All Four Rotors destroyed at 15,000kms?

[Ahi23]

Nice garage. With cars like those you should really head out to the track a few times and get some instruction. It's really the only way to appreciate such amazing cars, and those are some seriously amazing cars.

But "driving fast" does not equal braking, and the fact of the matter is those brakes look like ones that have hardly ever been used. I've instructed on race tracks (in Lambos even!) and I'm amazed at how little of the brakes the average new track driver uses and most of the slowdown is engine braking all while exclaiming "this thing handles amazing!". I'd imagine the strong regen in a Tesla makes this even more likely.

Hope the hard braking works out for ya. If you were in Seattle I'd trade you rotors because I bet your 9K mile rotors are less used up than my 9K mile rotors My rotors are stained blue from the heat.

We have some nice tracks here close to Toronto, and I've had years of seat time in previous vehicles. The SV and GTR both have CCB, so would be expensive to track, and honestly just not as much fun for me as it used to be. (Spent a lot of time at Mosport in my 20s and 30s)

I know how amazing the Model3P handles. I push it to its limits in on/off ramps, and truely am marveled at its handling. I am really enjoying it.

 

[Ahi23]

If they are original brakes Tesla should have taken care of bedding the brakes at the factory. In any case, your saying you never slammed on the brakes? BTW: does it snow a lot where you live?

It does snow in Toronto, but not enough to be of any concern.

 

[GtiMart]

Snow = cold, and when it's cold the regen is limited. That actually helps you use the brakes more

 

[jimm01]

Tesla does not bed the brakes at the factory, I can assure you. Where did I say I never slammed on the brakes? What's snow got to do with anything?

I don't know about Tesla but other manufactures do so out of the factory. One beds brakes by hitting them hard. Snow and cold weather are know to cause pitted rotors. My point is I doubt it's a brake bedding issue.

 

[jimm01]

Snow = cold, and when it's cold the regen is limited. That actually helps you use the brakes more

Snow and cold weather are know to cause pitted rotors.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

I don't know about Tesla but other manufactures do so out of the factory. One beds brakes by hitting them hard. Snow and cold weather are know to cause pitted rotors. My point is I doubt it's a brake bedding issue.

Well we're talking about Teslas here funnily enough and they do not bed the brakes at the factory which is partly why some owners are running into these problems. Most owners haven't even heard of bedding IME. It is partly a bedding issue because the corrosion on some rotors is limited to distinct areas where the pads have never properly contacted and not transferred enough pad material onto the surface of the rotor.

 

[RefreshedP]

I've got the same issue on my 21. And the rotors have been grooved similar to yours since day 1. All the bedding in the world hasn't helped mine. Done more 200km/h to rolling stops more than I can count. To the point the pedal feels mushy.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

I've got the same issue on my 21. And the rotors have been grooved similar to yours since day 1. All the bedding in the world hasn't helped mine. Done more 200km/h to rolling stops more than I can count. To the point the pedal feels mushy.

You can fit better brake pads than the stock ones which will improve the feel and keep the discs cleaner (slightly more abrasive and different compound to the stock pad compound). However, the stock pads can be made to work and the discs can be kept freee of corrosion if you bed them and treat them correctly.

 

[HenryT]

Snow and cold weather are know to cause pitted rotors.

...because of the use of road salt.

 

[jimm01]

...because of the use of road salt.

And anything else on the road the gets caked in the snow.

 

[GtiMart]

Well I've gone through two Quebec winters so far and my rotors don't look even close to the OP. They are not quite as shiny as what someone else posted but they have an even surface and don't have "pits". I can assure you there's plenty of snow here, and they put a ton of salt on the road, plus sand and even small rocks to provide traction when there's ice. It's crazy hard on the cars. As I said, on the flip side when it's cold (under freezing) you have no regen so I'Ve used the brakes quite a bit during the winter.

 

[ngng]

And here is a rotor on our Model 3 LR. It's not driven as hard as our Performance, so the rotors aren't blue but they are also not corroded through lack of use. Oh and I bedded the brakes in properly when I originally picked it up.

View attachment 659678

Don't lie. You bought chrome plated rotors.

 

[Rothgarr]

I happened upon this thread and now I have to ask… I RARELY ever use my brakes — I can go weeks without using them. Is this bad? I mean, when I just looked at the discs they looked totally fine (clean and shiny, but not glossy like Electric Dream’s photo). But from reading this thread it sounds like I should make a point of using the brakes from time to time?

 

[gearchruncher]

I can go weeks without using them.

What kind of flat, no traffic, no stop lights dreamland do you live in!? I want to move there. But I also kind of don't want to be behind you.

Also, do you use autopilot? It uses the brakes all the time.

Take a look at your rotors. Do they look like this? If not, no, you are fine. Almost guaranteed you are using the brakes more than you realize.

 

[Rothgarr]

What kind of flat, no traffic, no stop lights dreamland do you live in!? I want to move there. But I also kind of don't want to be behind you.

Also, do you use autopilot? It uses the brakes all the time.

Take a look at your rotors. Do they look like this? If not, no, you are fine. Almost guaranteed you are using the brakes more than you realize.

I actually live in a very hilly part of Connecticut. You should see the insanely steep hill at the top of my street! And going down it is no problem, the regen braking is really aggressive. But seriously, I can really go weeks without using the brakes. And no, never really use autopilot.

 

[gearchruncher]

And going down it is no problem, the regen braking is really aggressive. But seriously, I can really go weeks without using the brakes.

Just so you know, this is not all regen. Regen cannot bring a car to a stop. It actually uses some electric power from the motor at the last few MPH to literally drive the motor in reverse. The steeper the hill, the sooner it needs to do this. It can be less efficient than using the brakes. Also, single pedal driving does automatically use the brakes (it's right in the manual).

I'm still fascinated by where you drive this is possible. I can't even imagine how you'd have to drive near stop lights on any kind of hill to plan far enough ahead for it turning yellow on you, or how much space you'd need to give on a normal surface street in case the car in front of you slows to turn into a shopping center. I'll have to try this myself someday, but given my speedy tendencies I probably won't make it out of my neighborhood

 

[Rothgarr]

Just so you know, this is not all regen. Regen cannot bring a car to a stop. It actually uses some electric power from the motor at the last few MPH to literally drive the motor in reverse. The steeper the hill, the sooner it needs to do this. It can be less efficient than using the brakes. Also, single pedal driving does automatically use the brakes (it's right in the manual).

I'm still fascinated by where you drive this is possible. I can't even imagine how you'd have to drive near stop lights on any kind of hill to plan far enough ahead for it turning yellow on you, or how much space you'd need to give on a normal surface street in case the car in front of you slows to turn into a shopping center. I'll have to try this myself someday, but given my speedy tendencies I probably won't make it out of my neighborhood

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense now why my brakes look nice and shiny even though I don't "actively use them".

I'm generally not a speedy driver (although I wasn't for the first few months I had it). Plus I've always had that hypermiling mentality. And I'm in a pretty rural area so I don't have to worry too much about traffic. It's funny, just as you are puzzled how I am able to do it, I'm puzzled how people aren't able to do it.

Here's that hill I'm talking about (circled). It's by far the steepest road in my town, and if I don't keep my foot on the accelerator the car would come to a complete stop going down it (with my regen setting set to high)

 

[KenC]

I happened upon this thread and now I have to ask… I RARELY ever use my brakes — I can go weeks without using them. Is this bad? I mean, when I just looked at the discs they looked totally fine (clean and shiny, but not glossy like Electric Dream’s photo). But from reading this thread it sounds like I should make a point of using the brakes from time to time?

You can always have a driver setting, all it Sunday, or something where you once a week set regen on low.

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense now why my brakes look nice and shiny even though I don't "actively use them".

I'm generally not a speedy driver (although I wasn't for the first few months I had it). Plus I've always had that hypermiling mentality. And I'm in a pretty rural area so I don't have to worry too much about traffic. It's funny, just as you are puzzled how I am able to do it, I'm puzzled how people aren't able to do it.

Here's that hill I'm talking about (circled). It's by far the steepest road in my town, and if I don't keep my foot on the accelerator the car would come to a complete stop going down it (with my regen setting set to high)

View attachment 661884

Cool, does it have a grade sign? As a cyclist who's looked at a lot of topo maps when younger, I'll guess 10%+. Do cyclists like to ride that hill?

 

[gearchruncher]

I'm puzzled how people aren't able to do it.

Just got back from a 40 mile drive. I tried it! It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I also didn't make it all 40 miles. 36 of those miles were on the open highway which was moving. However, about a mile from my house a dump truck pulled out from a side street in front of me and I had to brake. So still surprised you can make it weeks without it, but less surprised I guess

Seattle is pretty hilly too, and it's clear that at some points this is not all regen- the vehicle is using energy to stop, not recovering it, so if you really want to hypermile, you probably do want to use the brakes at some points.

 

[Rothgarr]

Just got back from a 40 mile drive. I tried it! It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I also didn't make it all 40 miles. 36 of those miles were on the open highway which was moving. However, about a mile from my house a dump truck pulled out from a side street in front of me and I had to brake. So still surprised you can make it weeks without it, but less surprised I guess

Seattle is pretty hilly too, and it's clear that at some points this is not all regen- the vehicle is using energy to stop, not recovering it, so if you really want to hypermile, you probably do want to use the brakes at some points.

Can you explain how energy is used to stop? I don't quite understand that. If it's using energy to stop, why does the power indicator always go green and to the left?