Axle seal leak

[m73b54]

Decided to rotate the tires today and noticed that the rear axle seals are leaking! The car has just 15k miles and is 6 months old. How is it possible? Defective seals? Or maybe the differential is not balanced?

 

[zoppp]

Mine looked similar. Tesla service claimed it was just road grime and cleaned it. Has this happened for anyone else? At least if my axles or drive unit fails, they will have the record of me bringing it in with the concern of leaks. Mine is on the front drive unit.

 

[m73b54]

You should check this spot again. If you see oil residue again - demand to fix it. You don't want to drive with unknown oil level and get drivetrain failure right after the warranty expires.

 

[zoomer0056]

Mine looked similar. Tesla service claimed it was just road grime and cleaned it. Has this happened for anyone else? At least if my axles or drive unit fails, they will have the record of me bringing it in with the concern of leaks. Mine is on the front drive unit.

Yup looks like road grime. Define road grime: it is dust and road dirt adhering to liquid leaking from a seal. Jeeze! Did they notice the pattern of the road grime, only below the seal? Rediculous!

 

[zoppp]

Yup looks like road grime. Define road grime: it is dust and road dirt adhering to liquid leaking from a seal. Jeeze! Did they notice the pattern of the road grime, only below the seal? Rediculous!

Yeah that's what I was thinking and was adamant that it seems more serious than they are thinking. Well at least if it fails, they have me on the record showing the problem before the warranty period expires.

 

[nate704]

It is leaking fluid through the seal.

 

[m73b54]

Ha, I got the same answer from the service ))) It's just a "road debris and fluid from the road" - clean it.

 

[Zedbox]

If the seal was leaking you would expect it to be slung upwards and sideways from the rotation of the shaft.

I would clean this area then recheck in a few thousand miles

Do we know if there is a service interval for the oil change or a level check at any point?

 

[m73b54]

If the seal was leaking you would expect it to be slung upwards and sideways from the rotation of the shaft.

I would clean this area then recheck in a few thousand miles.

Yes, there is oil residue all around. I just didn't take picture of that because there is fresh oil right under the seal.

 

[gearchruncher]

Do we know if there is a service interval for the oil change or a level check at any point?

There is no service interval for the fluid in any way, it is considered a sealed unit with lifetime fluid.

 

[nate704]

If the seal was leaking you would expect it to be slung upwards and sideways from the rotation of the shaft.

I would clean this area then recheck in a few thousand miles

Do we know if there is a service interval for the oil change or a level check at any point?

No seals in the car for any rotating shafts do not rotate with the shafts. Most oil leak occurs between the oil seal and the housing, not between the rotating shaft and oil seal.
So, most oil leak will drip down due to gravity and towards the back due to vehicle moving.

 

[m73b54]

Yes, as long as it's not leaking there is no reason to check the oil level.

No seals in the car for any rotating shafts do not rotate with the shafts. Most oil leak occurs between the oil seal and the housing, not between the rotating shaft and oil seal.
So, most oil leak will drip down due to gravity and towards the back due to vehicle moving.

"Most oil leak occurs between the oil seal and the housing?" Are you kidding?

 

[nate704]

Yes, as long as it's not leaking there is no reason to check the oil level.

"Most oil leak occurs between the oil seal and the housing?" Are you kidding?

we are not talking about other areas. only for the shaft or seals around rotating parts.

 

[Zedbox]

Anyone know how the level is checked ?
Is it level fill ?

 

[m73b54]

According to tesla service, there should be 2.1-2.3l of oil (in the rear motor). But it looks like it's below the fill plug. So you can't just unscrew the plug to make sure that it's leaking out.

 

[afadeev]

There is no service interval for the fluid in any way, it is considered a sealed unit with lifetime fluid.

That's the coolest thing about "lifetime" fluids - when they leak out or degrade, the lifetime of the component they no longer lubricate (axle) is over.
Behold a self-fulfilling prophesy!

 

[m73b54]

I have some good news! It turns out it is not an oil leak.

I visited Tesla today and with a technician, we looked at that area closer. Tesla uses original axle seals and they put some thick green grease inside these seals (the grease looks like grease for CV-joints). Excessive grease squeezes out and over time starts to degrade and its liquid component (like thin transparent oil) spreads down. Whether it is good or bad for the seal itself I don't know - time will tell, but it's not motor oil so there is no reason to panic.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

if it fails it's warrantied by 8 years or 120k miles (for M3 LR) ... not something i would lose sleep over...

 

[m73b54]

The problem with these leaks is that it takes a long time before you start to notice that something is wrong. And when you notice it - it's too late.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

The problem with these leaks is that it takes a long time before you start to notice that something is wrong. And when you notice it - it's too late.

what % of Model 3 owners are holding onto their cars for longer than 8yrs and 120k miles?... seriously...