Doing a brake job myself help please

[Lukez]

I don't get why people are upgrading brakes on model S.

It's not a track car, and the brakes on it are very sufficient for hard stops in short order!

It just seems like misguided spend.

The 6 piston combo I put on stops the car on a dime, so much better.
The OEM rotors couldn't stop at all for the first few times after a rain when they got rusty. They also felt too soft all the time.
So you could just change out the rotors and pads but I wanted the challenge, it was a fun project.

 

[howardc64]

About to do a brake flush on my 13 MS RWD with 56k miles. Avid DIYer and have done all my own ICE car maintenance for the last 20 years.

Attached are Tesla's service directions. Not sure its for a 13. I have a Motive pressure bleeder. Anyone know if disconnecting 12V and first responder loop necessary? Perhaps only because procedure is for caliper removal?

Direction also calls for pressure bleeder outer->inner->outer sequence followed by 4x manual pump outer->inner->outer sequence. Anyone know if the manual pump is necessary? Again, perhaps only for caliper removal?

Stability Control and ABS theory of operations says non synthetic dot3/dot4 only (near bottom of file in 1 of 2 cautions). Most fluids are labeled synthetic now. Googling for answers suggests the following

- all brake fluids are synthetic as it related to the manufacturing process
- dot3/dot4 are glycol based and dot 5 are silicon based.

Maybe Tesla's documentation meant to say no silicon based rather than non synthetic? What does everyone use?

 

[CRASHER]

I like to share my experience with brakes. DONOT cheap out. As discussed always resurface or change rotors. Not all rotors are same. OEM have better QC and strict metallurgical tolerance. After market may be dimensionally/physically similar, but material can be lot different(inferior) and hence would warp sooner. That is why I personally like to resurface the original than replace.
My older Toyota hybrid still have original rotors and pads with 190K miles (over 300K kms). I think brakes in Tesla would outlast the car, as it has more regen than Toyota.

 

[ReddykwRun]

I plan on attempting a break job this weekend .I also am thinking about painting the brake calipers. I have yet to find any instructions or videos on how to do this if anyone knows of any please send me a link. If I do not find any I may make a video of me doing this thanks for any help.

Interesting you mentioned it but I had the pleasure of watching a video on Tesla brake annual maintenance recently which included checking and cleaning the disc brake slide points and applying grease to the slide points and it looked easier than any other brake system I have worked on. It may of been linked to the Electrified Garage and the tech mentioned that northern conditions where a little rougher on the slide points hence the need for annual cleaning / inspection. Tap out a couple of long pins that align both sides of the caliper and slide out the brake pads, wire wheel the top and bottom slide points and grease them high temp grease designed to be used to keep the action smooth and free in the brake system and to prevent binding. When the tech removed the pads they were still good but just needed to be cleaned up and replaced. And yes there are electrical considerations when doing the brake maintenance, wish I had taken notes in class, darn. I will see if I can find it. I am a retired military aircraft mechanic and I was in the zone watching the easy steps involved.

 

[hpartsch]

The 6 piston combo I put on stops the car on a dime, so much better.
The OEM rotors couldn't stop at all for the first few times after a rain when they got rusty. They also felt too soft all the time.
So you could just change out the rotors and pads but I wanted the challenge, it was a fun project.

This is due to you not having a dust plate (or something like that which prevents water from hitting the brakes -- from what I was told). Honestly, this should have been a recall.

Went from being the worst brakes on a car I've driven to tesla installing new brakes and this dust plate about ~2 years ago and my brakes are night and day different.

 

[ReddykwRun]

Yes, I drive aggressively. Few cars pass me.

So you work for the Highway Patrol, yes?

 

[gavine]

You should schedule your overnight charging to end close to when you leave in the morning. Charging warms the battery and allows for full regen when it's cold out.

Firmware update coming soon that will allow you to schedule when you want the charging to end.

 

[Bignikk]

so - I just did the brakes on my 2013 p85/p90. 288,000 km's, original everything. Never serviced the brakes. Well - proper vehicular brake maintenance would have saved me alot of trouble. But 3 total calipers seized (all 3 salvaged by a local Caliper-reman shop for $45 per caliper) and 4 original rotors machined means by $5800+ brake job cost about $800. Hopefully I'm good for another 300,000 km's.

 

[ngng]

so - I just did the brakes on my 2013 p85/p90. 288,000 km's, original everything. Never serviced the brakes. Well - proper vehicular brake maintenance would have saved me alot of trouble. But 3 total calipers seized (all 3 salvaged by a local Caliper-reman shop for $45 per caliper) and 4 original rotors machined means by $5800+ brake job cost about $800. Hopefully I'm good for another 300,000 km's.

brakes should be serviced once a year. even more so on a one foot driven car. check the fluid and lubricate your pins and much headache will be saved.

 

[Candleflame]

brakes should be serviced once a year. even more so on a one foot driven car. check the fluid and lubricate your pins and much headache will be saved.

Why on a one foot driven car?

 

[beatle]

I'm surprised

Why on a one foot driven car?

Because the pads seize in the caliper from non-use. Here's what one of my front calipers looked like after I spent a good long while prying out the pads (prying should not be necessary):

The car was 5 years old and had lousy braking performance. New pads, rotors, grease, and a good cleaning made a big difference.

 

[Candleflame]

I'm surprised

Because the pads seize in the caliper from non-use. Here's what one of my front calipers looked like after I spent a good long while prying out the pads (prying should not be necessary):

View attachment 676570

The car was 5 years old and had lousy braking performance. New pads, rotors, grease, and a good cleaning made a big difference.

surely that be more the case in a 2 pedal driven car i.e. if you put the car in single pedal driving mode it will apply the brakes to slow the car down below 10km/h. Whereas in normal mode it will slow down and then coast the last few kmhs due to lack of regen.

Also I thought the calipers were selfcleaning and if you dont use the brake theyd selfset for a bit which sometimes leads to a creaking noise?

 

[ngng]

surely that be more the case in a 2 pedal driven car i.e. if you put the car in single pedal driving mode it will apply the brakes to slow the car down below 10km/h. Whereas in normal mode it will slow down and then coast the last few kmhs due to lack of regen.

Also I thought the calipers were selfcleaning and if you dont use the brake theyd selfset for a bit which sometimes leads to a creaking noise?

beatle hit it on the head. A Tesla is still a car and still requires maintenance.

 

[DarkMatter]

surely that be more the case in a 2 pedal driven car i.e. if you put the car in single pedal driving mode it will apply the brakes to slow the car down below 10km/h. Whereas in normal mode it will slow down and then coast the last few kmhs due to lack of regen.

Also I thought the calipers were selfcleaning and if you dont use the brake theyd selfset for a bit which sometimes leads to a creaking noise?

The older cars don't apply the brakes unless you step on the brake pedal.

 

[hpartsch]

This is due to you not having a dust plate (or something like that which prevents water from hitting the brakes -- from what I was told). Honestly, this should have been a recall.

Went from being the worst brakes on a car I've driven to tesla installing new brakes and this dust plate about ~2 years ago and my brakes are night and day different.

I agree. Tesla fixed mine by installing the dust shield and all new brakes/rotors after I literally slid through a few stop signs. Recommend you to file a NHTSA compliant on this issue.

 

[ngng]

The older cars don't apply the brakes unless you step on the brake pedal.

not entirely true. brakes are used with cruise control is on

 

[ngng]

I agree. Tesla fixed mine by installing the dust shield and all new brakes/rotors after I literally slid through a few stop signs. Recommend you to file a NHTSA compliant on this issue.

water isn't bad for brakes. no maintenance is bad for brakes.

 

[hpartsch]

water isn't bad for brakes. no maintenance is bad for brakes.

Tesla now has dust shields on all cars. Let them know they were wrong in their root cause analysis. They do not recommend any service on brakes unless in specific areas of the country.

 

[beatle]

My car has dust shields and its front brakes turned to crap. I will let them know. What's their ema- oh wait...

I think it is especially true to encourage people to service the brakes on an EV that allows the driver to slow down in most cases without using the brakes, if only because of the "EV brakes last forever" and "EVs don't need any maintenance" selling points that are often quoted as benefits.

And Tesla charges a king's ransom if you pay them to replace your brakes as Bignikk quoted.

 

[Hank42]

Regarding bleeding: Gravity bleeding worked well for me. If you have all 4 wheels off the car, put a glass jar under each bleeder, open the bleeders and let gravity pull the fluid out. Do not pump the break pedal, doing so might introduce air. Make sure to keep the reservoir filled with fresh fluid. When the jars start showing clear fluid, tighten the bleeders and then pump the pedal to compress the fluid. Top off the reservoir one last time, and your good to go. This assumes you have a few hours to let gravity work.