Drive unit fluid replacement not part of annual service anymore?

[JohnnyG]

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Was certainly there and done on my March 27, 2017 delivered S100D and done July 7,2017 at 12,700 miles.
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These two posts support my observation. They didn't have it originally. They found a concern that made them add it. They remedy the design issue and took the service back off of the list again.

 

[ricebucket]

These two posts support my observation. They didn't have it originally. They found a concern that made them add it. They remedy the design issue and took the service back off of the list again.

Then shouldn't the service be based on VIN and not a blanket change to all vehicles? Also, this sounds more like a recall than a maintenance issue.

One possible explanation, if we go along with your reasoning: this could be an issue that is fixed by a single fluid change and those cars never need another fluid change. In which case, they might be able to assume that all of the affected cars have had the fluid change already because they've been on the market for more than one year and it is now safe to stop requiring the fluid changes. But this is not a very foolproof assumption since maintenance is not mandatory. You have to assume Tesla doesn't care enough about the cars to do a recall, AND also do care enough to modify maintenance plans for all cars, but ALSO NOW they don't care enough to allow those cars that have not had maintenance to slip through. That's a lot of conditions and doesn't really make sense.

Therefore I don't find much validity to this line of reasoning.

 

[JohnnyG]

Then shouldn't the service be based on VIN and not a blanket change to all vehicles? Also, this sounds more like a recall than a maintenance issue.

One possible explanation, if we go along with your reasoning: this could be an issue that is fixed by a single fluid change and those cars never need another fluid change. In which case, they might be able to assume that all of the affected cars have had the fluid change already because they've been on the market for more than one year and it is now safe to stop requiring the fluid changes. But this is not a very foolproof assumption since maintenance is not mandatory. You have to assume Tesla doesn't care enough about the cars to do a recall, AND also do care enough to modify maintenance plans for all cars, but ALSO NOW they don't care enough to allow those cars that have not had maintenance to slip through. That's a lot of conditions and doesn't really make sense.

Therefore I don't find much validity to this line of reasoning.

You don't have to trust my data... Although it did come from Tesla employees... Also, there is a YouTube video of a teardown of a late 2014 DU, explaining the constant DU failures, and showing the excessive wear on the stator grounding fingers as the point of failure.

Basically, for those showing premature wear, the fluid change does little to prevent the potential eventual DU failure. So they will be covered under the drivetrain warranty when/if they develop DU failure. For newer cars, they are no longer experiencing these issues, due to a design mod. One of the items they did when flushing the DU was to run a test on the removed fluids for metal contaminants. I assume they were using this for their analysis on the DU design.

 

[ricebucket]

You don't have to trust my data... Although it did come from Tesla employees... Also, there is a YouTube video of a teardown of a late 2014 DU, explaining the constant DU failures, and showing the excessive wear on the stator grounding fingers as the point of failure.

Basically, for those showing premature wear, the fluid change does little to prevent the potential eventual DU failure. So they will be covered under the drivetrain warranty when/if they develop DU failure. For newer cars, they are no longer experiencing these issues, due to a design mod. One of the items they did when flushing the DU was to run a test on the removed fluids for metal contaminants. I assume they were using this for their analysis on the DU design.

I'm sure that existing designs do have problems. That's why Teslas have had tons of revisions of the motor units over the years. And nothing is really ever perfect so the present design I'm sure could use improvement as well. However, I don't see a clear linkage between newer revisions and the removal of fluid replacement from maintenance. This link is not supported by logical reasoning and facts.

Your first paragraph is fact-based. Second paragraph is entirely speculation and should be distinguished as such.

 

[JohnnyG]

You don't have to trust my data... Although it did come from Tesla employees... Also, there is a YouTube video of a teardown of a late 2014 DU, explaining the constant DU failures, and showing the excessive wear on the stator grounding fingers as the point of failure.

Basically, for those showing premature wear, the fluid change does little to prevent the potential eventual DU failure. So they will be covered under the drivetrain warranty when/if they develop DU failure. For newer cars, they are no longer experiencing these issues, due to a design mod. One of the items they did when flushing the DU was to run a test on the removed fluids for metal contaminants. I assume they were using this for their analysis on the DU design.

I'm sure that existing designs do have problems. That's why Teslas have had tons of revisions of the motor units over the years. And nothing is really ever perfect so the present design I'm sure could use improvement as well. However, I don't see a clear linkage between newer revisions and the removal of fluid replacement from maintenance. This link is not supported by logical reasoning and facts.

Your first paragraph is fact-based. Second paragraph is entirely speculation and should be distinguished as such.

Yikes!! I best contact my attorney then... I swore that Tesla told me I had an 8 year / unlimited mileage warranty on my DU that would replace my DU in the event of failure.

Oh, and I better go confront my SC for pure speculation that they tested my DU fluid for contaminates when they flushed it.

And, based off of facts here on the forums, early model DU's were replaced quite often. There's many more late models on the road now, and belonging to members here in our community, yet we don't hear of DU failures at the rate they were on the early models, let alone extrapolated to account for the magnitude more late models that exist.

But my second paragraph was entirely speculation... no facts... and should just be distinguished as such...

 

[ricebucket]

Yikes!! I best contact my attorney then... I swore that Tesla told me I had an 8 year / unlimited mileage warranty on my DU that would replace my DU in the event of failure.

Oh, and I better go confront my SC for pure speculation that they tested my DU fluid for contaminates when they flushed it.

And, based off of facts here on the forums, early model DU's were replaced quite often. There's many more late models on the road now, and belonging to members here in our community, yet we don't hear of DU failures at the rate they were on the early models, let alone extrapolated to account for the magnitude more late models that exist.

But my second paragraph was entirely speculation... no facts... and should just be distinguished as such...

I have no idea what you just said Johnny. But yes, I agree that you do have a warranty and that later DUs fixed problems in earlier ones.

 

[kg7jo-]

Have A La Carte DU fluid flush service done earlier this year. and here's the cost of it.

 

[JohnnyG]

Have A La Carte DU fluid flush service done earlier this year. and here's the cost of it.

Did they state why the front was double that of the rear?

 

[kg7jo-]

Did they state why the front was double that of the rear?

I didn’t ask cuz I paid less than what I was quoted, so I never bothered. as someone who almost did the DIY fluid flush, I can see the front takes a bit more time to remove the panels, but I doubt that’s what it is.

 

[jddssc121]

Hmmm. I was in for my first [pre-paid] annual service in May, and they did the DU fluids without me even asking.

 

[ishareit]

They have had my car for service at Fremont SC since Friday morning (3 full business days) and this is what they said via a text just now:

My shop manager just told me we no longer do the gear box fluid change and it is not on the web-site anymore. It is a company wide change. The engineers have determined it's not necessary. They advise it will be a customer pay item it you would like it completed. Best, xxx

I am very disappointed and a little angry about this. Why would anyone spend $475+ for this annual service??

 

[ishareit]

They have had my car for service at Fremont SC since Friday morning (3 full business days) and this is what they said via a text just now:

My shop manager just told me we no longer do the gear box fluid change and it is not on the web-site anymore. It is a company wide change. The engineers have determined it's not necessary. They advise it will be a customer pay item it you would like it completed. Best, xxx

I am very disappointed and a little angry about this. Why would anyone spend $475+ for this annual service??

Update: They went ahead and did the fluid replacement for me anyways after all that...

 

[CRASHER]

I took my car to SC for DU flush and I was told same that it was not required. One SC told that I need to pay for full annual maintenance for the DU flush, they said that they do it even if it was taken out of the package.
The other SC did the DU flush without any package maintenance

 

[Stealth]

Instead of paying for the entire 1st annual service, I had the SC change the front and rear drive unit fluid on May 31, 2018 and they charged me $190 plus tax. They also did the inspection, staged the latest software update and rotated the tires at no additional charge. They did not mention that is was no longer a part of the 1st annual service. Perhaps that were notified shortly after I took my S 90D in for service.

 

[sundial77]

I've read in several places that front drive units ending in -J or later use Dexron VI, but it is impossible to get to the part number tag on my front DU. Does anyone know when the switch was made to Dexron VI for the front units or how I can find out what DU my P100D has? Do ALL P100D's possibly use Dexron VI in both drives??

Thanks in advance for any help! Trying to change fluid tomorrow as an initial flush to get rid of any break-in
metals.

 

[jelloslug]

I've read in several places that front drive units ending in -J or later use Dexron VI, but it is impossible to get to the part number tag on my front DU. Does anyone know when the switch was made to Dexron VI for the front units or how I can find out what DU my P100D has? Do ALL P100D's possibly use Dexron VI in both drives??

Thanks in advance for any help! Trying to change fluid tomorrow as an initial flush to get rid of any break-in
metals.

All front drive units use Dextron VI.

 

[welbach]

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

 

[maximizese]

I guess they just figure they’ll just change the fluid when they inevitably swap out the unit.

I recently had my drive unit replaced after hitting 90K miles. I remembered your post and chuckled to myself that perhaps you were more on the nose than you realized. I suppose the proper thing to do would be to change the fluid at 50K miles and have it analyzed in a lab, but I'm not sure who's threshold levels of wear and contaminants to follow. Not sure if Blackstone or Tesla have revealed what levels are acceptable.

This would be nice for the long-haulers...but pretty useless for those who lease their cars. It seems like "lifetime fluids" were based on the assumption that a lifetime is the average length of car ownership...not the life of the vehicle.

 

[dark cloud]

This would be nice for the long-haulers...but pretty useless for those who lease their cars. It seems like "lifetime fluids" were based on the assumption that a lifetime is the average length of car ownership...not the life of the vehicle.

Reminds me of the incandescent light bulb, and the GE/Philips cartel that conspired to have it last only 1000 hours, and any company that made one that lasted longer was fined. Obsolescence is profit.