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Drive unit replacement - getting better?

Discussion in 'Model S: Driving Dynamics' started by mspohr, Aug 14, 2015.

Tags:
?

My drive unit was replaced and my car was produced:

  1. 2012

    27 vote(s)
    16.9%

  2. 1Q 2013

    26 vote(s)
    16.3%

  3. 2Q 2013

    17 vote(s)
    10.6%

  4. 3Q 2013

    23 vote(s)
    14.4%

  5. 4Q 2013

    12 vote(s)
    7.5%

  6. 1Q 2014

    12 vote(s)
    7.5%

  7. 2Q 2014

    5 vote(s)
    3.1%

  8. 3Q 2014

    10 vote(s)
    6.3%

  9. 4Q 2014

    16 vote(s)
    10.0%

  10. 1Q 2015

    3 vote(s)
    1.9%

  11. 2Q 2015

    4 vote(s)
    2.5%

  12. 3Q 2015

    1 vote(s)
    0.6%

  13. 4Q 2015

    4 vote(s)
    2.5%
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  1. mspohr

    mspohr Active Member

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    #1 mspohr, Aug 14, 2015
    Recently Elon stated they were working towards a million mile drive train. This is a worthy goal and I personally would like to see them succeed (although I probably won't live long enough to drive my car a million miles).
    We know that Tesla had some problems with drive trains (inadequate lubrication, slack parts) and it seems that it is very easy to replace the drive unit so rather than trying to diagnose and repair the drive train in the field, they just replace it and send it for factory reconditioning.
    Hopefully their efforts are bearing fruit and newer cars have fewer drive unit problems.
    This poll is intended to try to see if we can find a trend in drive unit problems.
    I'd like people who have had one (or more) drive unit replacements to enter the production date of their car (by quarter). The gory details of failure mode, number of replacements, mileage, odd sounds, etc. can go in individual comments to the thread.
    Of course, like all polls here, we don't have denominators and newer cars will have fewer miles, etc. but we might find out something interesting.
     
  2. rxlawdude

    rxlawdude Member

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    #2 rxlawdude, Aug 14, 2015
    I believe I've seen at least two reports of post-April 2015 builds needing drive unit replacements. But I sure hope those were aberations.
     
  3. jerry33

    jerry33 S85 - VIN:P05130 - 3/2/13

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    #3 jerry33, Aug 14, 2015
    No replacement yet. Q1-2013 55K miles.
     
  4. TTT

    TTT Member

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    #4 TTT, Aug 14, 2015
    No accomodation in your poll for multiple replacements, my drive unit was replaced a second time within a week of the first replacement. SvC were very nice during the entire ordeal.
     
  5. ChadS

    ChadS Petroleum is for sissies

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    #5 ChadS, Aug 14, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2015
    No replacement yet. Q3 2012, 51k miles.

    (Dang it; the first time I read this I correctly did not answer the poll because my DU has not been replaced. But I clicked on the thread again today, saw 2012 at the top and voted when I shouldn't have. I don't think there is a way for me to remove my incorrect vote. Sorry)
     
  6. mspohr

    mspohr Active Member

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    #6 mspohr, Aug 14, 2015
    I'm really only interested in the production date of your car so we could potentially see if cars are getting better (or worse) over time.
    What was your production date?
    The details of number of replacements, mileage, etc. can go in the comments.
    If your replacement was replaced within a week, then the replacement unit was faulty, not the original unit.
     
  7. trils0n

    trils0n 2013 P85

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    #7 trils0n, Aug 14, 2015
    Car produced in Q1 2013.

    2 replacements so far.
    1st (ASY,P-TRAIN,SPORT,MECH,COMPLETE (1002633-01-D)) at ~16k miles.
    2nd (DRIVE UNIT - SPORT WITH SHIMS - REMAN - (1025598-00-H)) at ~26k miles.

    Current drive unit just started (~36k miles) with the buzzing/milling again. So a few thousands miles and it will be another replacement.
     
  8. Jhall118

    Jhall118 Member

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    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    #8 Jhall118, Aug 14, 2015
    My Q4 2013 P85 had 3 drive train replacements. I have had my P85D since April. No clunking noise, and no replacements (8k miles so far).
     
  9. LMB

    LMB Member

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    South Shore Boston
    #9 LMB, Aug 14, 2015
    (LMB spouse)

    2013Q2 S85. Drive unit replaced twice.

    First time was at 6000 miles because of the loud rumble/tire-noise-like-sound. The replacement was a rebuilt unit. It was great but after a few thousand miles developed a loud inverter whine at low power levels, 5-20 kW, i.e. typical steady driving power. Note that this is NOT the so-called balloon squeal noise heard during hard acceleration.

    Second replacement was at 36,000 miles, just a week ago, after listening to the whine for a year and a half. No problems so far.
     
  10. AmpedRealtor

    AmpedRealtor Banned

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    #10 AmpedRealtor, Aug 15, 2015
    The spike in Q3 of 2013 is interesting. That's when I bought my car. I needed a new DU within the first 500 miles, and have had a total of three replacements.
     
    • Love x 1
  11. mspohr

    mspohr Active Member

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    #11 mspohr, Aug 15, 2015
    Judging by the number of people who have had multiple replacements, I'm beginning to think that there must be some problem with the "factory refurb" process.
     
  12. AmpedRealtor

    AmpedRealtor Banned

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    #12 AmpedRealtor, Aug 17, 2015
    I agree. They probably didn't get the memo. When outbound communications are so bad, how can internal communications be any better?
     
  13. pgiralt

    pgiralt Supporting Member

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    #13 pgiralt, Aug 17, 2015
    I'm a Q3 2013'er as well and am on my 6th (5 replacements - Hum, Milling, Hum, Milling, Hum) through 53k miles. Last one (-M revision) in May has been going strong for 6,000 miles so have my fingers crossed this will be the one.
     
  14. hpham007

    hpham007 Banned

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    #14 hpham007, Aug 18, 2015
    whoa. i think you take the prize for most DU replacements. 6 in 53K is more often than oil changes in a ICE car. In fact, I don't think there's any maintenance item in any car than is replaced as often.
     
  15. David99

    David99 Active Member

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    #15 David99, Aug 18, 2015
    4 replacements in 50k miles since March 2014. Buzzing sound is coming back again.
     
  16. AmpedRealtor

    AmpedRealtor Banned

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    #16 AmpedRealtor, Aug 18, 2015
    My last DU swap in February was also an M revision, and so far (knock wood) it has been rock solid after 12,000 miles. This is one is lasting the longest so far! :)
     
  17. aaron0k

    aaron0k Member

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    #17 aaron0k, Aug 18, 2015
    Q3 2013 / 50k miles / 3xDU replacements
     
  18. mspohr

    mspohr Active Member

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    #18 mspohr, Aug 18, 2015
    Wow! A third of the people with replacements have cars produced in Q3 2013!
    It will be interesting to see if this holds up with more data.
     
  19. Lump

    Lump Active Member

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    #19 Lump, Aug 18, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2015
  20. KidDoc

    KidDoc Member

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    #20 KidDoc, Aug 25, 2015
    Does anyone have a link to a recording of what this defect sounds like? My wife just reported a new noise in my S85 delivered 3/2014.
     
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