Best practices for properly cleaning your Tesla

In order to properly maintain your Tesla, it is important to follow a few rules so as not to damage the bodywork and in particular the safety sensors that could compromise their operation. Here are some tips to help you properly clean your electric car.

In order for your Tesla to continue working like the first day, certain points must be observed in order not to damage the bodywork or other external elements. Special care must be taken with sensors and cameras that ensure the safety equipment of the electric vehicle.

American’s cars are technological and consequently ship a large number of equipments, many of which cars are free. The body is littered with cameras and other sensors that play an essential role in certain functions such as autonomous driving, sentinel mode and all other driving assistance functions. To ensure optimal operation, it is important to take care of your electric vehicle according to certain rules.

Manual exterior cleaning

• Start by rinsing with clean water and a garden hose. Make sure the pressure is not too high and prefer a diffuse jet to a concentrated jet. Also, be careful not to aim the jet directly at the Tesla’s sensors or cameras and keep the jet moving. Use this nozzle to remove all surface marks and residues (bird droppings, road salt, tar, etc.). Do not neglect visually inaccessible areas such as wheel arches, brakes or the underside of the car.

• Use a soft cloth dipped in cold or lukewarm water with some car shampoo. Be careful with the products you use, some may contain hydroxides, alkaline or very corrosive components. Do not use paper towels such as Sopalin which tend to leave micro-scratches on bodywork. Use an auto glass product to clean the glass parts (windshield, rearview mirror, etc.).

• Rinse again to remove all soap residue.

• Dry your car with a dry chamois leather. If necessary, dry your brakes by driving and applying them several times.

car wash mode

If you opt for automatic washing in a station without a roller and therefore “contactless” (with simple jets of water), you must activate the relative mode from your Tesla: controls > maintenance > car wash mode. Make sure your car is stationary and not charging. This mode disables certain features such as sentinel mode, walk-away locking, or parking assist signals to prevent damage.

Be sure to avoid roller wash stations, which are notorious for scratching bodywork and can also damage the Tesla’s various sensors and cameras, and prefer “contactless” wash stations. Tesla doesn’t fail to state in the manual to avoid rolling in favor of contactless stations.