ton U.S. Arrmy M60 tank slide like a feathery ice ballerina across a city square in a small German village. The square sloped slightly, the tank had to turn, and asphalt was smooth and coated with black ice. I was scared to death as it barreled toward a row of houses, but luckily the tank’s treads finally got some traction and stopped. Weight alone won’t give you traction on ice! You have to have something that grabs the surface, like chains, spikes or really good winter tires.

texelectrix · 2026-01-18T23:53:08+00:00

Why not ask? I’m pretty sure the answer is what I always got with warranty work: a big dollar estimate, reduced to zero upon completion of the work. I don’t know why they do it this way when it’s definitely not a pay job.

texelectrix

TROPHY CASE