[Jeroen]

Sorry to hear about sll the problems. As you seem to be having these charging problems at just about every charging station, the common factor between all these are your car and the cable(s) you are using.

Ideally you would need to hook up some analyzers whilst attempting charging to see what is happening inside the car so to speak and with the power supply. Probably easier said then done I'm afraid. Does any ody know what sort of built in diagnostics a Tesla has? There must be some supervisory funtions in all those electronics. i would imagine you should be able to monitor the incoming power supply on voltage, frequency and such. maybe Tesla is to innovative to think about the basics, not so cool, hardcore engineering stuff?

[Live To Jive]

Is a similar thread there on Buying, Owning, Driving and Maintaining a car in Europe (UK to be specific)? I will be moving from Dubai to UK in a few months time.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by Live To Jive

Is a similar thread there on Buying, Owning, Driving and Maintaining a car in Europe (UK to be specific)? I will be moving from Dubai to UK in a few months time.

Hey, here's one for you.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/inter...ar-europe.html (Buying, Owning, Driving and Maintaining a car in Europe)

It was a London specific thread. I've generalised the title to Europe.

[VIPER_SRT]

Originally Posted by VW2010

@Viper_Srt,

Did they send atleast a duplicate charging cable to double check that? UMC cable could be an issue.

My advice is can you take it to a local nissan or other charging station and try it there as well. I think you did cover that but thinking if its simply the cable issue.

Thats a good point! Tesla can't replicate charging issue at their facility and they claim to have checked my cables. High Power Wall connector has a fixed cable of its own to plug in. I'll try Nissan dealer charging station but may need to get hold of another UMC cable to strike it off the list.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

maybe Tesla is to innovative to think about the basics, not so cool, hardcore engineering stuff?

Agreed! Tesla Service center in Paramus, NJ was awful to work with! Service advisor was too rude, didn't bother to consider charging issues at other public charging stations.

[VW2010]

There must be some supervisory funtions in all those electronics. i would imagine you should be able to monitor the incoming power supply on voltage, frequency and such. maybe Tesla is to innovative to think about the basics, not so cool, hardcore engineering stuff?

Actually Tesla is innovative enough to direclty download the logs and do an analysis. Unfortunately these logs dont suggest problem with current car charging machanism where the car recieves the power but the internal battery systems is failing to get charged.

Instead the overall power hitting the car system is intermittent.

Things i could think of include the plug point/contact point where based on the charging UMC cable its just getting loose due to wire weight and losing contact every now and then.

Secondly the UMC cable itself being an issue for Tesla had these reported and changed multiple times.

I live in NJ, let me know if need some help with testing the wires. I can come over. I dont have much idea about Tesla but atleast can be of help locally to find cables and test out easier points of error.

Its almost similar to a phone charger to me. Either the wire is kaput, or the plug is not making clear contacts and due to weight its getting disturbed, or the actual point where the charger connects to the car is probably worn out.

If the car is recieving power and is not charging its a whole new level of diagnosis that is required.

@Viper_Srt - Can you also try a generic charging cable. I forgot the name and type. I will try to share that. Mobil or something that is slow to charge but helps you eliminate the cable issue.

Best is taking it to nearby nissan or other charging station and giving it a try with their cable.

[VIPER_SRT]

Originally Posted by VW2010

If the car is recieving power and is not charging its a whole new level of diagnosis that is required.

If you notice the dash board, it has 80 Amp coming in, but the charging stopped. All cable contacts, adapters, car charging port were Duster can blowed, cleaned and tested to make sure there's nothing obstructing the contacts and the service center did the same. The charging plug contact to car charging port is pretty tight/rock solid with no play when connected. Played around trying to figure out for loose connections but no use. Once charging stops, there's only way to start charging again; Unplug cable and plug it back in again. The charging cable is locked to car charging port, so to unplug the cable, I've to use dash touch screen "unlock" feature (in the pic), Without using "unlock" from dash, the cable won't budge.

This comes with Model S:
http://www.teslamotors.com/models-charging#/basics

The supplied kit comes with regular UMC charging cable with adapters for 110V, 240V and a J1772 adapter for public charging stations. At public charging stations, a J112 adapter is all I need. At home, I can use supplied UMC cable (regular cable like a laptop charger) for regular 110 V outlet. Other option is High Power Wall Connecter with its own cable that plugs directly in to the car ( means.. no need to use the supplied kit).
It would be highly unfortunate to see all adapters, cables and HPWC going bad when used in all possible combinations.

VW: Really appreciate your help. Will PM you.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by VIPER_SRT

If you notice the dash board, it has 80 Amp coming in, but the charging stopped.

VW: Really appreciate your help. Will PM you.

Viper i posted this link on the Tesla Motors handles last night. I have not heard back from them directly and will bother them again today. I hope this gets resolved asap.

Maddy

[Cesc]

Viper - Hope your issues get sorted. I thought Tesla was a company that could do no wrong. This does seem a very pedestrian response from them.

On a separate note - it is now confirmed that I will land up in US in around a month's time. I have read through the last 150 pages of this thread and not got some of the key information I am after. So I am going to put my questions in this post. Apologies if they have been answered earlier.

1) How soon can I buy a car after landing in US? Do I have to have a permanent address before I can buy one?
2) I will be in corporate housing for a month - can that be used as an address for car buying/car insuring purpose?
3) I have the option of basing myself in either PA or DE - I checked DMVs for both states and it appears that I can drive on my current Indian license for up to 60 days. So does that mean I can buy a car and lawfully drive it and apply for a license after finding a permanent apartment in 40-45 days? Or does that rule apply only to rental cars?
4) I will most likely be leasing a new vehicle with a fully paid up lease. My overall budget is around 15k. How much of taxes should I expect in either PA or DE over the car price?
5) Will 2015 models be available with discounts in early October or is it advisable to lease 2016 models then?
6) Does a lease also have room to negotiate? If yes then what should I be looking out for?

I have no issues driving in US. I have been to the country thrice in past 2 years and have driven rentals for over 2 months without any issues. I also value the conevnience of a car a lot. So ideally I would like to buy/lease a car very soon after coming to US. Once these questions are sorted I will then request members help on what car to go for after stating my requirements.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by Cesc

1) How soon can I buy a car after landing in US? Do I have to have a permanent address before I can buy one?

You can buy a car with cash off a person as soon as you get off the airplane but practically you won't be able to drive it unless you get it registered, inspected, insured, etc., etc.
[A dealer usually won't sell you a car without proof of insurance as they take care of the registration, titling for you, and the DMV needs proof of insurance for these formalities].

You don't need to have a permanent address but it's better to have one as you will have to update registration, insurance information anyway when you move - not a big issue.

Originally Posted by Cesc

2) I will be in corporate housing for a month - can that be used as an address for car buying/car insuring purpose?

Yes, it's not a hotel, right?
Sometimes they don't like a hotel being used as an address. Other-times, they don't care.

Originally Posted by Cesc

3) I have the option of basing myself in either PA or DE - I checked DMVs for both states and it appears that I can drive on my current Indian license for up to 60 days. So does that mean I can buy a car and lawfully drive it and apply for a license after finding a permanent apartment in 40-45 days? Or does that rule apply only to rental cars?

You have to check with the dealers & DMV again for this.

Even if you don't have a valid US license buying the car is not the issue, registering & titling it will be depending on state.

A friend of mine, in MA (Massachusetts), could buy & register his car on his Indian license as he didn't have his MA state license yet. This was around 2003/2004.

Originally Posted by Cesc

4) I will most likely be leasing a new vehicle with a fully paid up lease. My overall budget is around 15k. How much of taxes should I expect in either PA or DE over the car price?

What's the point of the pre-paid lease? You might not be able to set one up unless you have a good US credit score.

PA should have 6 or 7% sales tax. DE I think has 0%.

Originally Posted by Cesc

5) Will 2015 models be available with discounts in early October or is it advisable to lease 2016 models then?

If you're buying off-the-lot (as opposed to ordering) you might be able to get a hefty discount on any left over 2015 models but by October I think you're pretty much going to get a 2016.

Originally Posted by Cesc

6) Does a lease also have room to negotiate? If yes then what should I be looking out for?

Since you're planning to pre-pay you only have to negotiate on the final amount, I guess.

If you're doing a normal lease, then you negotiate for (as close to) zero down-payment as you can and as low an interest rate.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Cesc

1) How soon can I buy a car after landing in US? Do I have to have a permanent address before I can buy one?

Well, for most of the things related to buying a car, like taking a loan or leasing or even insurance, the bare minimum is your social security number. That can take anywhere between 1 to 3 weeks but please double check that. The timelines may have changes since i last go my ssn.

Originally Posted by Cesc

2) I will be in corporate housing for a month - can that be used as an address for car buying/car insuring purpose?

Yes you can use that address.

Originally Posted by Cesc

3) I have the option of basing myself in either PA or DE - I checked DMVs for both states and it appears that I can drive on my current Indian license for up to 60 days. So does that mean I can buy a car and lawfully drive it and apply for a license after finding a permanent apartment in 40-45 days? Or does that rule apply only to rental cars?

The rule does not explicitly state what type of car you can drive. But i believe it is understood that if you are going to stay in a state beyond a certain time (60 days in this case) then you are supposed to get the driver permit from that state. You may be able to purchase a car on your Indian license but you probably will not be able to get it registered at the DMV without your US license.

Originally Posted by Cesc

4) I will most likely be leasing a new vehicle with a fully paid up lease. My overall budget is around 15k. How much of taxes should I expect in either PA or DE over the car price?

Sorry no idea about that.

Originally Posted by Cesc

5) Will 2015 models be available with discounts in early October or is it advisable to lease 2016 models then?

Early October is when 2016 models will start showing up at dealer inventories. You should be able to get discounts on 2015 models that are still lying around in dealer inventories.

Originally Posted by Cesc

6) Does a lease also have room to negotiate? If yes then what should I be looking out for?

Everything is negotiable! Start by fixing the on road price (called Out the door price)

Good luck!

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Well, for most of the things related to buying a car, like taking a loan or leasing or even insurance, the bare minimum is your social security number. That can take anywhere between 1 to 3 weeks but please double check that. The timelines may have changes since i last go my ssn.

Good point. You need to give an SSN or show a paper which says you are ineligible for an SSN from the Social security administration, if on a tourist Visa.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by Cesc

1) How soon can I buy a car after landing in US? Do I have to have a permanent address before I can buy one?
2) I will be in corporate housing for a month - can that be used as an address for car buying/car insuring purpose?
3) I have the option of basing myself in either PA or DE - I checked DMVs for both states and it appears that I can drive on my current Indian license for up to 60 days. So does that mean I can buy a car and lawfully drive it and apply for a license after finding a permanent apartment in 40-45 days? Or does that rule apply only to rental cars?
4) I will most likely be leasing a new vehicle with a fully paid up lease. My overall budget is around 15k. How much of taxes should I expect in either PA or DE over the car price?
5) Will 2015 models be available with discounts in early October or is it advisable to lease 2016 models then?
6) Does a lease also have room to negotiate? If yes then what should I be looking out for?

1) Depends from state to state - you are supposed to report address changes soon, so that is a hassle.
2) I think yes. That should be no problem.
3) I bought/ leased my first car in the US on an Indian license in CT. If the license is valid to drive in the state, as soon as you have a SSN (or the certificate of no SSN), you should be able to buy and register a car.
4) Please check local county/ state laws - prices can vary by counties too.
5) Yes, there are 2016 models of several cars already out, so 2015 models are getting clearance prices everyday.
6) Absolutely - negotiate the sticker price, the price at the end of the lease - the difference between these two and money factor (determined by rate of interest) determines the lease price. (plus taxes, of course)

Originally Posted by aah78

What's the point of the pre-paid lease? You might not be able to set one up unless you have a good US credit score.

If you're buying off-the-lot (as opposed to ordering) you might be able to get a hefty discount on any left over 2015 models but by October I think you're pretty much going to get a 2016.

Prepaid lease or monthly payments you will need a credit history to get the lease payments decided. If they throw on a 10% rate for you for the lack of credit, you will end up having much higher payments. For a 15k budget you may be able to pick up a decent 2-3 year old car cash payment with no need to check credit.

Originally Posted by Jomz

Good point. You need to give an SSN or show a paper which says you are ineligible for an SSN from the Social security administration, if on a tourist Visa.

Correct - SSN or a certificate of not eligible for SSN would be primary.

[Cesc]

Thanks a lot for the responses guys. So looks like SSN is the first step. I am assuming you can only request/apply for SSN after landing in states . Once I have the SSN then I should talk to dealers to understand if they are ok to let me buy on my Indian DL? Insurance is something I will have to arrange at the time of buying?

My corporate housing is not in a hotel but in an apartment complex. So looks like I can use that address. All in all it looks as if probably I am better off renting for 2 weeks. If I can't buy and drive on my Indian DL then it's a bigger problem because my understanding is that I can't get a U.S. DL without a permanent address.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Cesc

So looks like SSN is the first step. I am assuming you can only request/apply for SSN after landing in states . Once I have the SSN then I should talk to dealers to understand if they are ok to let me buy on my Indian DL? Insurance is something I will have to arrange at the time of buying?

You might not even need a SSN to buy a car. Several years ago I did a holiday in the USA and we just bought a car in Miami, drove it for a couple of thousand miles and sold it when we left. in 2009 we moved to the USA and it was just about the first thing we had to get sorted when you want to live in the USA.

I would suggest you get your SSN sorted at the earliest because you will need it in dealing with all sort of companies and authorities, e.g. utility companies, banks etc.

You will need insurance at the time of buying the car. Best check how long they will allow you to drive around on your Indian license. My wife and I both have Dutch Driver licenses and I seem to recall the insurance company gave us 60 days to get a US DL. No great shake, marginally more difficult then getting your DL in India, but you have to drive on the right side of the road!

Jeroen

[VIPER_SRT]

Originally Posted by Cesc

If I can't buy and drive on my Indian DL then it's a bigger problem because my understanding is that I can't get a U.S. DL without a permanent address.

Can your employer provide a letter stating your employment/immigration status and corporate housing address on a letter head? DMV may accept those kind of letters for proof of address. It worked earlier at few DMV's.