Calipers Replaced at Service Centre -- Should the new ones have rock chips?

[VifferFun]

Hey everyone!

I had a very obvious leak in my rear caliper where brake fluid would spray out of the wheel area when pressing the brake pedal. Tesla's estimate was to replace both rear calipers for $1700, but when I picked up the car after hours the "new" calipers (1007889-01-C; 1007888-01-C) still have rock chips. I didn't take pics of the calipers before the service, but I remember they had rock chips before. When calipers are replaced, do they re-use the red covers? Or do they use refurb parts or something like that? For being a "new" caliper, it looks pretty beat up :S

This is an odd situation because my car was ready on Monday, even though the parts weren't supposed to arrive until Wednesday. There was also no message in the app once my car was ready for pcikup, other than "Resolved". When I went to pick up my car Monday night, there was no final invoice in the app or opportunity for me to authorize a final payment. Today/Thursday, I noticed that my Credit Card has a new payment authorization for the full invoice amount, the Tesla app now shows an invoice with PAID (which wasn't there yesterday). I authorized the original estimate last week, but I thought I'd still have to authorize the final payment after the repair was completed?

Anyways, based on the confusing pickup and the chipped caliper, I assumed that they found that the problems was actually something simple (like a bleed valve cap or something, since the cap looks new/replaced) and that they did the repair as goodwill (or that they'd bill me for the diagnostic later). Perhaps I was optimistic haha!

I've attached a couple of pics of the caliper that I took on Monday night at the Tesla Service Centre, before I even drove the car. I'm interested in your thoughts -- thanks!

 

[j.harris]

Odd that they claimed both calipers needed to be replaced when only one was leaking.

 

[KArnold]

Ask for your old calipers back. Bet they don't have them.

 

[fholbert]

Ask for your old calipers back. Bet they don't have them.

Looks like the OP already got the originals back.

 

[VifferFun]

Oh boy, I thought I was just being paranoid. I didn't think there could be a risk of an actual Tesla Service Centre billing for works/parts not completed? I messaged about it last night and they sent me a curt one-liner response saying "The rear calipers were replaced." There are actually about five rocks chips on that caliper, but only two can be seen in the pic. A few questions:

• Is there a way to visually tell whether or not they were replaced?
• The blue brake pads are what I had installed by an independent mechanic last year, but that makes sense since the caliper part numbers were "without pads"; however, can you visually tell if those pads have been in the caliper for a long time, or freshly reinstalled?
• Perhaps the 2015 Model S came with a different part number than what they claimed to install (1007889-01-C; 1007888-01-C)?

As for replacing both rear calipers, I think this can make sense to ensure that the car is braking evenly on the left and right.

 

[zoomer0056]

As for replacing both rear calipers, I think this can make sense to ensure that the car is braking evenly on the left and right.

Not correct. The calipers either work, or they don't. It is not normal to replace a left side working one because the right side one was not working.

Edit: you state the new caliper has rock chips and showed a pic before you drove off the lot. Did you remove the tire to take that pic?

 

[VifferFun]

Not correct. The calipers either work, or they don't. It is not normal to replace a left side working one because the right side one was not working.

Edit: you state the new caliper has rock chips and showed a pic before you drove off the lot. Did you remove the tire to take that pic?

OK thanks -- I took their word on it since I was in a hurry to get my car back. I thoguht I read something similar online, but it coudl have been misinformation.

Oh yes, you're right, you have a good eye! The pics in my original post are from when I got home that night, but I thought they were from the Tesla lot. I took the wheel off the car as soon as I got home to give it a good washing/cleaning since it still had lots of brake fluid on it, and I didn't want it to eat through the finish. I was a little annoyed that they didn't clean up the brake fluid during the service, but I can accept that The pic below was taken when I was at the Tesla lot picking up my car after the service -- with the camera angle it's a little more difficults to see the chips, but I've circled a couple.

Thanks!

 

[gillmj24]

Since nobody addressed this question, I was under the impression that you just approve the estimate and then they can charge anything up to that amount. When I was under warranty I had to approve $hundreds to fix a door handle, then reminded tehm it was under warranty, and they told me "well they have to dig in to make sure the problem is covered under warranty, and you need to approve the estimate before they dig in.... If it ends up being under warranty (which it clearly was) they won't end up charging you."

 

[VifferFun]

Since nobody addressed this question, I was under the impression that you just approve the estimate and then they can charge anything up to that amount. When I was under warranty I had to approve $hundreds to fix a door handle, then reminded tehm it was under warranty, and they told me "well they have to dig in to make sure the problem is covered under warranty, and you need to approve the estimate before they dig in.... If it ends up being under warranty (which it clearly was) they won't end up charging you."

Thanks! Perhaps the approval of the original estimate is all that they require. The original estiamte was ~$1700 and then the final invoice was slightly higher at ~$1710, but perhaps authorization isn't required if it's within a certain threshold of the original estimate. My memory is bad, but I always thought I used to authorize twice -- once for the estimate, and then again for the final payment.

 

[Gixx1300R]

No reason to replace the calipers. They make caliper rebuild kits. Just flush the calipers, replace the o rings and pistons if they are pitted

 

[VifferFun]

No reason to replace the calipers. They make caliper rebuild kits. Just flush the calipers, replace the o rings and pistons if they are pitted

Since my car wasn't functional I didn't have the time to research this before going ahead with the repair

As an update, the Tesla SC maintains that both the rear calipers were replaced, and they actually offered to provide me with the old parts (without me asking for the specifically). I'll take them up on the offer and grab the old parts, especially since there might have been nothing wrong with the right caliper, and perhaps I can rebuild them if ever needed. Given the offer, I'm thinking that Tesla actually changed them, but it is quite weird that they have rock chips. Perhaps the service tech was rough on them in the shop or something.

 

[cleverscreenam]

Can't wait to see pictures of the old calipers!