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Tesla Model X tips and tricks used by Tesla Service Centers

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Tesla’s Model X is an engineering marvel and likely the only vehicle we’ll ever see of its kind in the near future. There’s been countless videos showing the sophisticated Falcon Wing doors in action, but a new video from the Like Tesla YouTube channel reveals unseen tips and tricks used by Tesla service center technicians that Model X owners may adopt themselves.

1. Tesla charging adapter door storage

Molded into the rear of  driver’s door is a space that can be used to secure a Tesla charging adapter so that it doesn’t rattle around while driving. Insert the adapter vertically and push it all the way to the rear to snap it into place.

2. Key Fob “Dead Zone”

If you need to leave your key fob in the vehicle without worrying about the car being unlocked and possibly stolen, place it on the floor of the cargo area next to the left rear wheel well. That is a “dead zone” where the signal from the key fob can not be detected by the car’s computer. You or anyone you give permission to can unlock the car and retrieve the fob using Tesla’s smart phone app.

This is a trick often used by Tesla service center personnel. They can leave cars when they are done servicing them with the key fob inside. That let’s owners pickup their cars whenever it is convenient by using their phone app, even if the service center is closed.

3. Unlock Tesla with Dead Battery Key Fob

If the battery in your key fob is dead and your car is locked, and you don’t have access to Tesla’s mobile app, place the key fob into the slot on the bottom right corner of the front windshield. The car will “read” the fob and allow you to open the doors. Once inside, place the key fob in the passenger side front cup holder to start the car.

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ALSO SEE: How to Replace the Tesla Key Fob Battery

4. Autopilot Detects Humans

Not so much a tip, but nonetheless worth highlighting is a tidbit that was uncovered on Tesla’s newest version 8.0 of Autopilot. When a Tesla-owning YouTuber decided to test the automatic emergency braking capabilities of the car by putting a human directly in the path of a moving Model S, he discovered that Autopilot will show a human icon highlighted in bright red to alert the driver of the danger that lies ahead.

5. Engage Autopilot on Hill Hold

Autopilot can be engaged while the car is in the Hill Hold mode. Press hard on the brake pedal until the Hill Hold indicator appears on the instrument panel. When you release the pedal, indicators for Autopilot appear and can be activated while the vehicle is completely stopped. The minimum speed in Autopilot mode is 18 miles per hour and the highest is 88 miles per hour — a tip of the hat to the movie Back To The Future. Tesla loaner cars are often restricted to a top speed of 80 mph whether or not Autopilot is engaged.

There are several other tidbits mentioned in the video we didn’t highlight, but all in all, the Like Tesla Model X video is worth a watch, and it’s become a YouTube channel that we’ve really come to like.

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Tesla Model 3 pickup “Truckla” gets updates and a perfectly wholesome robot charger

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(Credit: Simone Giertz/YouTube)

Back in 2019, YouTuber Simone Giertz, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Sh*tty Robots,” created a one-off Tesla Model 3 build that took the automotive world by storm. Fondly dubbed as “Truckla,” Giertz noted that the vehicle was actually her dream car — as crazy as that may sound. 

Now almost four years later, the YouTuber posted an update on Truckla. And just like every other big project that one probably started, Giertz stated that she actually stopped working on Truckla when the vehicle was about 80% complete. The car is driving though, but a lot of stuff was not really working very well. 

Thus, for her Truckla update, Giertz shared how most of her Model 3 pickup truck conversion was essentially completed. Truckla got a lot of detailing done, she got a slight lift, and she now has a functional tailgate. One has to admit, Truckla’s tailgate is pretty darn cool. 

The “Queen of Sh*tty Robots” also opted to give Truckla a friend in the form of an automatic robot charger. Unlike Tesla’s rather interesting snake charger from years past, Truckla’s charger would come in the form of a rover, thanks to her friends at robotics platform Viam. Giertz aptly named Truckla’s robot charger friend “Chargela,” which is an appropriate name for such an invention. 

Also true to form for Giertz, Chargela’s first encounter with Truckla was just a tiny bit awkward. One could say that Chargela may have just been a little bit nervous on his first try without human hands helping him. Most importantly, the system did work, so Giertz would likely keep using Chargela for her Model 3 pickup. 

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Teslas are very tech-heavy vehicles, so projects like Giertz’s Truckla are always remarkable. The fact that the Model 3 works perfectly fine despite having a good chunk of it cut off and turned into a pickup truck bed is mighty impressive any way one looks at it. Overall, Truckla will always be one of the coolest Tesla DIY projects to date, so any updates about the vehicle are always appreciated.  

Truckla’s nearly four-year update can be viewed below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla fan creating ‘CyberRoadster’ using Model 3 Performance parts in epic DIY build

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Image Credit: Cyber Hooligan/YouTube

A Tesla owner is taking his hobby and love for electric vehicles to new levels by creating what could only be described as one of the coolest EV-related DIY projects to date. The idea for the project is simple: what happens when you cross a supercar with the Cybertruck? You end up with a two-seater CyberRoadster. 

Tesla owner David Andreyev, who goes by the username @Cyber_Hooligan_ on Twitter, has spent the last few months creating a Cybertruck-inspired version of the next-generation Roadster made from a salvaged Model 3 Performance. Starting with a Model 3 Performance is an inspired choice, considering that it is Tesla’s first vehicle that has a dedicated Track Mode. 

A look at Andreyev’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed here, shows the meticulous build that the Tesla owner has implemented on the project car. What’s particularly cool about the CyberRoadster is the fact that it’s being built with parts that are also from other Tesla vehicles, like its front bumper that came from a new Model S. Recent videos suggest that the project car’s rear bumper will be from a new Model S as well. 

The journey is long for Andreyev, so the completion of the CyberRoadster will likely take some more time. Despite this, seeing the Tesla owner’s DIY journey on such an epic build is more than satisfying. And considering that the CyberRoadster is evidently a labor of love from the Tesla owner, the final results would likely be extremely worth it. 

There’s a lot of crazy Tesla modifications that have been done as of late. But some, as it is with a lot of things on the internet these days, have become more silly gimmicks than serious automotive projects. Fortunately, car enthusiasts like Andreyev, who just happen to also love electric vehicles, are taking it upon themselves to create one-of-a-kind EVs that would surely capture the attention of anyone on the road. 

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Check out the latest video in the CyberRoadster’s creation below. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla owner ‘charges’ Model 3 with homemade solar panel trailer

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Credit: YouTube | ItsYeBoi

A Tesla owner has demonstrated a rather novel way to charge his Model 3. In a recent video, Sean Callaghan of the ItsYeBoi YouTube channel opted to use a series of off-the-shelf solar panel sheets onto a towable trailer to create a mobile charging unit for his all-electric sedan.

Callaghan planned to use only the sun and the solar sheets purchased from e-commerce platform Wish to charge his Model 3. The solar panel sheets would collect energy from the sun and transfer it to a control panel. The control panels were connected to batteries that would hold the energy—the batteries connected to an inverter, which would then charge the Tesla Model 3.

The entire assembly would provide the Model 3 with about 800 watts of energy on a completely sunny day. However, Callaghan shot the video when weather was overcast, so the entire solar panel trailer build only managed to provide around 300 watts throughout the YouTube host’s test.

To put this into perspective, a 100 volt home wall outlet provides 1.4 kilowatts of power, or 1,400 watts. Therefore, the 300-watt solar panel assembly built by Callaghan was producing less than 25% of the energy of a typical wall outlet. This is pretty marginal compared to Tesla’s 250-kilowatt V3 Superchargers, which provides 250,000 watts, or about 833 times as much power as the makeshift solar panel build.

However, Callaghan’s goal was not to charge the vehicle quickly. He explained the idea came from a previous video where he used a $5,000 Wish-purchased wind turbine to charge his Model 3. He wanted to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the system, which was questionable due to the time it would take to charge the battery fully.

The Model 3 battery pack is 78 kWh, and with Callaghan’s 300-watt system charging his electric vehicle, it would take 260 hours to supply the Tesla’s battery to full capacity.

In the past, electric vehicle enthusiasts have asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk why the company’s vehicles do not contain solar glass roofing, which would charge the car while the owner is driving. Musk has explained that the efficiency of this idea is challenging and likely would not provide an ample amount of range.

When asked about the idea of putting solar panels on the top of Tesla’s vehicles in 2017, Musk responded that the idea was “Not that helpful, because the actual surface of the car is not that much, and cars are often inside. The least efficient place to put solar is on the car.” It also would not be cost-effective for Tesla because “the cost of the panels and electronics, R&D and assembly would never pay for itself in the life of the vehicle, compared to charging from the wall in your garage,” Quartz noted.

That being said, Tesla plans to implement solar panels onto the motorized tonneau of the upcoming Cybertruck. The idea was discussed on Twitter when Musk stated that the optional feature would add “15 miles per day, possibly more” when parked in the sunlight. Also, fold-out solar wings could help capture enough solar energy for 30 to 40 miles a day.

Watch Sean Callaghan’s video of his makeshift solar panel trailer below.

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