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Have your service center check large rear drive unit for coolant leakage before warranty expires
- Thread starter Asummers
- Start date
yes, ramps if you are comfortable with that. I had metal ramps and hated those. There is a lip at the apex so have to hop over that and instantly stop. And the ramp always slid a fraction of an inch with loud scraping noises. Always scary. Even overshot once! haha. Thought I better not try going backwards. Tesla's lack of tranny+clutch would probably make it easier with well controlled torque delivery. But also has a lot of torque, I decided not to try. Plastic ramps might feel safer... Anyway, per your confidence + comfort level 
I would buy a couple of the jack adapters that fit into triple hole the jack points on the car, purchase two floor jacks from HF or similar. It's not cheap. You could then get the wheels 12-18" in the air. I would put a block beneath the jack once it's up or manufacture a piece of wood to fit between the front jack wheel and the arm of the jack to stabilize it in case of jack failure. It's not something you want to leave up overnight in case a cylinder failed, but would help you do the job. Not being able to use traditional jackstands on these cars sucks. I don't want to drive it up on ramps - I have had enough problems w/ plastic rhino ramps and a honda odyssey and other vehicles over the years that it's always a sigh of relief when something doesen't go wrong. One time I had my wife slowly crawl up the ramps in L1 and she gave it a bit too much gas on our honda odyssey- the car threw the ramp under the car and it almost broke an air conditioning line. It took a jack and some blocks to fix it as the car was stuck. The lower part of the body where it meets the bottom frame rail is still bent today. A lift would be nice, but you are probably looking at removing a section of a slab in your garage or shop to reinforce it with enough rebar likely doubling the cost of installing a lift and waiting a few months for things to cure.yes, ramps if you are comfortable with that. I had metal ramps and hated those. There is a lip at the apex so have to hop over that and instantly stop. And the ramp always slid a fraction of an inch with loud scraping noises. Always scary. Even overshot once! haha. Thought I better not try going backwards. Tesla's lack of tranny+clutch would probably make it easier with well controlled torque delivery. But also has a lot of torque, I decided not to try. Plastic ramps might feel safer... Anyway, per your confidence + comfort level
Yes 2 jacks (one on each side) offers some easy solutions if tire don't need to be off. For example, both side up 12-18", put wood block, tire dolly, or even ramps under the tires.
Metal ramps is a nervous wreck and accident prone. Plastic slightly better.
Jacking with tire off is a bit more challenge on this car. Need to go in phases. First get enough clearance for bigger jacking jig via prior method. For bigger jacking jig, some people use cross beam adapter + wood to spread the load around the rear battery frame area. I'm thinking to use a heavier duty 4x4 wood beam with 2 jacks offset from lift pads (hockey puck under each) and lift up rear end and place jack stands underneath. Will report back if success haha.
Super helpful info @ajbessinger. Tesla is replacing my rear drive unit under warranty after the milling noise plus a small leak in the back (which thanks to this thread I asked them to look for). What’s throwing me a bit is the part #. 1056681-00-Q. I haven’t heard of a single Tesla owner having that part # installed. Google search produces VERY little. As a result, I’m worried (perhaps unreasonably) that this is an older or non-updated version? Although you say Q’s are the updated hybrid ceramic bearings which is great. I’m a very new owner here (2015 P85D) excited but I’m 5 months away from the battery/DU warranty expiring so I’m trying to be diligent!
ajbessinger
Owner of QC Charge #2 (Portland OR)
Your car is new enough that it should have had ceramic bearings from new, so your milling noise was likely not a fault of the bearings themselves, but rather the coolant intrusion causing rust formation on the bearing races.
I haven't done enough looking at the part numbers on the drive units to be able to differentiate them, but there is a theory that part numbers starting with 102 are reman, and 100 are new. Not sure what your 105 would be, but my best guess would be that it's the newest version that has the upgraded differential (closed carrier with 6 spider gears instead of 4). Regardless of which version it is, they all have the same seal ever since ~2015, and unfortunately they all fail sooner or later...
If you're really concerned about longevity, we do offer a standalone drain kit and seal installation that would protect your drive unit against future coolant intrusion by giving the coolant a way to escape rather than "pool up" inside the motor. That might be something to think about a year or two down the road...
Finally got the new drive unit. It's crazy how much of a noise difference there is from the milling noise I was experiencing. It's whisper quiet now! I asked about the part # and making sure it was the most updated. They said it is, although I'm just guessing they didn't want to deal with my questions (the SC in Chicago hasn't been the best at explaining anything). So one trip replaced the 12v, MCU2 upgrade and new rear drive unit. Feels like a new car minus the new BMS fault codes I'm getting
another trip for that plus an alignment (which they forgot to do after the new DU) on Friday. Fingers crossed!
Can I ask how long your car was in the service center? My rear drive unit was diagnosed as needing replaced under warranty (milling noise), and they told me to come back about a month later while they waited for parts. I dropped it off almost 2 weeks ago and its still just waiting. They keep pushing out my estimated completion date. I'm frustrated that they didn't wait until the parts were in before having me bring the car in. It could be that they got started on it and found another issue so needed more parts. If that's the case, I totally understand, but they haven't said they've gotten started on it, just that they are waiting for parts. 2 weeks waiting for parts with no loaner just makes no sense whatsoever...Finally got the new drive unit. It's crazy how much of a noise difference there is from the milling noise I was experiencing. It's whisper quiet now! I asked about the part # and making sure it was the most updated. They said it is, although I'm just guessing they didn't want to deal with my questions (the SC in Chicago hasn't been the best at explaining anything). So one trip replaced the 12v, MCU2 upgrade and new rear drive unit. Feels like a new car minus the new BMS fault codes I'm getting
My guestimate is 50-100 LDU replacements / day ( link to my back of envelop math ). Tesla doesn't use this LDU in new cars anymore, high volume new parts sourcing channel are gone and require establishing low volume channels. Important because LDU coolant leak collateral damage can ruin custom parts like the rotor, stator, and inverter. So these new custom parts (or repair capability which appears complex by DIY rebuild community research) would be needed in rebuilds.
It seems likely failure demand will be higher than rebuild supply and cause wait times. MS LDU volume is high enough that hopefully we won't be ignored like the Roadster owners.
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Thanks for this reply. My frustration is that I don't understand why they had me drop off the car prior to the new drive unit being in stock for replacement. Perhaps its because they were concerned damage would happen to other parts if I were to keep driving it. But all they would have to do is say that and I would be good. It's the lack of transparency that's frustrating.
@Asummers what was the service you asked to be performed and under what, if any, pretense? Was it just as simple as asking them to check for fluid?
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Your 70D does not have the large drive unit being discussed in this thread - it's a completely different unit that does not have have same design issues. There's nothing for you to do/ask.
I asked ‘please check the rear drive unit speed sensor for any signs of leakage’. I asked if the front drive unit should be checked and the service guy said that only the rears were problematic. He asked if I had noticed any fluid on the floor or anything, to which I said ‘nope, just want to make sure it is Ok before the warranty runs out’
ajbessinger
Owner of QC Charge #2 (Portland OR)
Which version of the Model S do you have? The service guy is right about the front drive unit not being an issue, and the rear is only an issue on RWD and/or Performance models (regular dual motor, non-performance doesn't have the LDU in the rear).
As far as "fluid on the floor" though, that won't happen if your rotor coolant seal fails, as there's nowhere for the coolant to go except into the motor. Did they take a picture of the speed sensor for you? I've often heard that many service centers won't perform speed sensor checks, but YMMV...
Thanks to this thread it saved me 7k!
I told the service center in Bellevue, near Seattle that my car has been making an increasingly loud whining noise and to pull the speed sensor to check for coolant and they did. I am getting a new LDU in the next month. Just in time as my warranty ends on 3/20/23.
I told the service center in Bellevue, near Seattle that my car has been making an increasingly loud whining noise and to pull the speed sensor to check for coolant and they did. I am getting a new LDU in the next month. Just in time as my warranty ends on 3/20/23.
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