Drive unit replacement - getting better?

[BobC]

July 2015 Model S 85D. Rear drive motor replaced at 8,000 miles.

In January, with an outside temperature around -1 deg F (-18 C), I noticed a subtle hum at highway speed. When I slowed down to 30 mph in town, software disabled my rear drive motor. A mile later, when I was back home, the fault cleared. Two days later, when I started it up at the end of the work day (also around 0 deg F), the rear drive motor was disabled, and again, the fault cleared by the time I got home 1.5 miles later. Tesla replaced the rear drive motor, and since then, I've had no problems. I'm approaching 12,000 miles now.

 

[rxlawdude]

70D here, 23K miles since July '15. No milling noises, no drive failures.

Just reporting a trouble-free data point.

 

[Champflyer]

How do you tell which Q the car was produced in? My harmonic vibration started last week on a 2000 mile trip to California. Checked in at the SC this morning and they scheduled a replacement for early June. A 2013 S85.

 

[Edmond]

Build date is on your door label: MM/YY

 

[Champflyer]

So mine was built 03/13 which I guess would be 1 Q. I'll enter that in the survey.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I just had my drive unit replaced. Sig #549 P85. It has been making the noise since I took CPO delivery at ~36k miles.

I think it might be slightly slower off the line? Has anyone else noticed that when they had a DU replaced it took some edge off their acceleration 0-60??

It might just be it's making less noise so it seemed less dramatic (also I recently rode in my friends P90DL which is violent).

 

[Wildcat]

S85, VIN 30xxx, production date 1Q2014

First DU replacement occurred April of 2016 at approx 26k miles. Car was inoperable and towed to SC. Was told it was DU and needed replacement. SC replaced the DU. It was the model number with the Q at the end of it.

Noticed immediately that the newly replaced DU would make the highway hum sound at 65 MPH. Took to SC in May of this year. Tesla Tech did ride along and claimed it was tire noise. Sound is worse now although still just the droning/humming sound and occurring now at 40 MPH. Have appointment tomorrow for another Tesla Tech drive along. Hope they acknowledge it this time.

 

[zambono]

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.

Bumping this poll because it is more informative than the one with the amount of replacements. Any 2016's?

 

[JPUConn]

If it is of any value - I was informed by a service manager when inquiring about my drive unit that the majority of the early drive unit replacements were done to solve a symptom without proper diagnostic as tesla can refurb the units in-house and fix the symptom to get customers back on the road.

Since that time they analyzed the units that were replaced and sparing a set of units that lacked proper greasing the majority were actually not related to drive units but were related to the rubber mount.

The service manger informed me that they now complete an audio recording of any noise complaints and have them analyzed in Fremont with the majority of the noises since this process being attributed to the rubber mount. Tesla has since modified the mount and according to this source they have replaced many mounts and far fewer, if any, drive units since doing so.

Also my Jan 2013 Build S85 with 47k miles is on the original B battery and drive unit with no issues (knock on wood)

 

[mspohr]

Bumping this poll because it is more informative than the one with the amount of replacements. Any 2016's?

When I put the original poll together more than a year ago. I had it go out to the end of 2015. I don't think I can modify it now to add 2016.
If people with 2016 cars have had replacements, perhaps they could just leave a note in the thread... or we could start a new poll for 2016?

 

[evrevo]

S60, VIN 1xxxx, production date 2Q2013 at 27k miles

Started hearing clunking noise in the drive unit when I accelerate or go into regen, took it to service, they said they'll replace the drive unit.

 

[Doogers]

Bumping this poll because it is more informative than the one with the amount of replacements. Any 2016's?

 

[tliving]

S85 (2014 era), at 70K miles, now getting my second DU. Last one was replaced August 2015 @ 42K miles. Any get the sense the issue has fully been fixed yet? I was told it was fully understood and fixed in 2015 but that is obviously not the case -- I got less miles on the second one.

 

[CuriousG]

Noticed immediately that the newly replaced DU would make the highway hum sound at 65 MPH. Took to SC in May of this year. Tesla Tech did ride along and claimed it was tire noise. Sound is worse now although still just the droning/humming sound and occurring now at 40 MPH. Have appointment tomorrow for another Tesla Tech drive along. Hope they acknowledge it this time.

I know this is old but if they're claiming it is tire noise have them rack it up about 6" off the ground and see if the sound persists.

 

[jcaspar]

Oct 2013 P85. No drive issues or noises.

 

[chargeplate]

When I accelerate hard (like passing on highway), I feel a horrible shudder for the entire car, then I loose the ability to accelerate at all, the transmission letters turn red, and my accelerator stops working completely!!!! I have to pull off the road, stop the car, put it in park, before the transmission turns white again and I can proceed? Is this the dreaded Drive Unit failure?????? I have a 2013 S85.

 

[trils0n]

When I accelerate hard (like passing on highway), I feel a horrible shudder for the entire car, then I loose the ability to accelerate at all, the transmission letters turn red, and my accelerator stops working completely!!!! I have to pull off the road, stop the car, put it in park, before the transmission turns white again and I can proceed? Is this the dreaded Drive Unit failure?????? I have a 2013 S85.

Does it give an error message when that happens?

Drive unit replacement is almost always for an annoying sound. Function is fine. Actual failure, as in unable to drive, is quite rare. Sounds like you have bigger problems than the buzzing/milling sound that leads to most replacements.

 

[chargeplate]

Does it give an error message when that happens?

Drive unit replacement is almost always for an annoying sound. Function is fine. Actual failure, as in unable to drive, is quite rare. Sounds like you have bigger problems than the buzzing/milling sound that leads to most replacements.

There is no error message, there is no warning. I am able to reproduce the problem by accelerating fast - therefore I drive slow. I hear no whining or other sounds. There is just a horrible shuddering of the car (as if the transmission is thrown into reverse or park while in motion).

 

[trils0n]

There is no error message, there is no warning. I am able to reproduce the problem by accelerating fast - therefore I drive slow. I hear no whining or other sounds. There is just a horrible shuddering of the car (as if the transmission is thrown into reverse or park while in motion).

Well sounds like you should be going to the service center Monday morning. That's quite a big problem. Probably helps that it is easy to reproduce.

Usually the transmission letters turning red is accompanied with an error message. But I think in general it means the main pack contactors are disengaging (will be loud clank / bang almost like getting rear ended feeling) to disconnect the main battery pack because it detects a problem.

 

[mspohr]

When I accelerate hard (like passing on highway), I feel a horrible shudder for the entire car, then I loose the ability to accelerate at all, the transmission letters turn red, and my accelerator stops working completely!!!! I have to pull off the road, stop the car, put it in park, before the transmission turns white again and I can proceed? Is this the dreaded Drive Unit failure?????? I have a 2013 S85.

I have an ICE rental car this week and it does exactly the same thing.