DIY drive unit fluid flush

[jdexter]

I have looked extensively, buy can't find any one place with all the needed info. So I'll start the first thread.
Looks like the newer drive units use Dexron VI trans fluid. There are alot out there, but I prefer full synthetic, not all are. So I bought a case of valvoline dexron VI.

I'll grab some pics of my 2017 X100D when its in the air so you can see where the drain/fill plug is. It looks like the capacity should be about 2.4 qts front and rear. I've seen the capacities listed somewhere, so perhaps someone can fill me in if I am off. These all have aluminum cases, so the plugs should be torqued to 20.65ft-lb or 28NM. Apparently they are 8mm allen plugs, and the bolts that hold on the covers are all 10mm.

I will update this thread after I get the job done, but until then, I'll take any info anyone may have to make this more accurate. When I'm finished, I'll write what each unit took.

 

[Ruffles]

Awesome! I'm very interested in this as I intend to keep my X for a long time and will do my own maintenance.

 

[lynnpt2001]

I'm in as well. I've seen it done on the S. Change rear diffs on other cars, trans fluids and more. It looks simple and easy DIY

 

[xyeahtony]

why is this necessary? this isn't a service tesla themselves perform anymore. considering the 8 year unlimited mileage warranty, the DU would be the last thing i tinkered with.

we should stop thinking of EVs like traditional ICE vehicles that require periodic upkeep.

 

[spectrum]

why is this necessary? this isn't a service tesla themselves perform anymore. considering the 8 year unlimited mileage warranty, the DU would be the last thing i tinkered with.

we should stop thinking of EVs like traditional ICE vehicles that require periodic upkeep.

I see two people disagreed with you, but in your defense, I think you're correct in that most people should not mess with their Drive Units until their 8 year powertrain warranty is up or close to being up. This will prevent Tesla from declining any genuine issues with the Drive Unit that may happen between now and 8 years.

 

[xyeahtony]

I see two people disagreed with you, but in your defense, I think you're correct in that most people should not mess with their Drive Units until their 8 year powertrain warranty is up or close to being up. This will prevent Tesla from declining any genuine issues with the Drive Unit that may happen between now and 8 years.

my point exactly. its always fun to see people click disagree without explaining why.

i wasn't trying to be contrarian, but this is about as redundant as changing the transmission fluid on a rental car. and i saw a recent electrek article showing a model 3 drivetrain made it to 1 million miles with almost no noticeable wear. The rest of the car is more likely to fail before the drive unit, and no amount of non-tesla approved fluid changes will change that.[/QUOTE]

 

[dkz1980]

I can understand the reasoning behind the DIY oil change. Imagine you bought the car from another country and the nearest SC is 5 days by boat. You can fly a ranger in but it will end up costing an arm and a leg for that. There are Teslas in Mauritius, Indonesia, Cyprus, etc.

 

[SpudLime]

my point exactly. its always fun to see people click disagree without explaining why.

i wasn't trying to be contrarian, but this is about as redundant as changing the transmission fluid on a rental car. and i saw a recent electrek article showing a model 3 drivetrain made it to 1 million miles with almost no noticeable wear. The rest of the car is more likely to fail before the drive unit, and no amount of non-tesla approved fluid changes will change that.

[/QUOTE]

Sorry. Didnt mean to be a disagree and no reply person.

I disagreed for a couple reasons. I was curious to see how it is done and was hoping this thread would show me how. 2nd, even though they dont change the oil anymore, we have all seen that a manufactured car doesnt always come out the same off the line. I personally would consider at the 4 year mark to drain and replace just as a precautionary so that I can feel better knowing everything is good to go for a long time as I play to have this car for a long time.

 

[xyeahtony]

I can understand the reasoning behind the DIY oil change. Imagine you bought the car from another country and the nearest SC is 5 days by boat. You can fly a ranger in but it will end up costing an arm and a leg for that. There are Teslas in Mauritius, Indonesia, Cyprus, etc.

I get the logic behind it, but its not a required service (at least per tesla standards). Plenty of people have reported trying to get it done at official service centers and being told "we dont do that anymore."

The drive unit is not like an ICE, you don't get the extreme heat/compression/combustion that degrades normal motor oil, so we can't think of it like that. [/quote]

Sorry. Didnt mean to be a disagree and no reply person.

I disagreed for a couple reasons. I was curious to see how it is done and was hoping this thread would show me how. 2nd, even though they dont change the oil anymore, we have all seen that a manufactured car doesnt always come out the same off the line. I personally would consider at the 4 year mark to drain and replace just as a precautionary so that I can feel better knowing everything is good to go for a long time as I play to have this car for a long time.

I'd be curious how its done too but if its not done by a tesla trained technician, then are we actually getting the full picture?

Also since its not a required service by tesla clearly they've determined that it doesn't affect the drive unit warranty, hence the unlimited miles, 8 years part. A model 3 drive unit made it 1+ million "simulated" miles and still looks good as new from what i can tell by the pictures. I highly doubt they were doing fluid changes on that one.

The precautionary thing makes sense, but only if it actually did anything. I still have my doubts new fluid would do anything different. in fact, i bet if the OP drained the fluid from his DU it would have the same color/viscosity that new fluid would have.

 

[jdexter]

seriously guys? why does everyone have to come on a thread to argue. I made this thread for people who want to DIY. Up until recently Tesla recommended a flush of the fluid at 10k miles or 1 year. Makes sense to me to wash out the break-in metal shavings etc. In any case, the rear was super easy to do. Took off a few bolts, took a little muscle to get the tray off and bam, the unit is right there. Easy to drain, refilled using a small hand pump I already had. Took just less than 3 quarts of fluid including spills/losses. Retorqued the plugs. Done.

The front, is a pain in the ass to get off because its all plastic plugs instead of screws. Then after its off, you realize there is no access to the drive unit. Looks like it has to be done from above. yippee. If I feel like it, I'll take it apart later and report back.

For those that want to know, the fluid looked pretty good, and there was no metal on the drain plug. Car has 12k miles on it.

 

[David99]

Here is some info from the official Tesla service manual

Transmission fluid
Front drive unit part number 1035000-00-F and earlier: Mobil SHC 629

Front drive unit part number 1035000-00-J and later: DEXRON VI (DEXRON 6) automatic transmission fluid

Rear drive unit (small and large): DEXRON VI (DEXRON 6) automatic transmission fluid


Component / System Capacity
Transmission (front, small drive unit) 1.8 quarts 1,750 ml
Transmission (rear, small drive unit) 2.4 quarts 2,250 ml
Transmission (rear, large drive unit) 1.5 quarts 1,400 ml
Brake system fluid (fill from dry) 1.0 quart 975 ml

 

[jdexter]

Thanks for the info. I just tore apart the frunk, took the giant air filter out and took a look around. I do not see any easy way to reach the front drive unit. Looks like I'll either pay extra and have tesla do it... or just skip it.