Gatsojon
Member
Whenever the 3 (usually the Performance) is tested on CarWow, it does well in Matt’s braking test against the competitors. I’ve not found a problem but do tend to clean up the disks every couple of weeks by turning down the regen.
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Brakes are terrible
- Thread starter Carts850
- Start date
Really?
Wow.
I have owned 20-odd cars over the last 44 years and have never experienced this.
Wooloomooloo
Member
The brakes on a Model 3s and Ys (probably S & X too) have never been bedded before they reach us at the collection point.
You must bed brakes to ensure they are efficient and working as intended.
If you don't know how, follow the brake burnishing instructions in service mode as described earlier in the thread.
If you're a driver who rarely uses the brakes to slow the car, things will just get worse and you'll get more corrosion on the discs, the pads will start to disintegrate and braking feel and efficiency deteriorate as time goes on. Particularly in the cold, damp weather we've had over the last few months.
In this weather, you must go out for a drive every so often and brake hard a few times to clean off your discs. It's called preventative maintenance.
There are better pads available for all Tesla models which are still fully EU compliant but give better brake feel and keep the discs cleaner, because they are slightly more abrasive. I know several Tesla owners who have fitted these and they say it has made a significant difference to brake feel when they are in a situation when they need the brakes to work well.
These are the pads I've been told about: Brembo Sport Brake Pads for Model S/X/3(SR, LR)
They are Brembo, same brand as the factory pads, but they are a better compound.
I've seen some really shocking discs on some Teslas and the owners just don't seem to be aware that you need to keep an eye on them and make sure they work properly. You can't rely on regen 100% of the time!
You must bed brakes to ensure they are efficient and working as intended.
If you don't know how, follow the brake burnishing instructions in service mode as described earlier in the thread.
If you're a driver who rarely uses the brakes to slow the car, things will just get worse and you'll get more corrosion on the discs, the pads will start to disintegrate and braking feel and efficiency deteriorate as time goes on. Particularly in the cold, damp weather we've had over the last few months.
In this weather, you must go out for a drive every so often and brake hard a few times to clean off your discs. It's called preventative maintenance.
There are better pads available for all Tesla models which are still fully EU compliant but give better brake feel and keep the discs cleaner, because they are slightly more abrasive. I know several Tesla owners who have fitted these and they say it has made a significant difference to brake feel when they are in a situation when they need the brakes to work well.
These are the pads I've been told about: Brembo Sport Brake Pads for Model S/X/3(SR, LR)
They are Brembo, same brand as the factory pads, but they are a better compound.
I've seen some really shocking discs on some Teslas and the owners just don't seem to be aware that you need to keep an eye on them and make sure they work properly. You can't rely on regen 100% of the time!
I did this when I picked up the car and highly recommend for new owners. You can definitely feel the brake's performance increase the more you do it.
Also helps that I have an unconscious twitch in my right foot so I often inadvertently slam the accelerator down and often have to use the brake to slow the car down more than what the regen is doing (that's what I tell the misses anyway
).The brakes work as expected and certainly quite good for how heavy the car is. But def need bedding in.
Yes, though there's no initial "bite" they do actually work. I ran a few acceleration and (serious) braking routines recently and after a few goes the G forces started to get the better of me and I had to take a break ... as against a brake! Squeezing my brain repeatedly against the inside of my skull isn't my favourite pastime these days.
Tesla brakes are pretty good. Working with Brembo they have developed a balanced system, tuned to the car. Due to the heavy batteries, the brakes may feel different than what you are used to, but they certainly stop the car smoothly and well. See few posts complaining about brakes, other than they tend to squeek in reverse when wet. Some performance brakes (like used on Porsche etc.) will have better feel and performance, but like most things, each manufacturer will find their balance between costs and results.
Regen takes a tremendous load off these brakes, and they tend to have a long service life. Of course, driving in mud, snow, rain, or salted roads can cause issues with any brakes.
Tesla is working with Brembo on their next generation of braking technology. Will switch from legacy hydraulics to computer assisted electric braking. Individual electric brakes will be mounted on each hub. Will be lighter weight, faster acting, better control for each individual hub. Eliminate need for parking brake, hydraulic lines, master cylinder, etc. Total cost will be less, and assembly will be far easier and faster. Brembo’s Sensify Takes Precise Braking Control to the Next Level
Regen takes a tremendous load off these brakes, and they tend to have a long service life. Of course, driving in mud, snow, rain, or salted roads can cause issues with any brakes.
Tesla is working with Brembo on their next generation of braking technology. Will switch from legacy hydraulics to computer assisted electric braking. Individual electric brakes will be mounted on each hub. Will be lighter weight, faster acting, better control for each individual hub. Eliminate need for parking brake, hydraulic lines, master cylinder, etc. Total cost will be less, and assembly will be far easier and faster. Brembo’s Sensify Takes Precise Braking Control to the Next Level
(M3 LR 2022) . . . I have to say that from the first day I picked up the car I was quite shocked by the brakes and ever since, every time I have to get to a quick stop (brake) I am further shocked at the poor spongy feel and lack of 'grip' and stop. I am of course comparing the brakes with previous cars over various makes and in comparison my Tesla brakes are VERY poor.
pow216
Member
pow216
Member
Picture not clear so here it is:-
As for comment about MPG being lower with this feature enabled I suspect your conclusion may be different if the the mix of input variables were to be deconvoluted somewhat.
Brake Disc Wiping
To ensure brakes remain responsive in cold and wet weather, Model 3 is equipped with brake disc wiping. When cold and wet weather is detected, this feature repeatedly applies an imperceptible amount of brake force to remove water from the surface of the brake discs.As for comment about MPG being lower with this feature enabled I suspect your conclusion may be different if the the mix of input variables were to be deconvoluted somewhat.
Don't go on the USS thread then
rincewind
Member
I echo all of the above - from new my M3P brakes have been like this. Yes, I did bed them in.
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M1tch
2021 M3P with EAP
Thanks for sharing - really interesting. Sounds great on paper but I'm somewhat of a skeptic on this. The article has a whole lot of "could", "may" and "Brembo has yet to be able to do 'x' but it is 'working on packaging" throughout, which makes me believe there are still significant regulatory, design and engineering challenges. The article also contradicts itself multiple times, "packaging is simplified...." "but this added complexity makes sensify more expensive"... and there you have it really, it's an ultra premium offering that Brembo wants to charge a fortune for.
I can't see most EU countries or the UK approving a true brake by wire system that doesn't have double hydraulic redundancy in the next 10 years personally - this stuff moves at a glacial pace.
It sounds like this will be a superior system from a performance perspective and I'm all for applying electric motors to most problems, but my money is on this being much more complicated than existing systems and adopted only on luxury and very high performance vehicles where the pros outweigh the cons.
Until entirely electrical redundancies are proven safe and are acceptable, having a hydraulic setup / redundancy just on the fronts seems to me to make this a moot exercise from the packaging / simplicity / cost angle, because it's not simpler, and the potential packaging benefits seem miniscule... Tesla don't exactly struggle there anyway, and it still needs a full hydraulic system for each front. Add to this that the wheel assembly is the part of the car arguably most prone to abuse - how are they going to guarantee the reliability of an electric motor mounted inside the wheel, but exposed to the elements? Does it weigh more? Are they just adding unsprung mass needlessly? Lots of questions..
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