Drive Unit Replacement Poll

[Forty Creek]

Tesla's outstanding service department just called to inquire about my post upthread. Yes, they monitor these threads closely. I'll be taking the car in so that they can record the sound and send it to engineering. There may still be issues with the car but I'm totally confident that Tesla is intent on making things right.

 

[mknox]

Tesla's outstanding service department just called to inquire about my post upthread. Yes, they monitor these threads closely. I'll be taking the car in so that they can record the sound and send it to engineering. There may still be issues with the car but I'm totally confident that Tesla is intent on making things right.

Nice. I've had the same experience a couple of times myself where they've seen something I've posted and called me about it. I post so darned much lately that they've probably given up on me by now :tongue:

 

[cwerdna]

Gee, I thought Elon's statements about that was well over a year ago.

Drive unit problems explanation by Elon is dated July 31, 2014.

Tesla Motors' (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk on Q2 2014 Results - Earnings Call Transcript | Seeking Alpha with this call is dated Aug 1, 2014.

So yeah, almost a year ago.

 

[tliving]

Just had a test drive with Tesla mechanic and he scheduled me for a drive unit replacement.

2 issues:
1) buzzing like sound on acceleration <25MPH
2) Droning/humming noise on accel/decel at speeds >65MPH

Used my rule of thumb that if a passenger comments on it its probably real and not just me obsessing

Im at 41K miles. Still running fine, just sounds more like an ICE car with a rear engine right now.

 

[neroden]

Those are the two sounds. Yeah, I'm now, after 20K miles, starting to get the low-speed noise too, and it's very slowly getting louder. (I drive above 65 so rarely that one never comes up, though I think I should check to see whether they've replaced my contactors: they'll probably have to eventually.) I suppose I'll probably be in line for a drivetrain replacement in a year or so, but no hurry yet.

I hope Tesla eventually figures out what's actually causing each of these issues.

 

[ohmman]

The low speed buzzing is annoying but I also feel that it poorly represents Tesla when I'm driving around pedestrians. Mine is pretty loud, very audible outside the car. It turned some heads recently while driving through downtown Santa Barbara. It's definitely not the impression I want people to get of the car.

 

[Mayhemm]

The low speed buzzing is annoying but I also feel that it poorly represents Tesla when I'm driving around pedestrians. Mine is pretty loud, very audible outside the car. It turned some heads recently while driving through downtown Santa Barbara. It's definitely not the impression I want people to get of the car.

Had the same issue pop up on my car at about 35K kilometers, fixed with a DU replacement shortly thereafter. The noise was annoying, but what really bugged me was that you could hear it outside the car.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

Balloon, quantified

Tesla's outstanding service department just called to inquire about my post upthread. Yes, they monitor these threads closely. I'll be taking the car in so that they can record the sound and send it to engineering. There may still be issues with the car but I'm totally confident that Tesla is intent on making things right.

I have the same drive unit the car was delivered with, so I can't participate in the poll (no "0" option).
I also don't know what noise you (Forty Creek) are having - but this is what I "recorded" this morning in VIN P38763 in the interest of data collection. (If Tesla Motors contacts me about it too, I'd be quite impressed)

• This sound would definitely be described as "balloon squeal" (I don't know what 'milling' means as I haven't heard any such)
• Never noted this before 25K miles, but by now (28K miles) it's very reproducible
• Power discharge threshold is ~ 250-300kW sustained for more than about .25 seconds - so, not something that happens too often to me
• Frequency is on the close order of 1kHz, because it's between the B and C on a violin's E string
• Waveform is decidedly non-sinusoidal. Not too far toward a sawtooth though, I'd say a ragged square. I can match it with a tight-lipped "trumpet" embouchure
• I'm not gonna take a stab at location of source; my impression is of it coming from the rear, but that's where any road noise seems to sneak in, too

Enjoy!
Rick

 

[purplewalt]

Zero, never been replaced.
Almost 39K miles.
They have done some work adding a shim(?) when I noticed a big of lash in the gear as I let my foot off the accelerator.
Proactive service on both my and their part.

 

[Forty Creek]

I also don't know what noise you (Forty Creek) are having

• This sound would definitely be described as "balloon squeal" (I don't know what 'milling' means as I haven't heard any such)

A 'milling' sound may not be the best description. Others simply refer to it as a buzzing sound. To me it sounds like a table saw but quieter. Or a cicada. On last comparison would be to the buzzing sound that power lines sometimes make.
Oh, and the balloon squeal that vanished after my service visit has just started again.

 

[DavidB]

I was a bit upset the other day. While I have noticed a mild increase in drivetrain noise, especially at very low speeds (2-7 MPH), I haven't really complained about it since my Tesla does have over 64k miles.

Two days ago the noise was dramatically worse. I was stuck in traffic, going from 0 to 25 MPH, and I was very concerned with how that low speed whir was now audible even at 25 MPH. Worse yet, there was a grinding sound when I hit speeds over 20 MPH. My heart sank as I contemplated having to bring my baby back to the shop for a drivetrain overhaul.

I put a call in for Tesla service, and was waiting for them to call me back. I tell you, I was not a happy camper.

Then I realized that the radio had turned on, and was at volume 1 (or 2--I'm not sure) on a random AM frequency. The noise I was hearing was not the drivetrain after all--just EMF static on the radio! What a relief! Mind you, I'm still annoyed with Tesla for not fixing the bug where the radio sometimes randomly turns on when you get in the car. Also, while this is problematic when dealing with such high voltage & current, the drivetrain probably should have had better EMF shielding designed around it. But still--the relief I felt when I switched off the radio was immense!

 

[evp]

I picked up my S85 on Sep 29th, 2014 and had to have my DU replaced in early May 2015, with ~25000 miles on it... extremely loud whine from inverter.... really loud on the radio at 1070 KHz and no local station to interfere. Mine was replaced with a remanufactured one, but they actually replaced the replacement before giving it back to me. I agree that remanufacturing them shouldn't be at a high cost, but we'll only know what they charge when the 8 year, unlimited mile warranty expires. My thoughts dictate a sub-$1000 repair, and the labor cost for removal, replacement, wheel alignment and coolant change. All of those were indicated as necessary for drive unit replacement on my invoice as well as on other thread posts.

I have been told that all replaced DU are now remanufactured ones. I had mine done at the factory SC, and my paperwork stated they were both reman'd DU's.

Scotty

I was a bit upset the other day. While I have noticed a mild increase in drivetrain noise, especially at very low speeds (2-7 MPH), I haven't really complained about it since my Tesla does have over 64k miles.

Two days ago the noise was dramatically worse. I was stuck in traffic, going from 0 to 25 MPH, and I was very concerned with how that low speed whir was now audible even at 25 MPH. Worse yet, there was a grinding sound when I hit speeds over 20 MPH. My heart sank as I contemplated having to bring my baby back to the shop for a drivetrain overhaul.

I put a call in for Tesla service, and was waiting for them to call me back. I tell you, I was not a happy camper.

Then I realized that the radio had turned on, and was at volume 1 (or 2--I'm not sure) on a random AM frequency. The noise I was hearing was not the drivetrain after all--just EMF static on the radio! What a relief! Mind you, I'm still annoyed with Tesla for not fixing the bug where the radio sometimes randomly turns on when you get in the car. Also, while this is problematic when dealing with such high voltage & current, the drivetrain probably should have had better EMF shielding designed around it. But still--the relief I felt when I switched off the radio was immense!

The AM radio noise was the first thing I noticed. Then I started hearing what my service manager called "the milling noise". Here's a recording on my cell phone out the back window: http://edpost.net/MillingNoise.mp3 - this starts at 2 mph and accelerates up to 25 mph or so. Like others report, mine is at low speeds when applying power, never in regen. It's going in for a DU swap next week. 34K miles, S85. Delivered three days before Scotty's on Sep 26 2014. The service guy said this noise is caused by electric current flowing between the case and the rotor through the bearing! This seems to match what I'm hearing, but how bizarre.

 

[Science->Truth]

The low speed buzzing is annoying but I also feel that it poorly represents Tesla when I'm driving around pedestrians. Mine is pretty loud, very audible outside the car. It turned some heads recently while driving through downtown Santa Barbara. It's definitely not the impression I want people to get of the car.

After about a year with the increasingly loud buzz sound from 5 to 50 mph, I finally was able to get a DU replacement in Tampa this week. *Much* quieter, now. Thanks, Tesla! More than the pedestrians wondering about the noise, I was worried about all the people I gave rides/test drives to. I'm such a Tesla enthusiast, but for the last year folks kept asking "what is *that* noise?" I kept reassuring them, "I know, I'm waiting for parts to come in from Tesla. They'll fix it." My riders are potential/likely buyers, much more than pedestrians.

 

[Rockster]

After about a year with the increasingly loud buzz sound from 5 to 50 mph, I finally was able to get a DU replacement in Tampa this week.

May I ask why it took a year to get a replacement DU?

 

[JST]

May I ask why it took a year to get a replacement DU?

Doesn't surprise me. It took ~6 months for them to source one for me.

 

[tkizzy]

is it me or is this data useless without both a "0" units poll option or better yet drive units/mile value ranges (0,0-.0001,.0001-0004, etc).

 

[ohmman]

is it me or is this data useless without both a "0" units poll option or better yet drive units/mile value ranges (0,0-.0001,.0001-0004, etc).

You mean this online poll on an enthusiasts' forum? Yeah, it might have some flaws. :biggrin:

 

[Rockster]

Doesn't surprise me. It took ~6 months for them to source one for me.

I ask because I've developed the milling sound at 8,000 miles and yesterday the Dallas SC told me four to eight weeks to get me back in for a replacement unit. Perhaps the trend is improving, towards shorter replacement times.

 

[JST]

I ask because I've developed the milling sound at 8,000 miles and yesterday the Dallas SC told me four to eight weeks to get me back in for a replacement unit. Perhaps the trend is improving, towards shorter replacement times.

Ah. Yes, I hope it is. Mine developed the milling sound last summer, was diagnosed in the fall (would have to pull my records to see when, but I think Sept/Oct), and a new one was finally installed in April of this year.

 

[mknox]

May I ask why it took a year to get a replacement DU?

I've been waiting a long time too. Tesla told me the problem is only "cosmetic" and they are simply prioritizing work. What I did find interesting is that they have identified a list of cars for "proactive DU replacements" and are working through that list first. Gotta love how Tesla has removed the word "recall" from their vocabulary :wink: