How to Change Tesla Mobile Connector Adapters
The Tesla Mobile Connector is a mobile EV charger made by Tesla. It includes a NEMA 5-15 (120v wall plug) adapter and after mid-August 2022 a NEMA 14-50 adapter (Level 2) is included as well. In addition, Tesla sells a variety of adapters to let owners charge from pretty much any energy source with the […]
What is “503 Server Maintenance” in the Tesla App?
Is your Tesla app reporting a code 503 Server Maintenance below the battery indicator? Don’t panic. The short answer is: Your car is fine. And “no”, it is not time to schedule maintenance service for your Tesla. The web service that relays communications from Tesla cars to the app is currently down, and it will […]
How to Mute/Lower Tesla Navigation Voice Guidance
If you are like me, you probably use Tesla’s built-in navigation all the time. It is one of the few built-in navigation systems that is better to use than Google Maps or Waze apps on your phone. This is because Tesla’s navigation is tightly integrated with the car’s systems, providing very accurate estimates of the […]
Loaner Cars from Tesla Service Department? What is the policy?
Electric cars generally have less frequent maintenance and servicing requirements than gasoline combustion cars. But eventually, you are going to find yourself in the service department to take proper care of your car. Do Tesla Service Centers offer loaner vehicles? How does the policy compare to other brands? Disclaimer: Tesla Inc., the company may change […]
How to fix Tesla Bluetooth stuck on ‘Connecting…’
The other day my iPhone stopped streaming music over Bluetooth to my Tesla Model Y, and incoming phone calls stopped coming in over the car’s speakerphone. The Tesla Bluetooth settings screen only said it was “Connecting…” to my phone, but it was stuck in this state for hours. Toggling Bluetooth on/off from the iPhone did […]
How to open a frozen Tesla door handle
We are in the depths of winter with many areas in the northern hemisphere experiencing ice and snow. Tesla’s door handle design, although very aerodynamically efficient can suffer from occasional freezing that hinders access to the vehicle. If you experience frozen door handles on your Tesla, here are four ways to regain access to the […]
How to remove Tesla charging cable from the car
New owners may find it surprising that the charging cable is physically locked with a lock pin while the car is charging. This is a great security measure for unsupervised charging, so nobody can interrupt your charging session. In addition, this is an important safety measure so that energy flow can be stopped prior to […]
How to send locations from Google Maps to Tesla Navigation
The Tesla in-car screen UI and software certainly raise the bar for infotainment systems developed by car manufacturers. Few other car brands come anywhere close to clean user interfaces and the buttery smooth performance of a Tesla. Controlling the Tesla screen is more like interacting with a modern tablet computer than the clunky software that […]
How much energy does Tesla Sentry Mode use without Cameras?
With software update version 2022.44.2 Tesla introduced an optional toggle setting to Sentry Mode, allowing the car to detect events with cameras (as it did previously), or rely only on physical sensors to detect security events. Why would someone disable camera-based detection? Because it is very easy to trigger false positive security threats by just […]
How to make a Tesla charge faster at home
Charging at home is a convenience enjoyed by EV drivers, because starting every drive with a charged battery is easier than having to stop for gas. But what if your charging setup is not providing enough miles added per hour? The most obvious solution is to maximize the available amperage from your circuit breaker to […]