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High Mileage Service Options

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Hi All,

My 2015 Model S is approaching 130K. I’ve done regular service intervals for the most part and curious what others are doing and how often. Also what service costs you are seeing. There is a 3rd party shop that works on EVs and they gave me the below estimate.

- Coolant flush
- Brake Cleaning
- Brake system flush
- Alignment check
- Full vehicle inspection
- New wipers

$1,300

Thanks in advance!
 
Thanks guys. I’ll see what Tesla has to say in their quote and get more detail from the 3rd party shop on what exactly they plan to do.

For the coolant flush, I thought Tesla had recommended at some point 4 years 48K (could be wrong and things may have changed).

With the brake fluid, I am aware of those test kit sticks but they typically get mixed reviews from what I’ve seen. Is there one in particular that you like?
 
Thanks guys. I’ll see what Tesla has to say in their quote and get more detail from the 3rd party shop on what exactly they plan to do.

For the coolant flush, I thought Tesla had recommended at some point 4 years 48K (could be wrong and things may have changed).

With the brake fluid, I am aware of those test kit sticks but they typically get mixed reviews from what I’ve seen. Is there one in particular that you like?
If you have 7 year old original brake fluid just get it changed. Should be around $100.

Have you never had an alignment in 7 years/130K miles? Not sure what regular service intervals is in your case, but you should be able to access your service records.

I'm with ucmndd, looks like they are overcharging for what they are doing on that list. It is not a bad idea for a knowledgable technician check for suspension wear, cv boot tears, axle leaks etc. but I wonder how familiar are these "ev shop" mechanics with the Model S? Do they have Tesla's Toolbox software?

Do you have a sunroof? If so has it ever been cleaned and re-lubricated?
 
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Thanks guys.

My brake fluid was changed about 2.5 years ago when I got new brakes. I think every 2 years is recommended.

I got an alignment several years back. I forget when exactly and accessing Tesla service history is one PDF file at a time which isn't very convenient. Wish there was a better way to search all previous work.

I do have a sunroof and will make sure it is cleaned and lubricated. That was done several years back but don't recall when.

The tech at this EV shop is a former Tesla tech and is very knowledgeable and has Toolbox access. My experience over the years is that Tesla service has gone down in quality significantly in recent years as they aimed to ramp up capacity. They have scratched my seats, left extra parts lying in my car and forgot to do jobs that they said they did. So I'm sure that this shop will do better than Tesla but trying to gauge value.
 
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Hi All,

My 2015 Model S is approaching 130K. I’ve done regular service intervals for the most part and curious what others are doing and how often. Also what service costs you are seeing. There is a 3rd party shop that works on EVs and they gave me the below estimate.

- Coolant flush
- Brake Cleaning
- Brake system flush
- Alignment check
- Full vehicle inspection
- New wipers

$1,300

Thanks in advance!
With the exception of the alignment I do all those maintenance items myself. There's quite a bit of labor involved in all the listed tasks. Full Toolbx version 2 access does not come cheap. If you trust the mechanic, $1,300.00 is not unreasonable.
If it helps you sleep better, go for it.
 
My brake fluid was changed about 2.5 years ago when I got new brakes. I think every 2 years is recommended.
Then it is fine. Tesla recommends a check every 2 years, but if you just change it every 3-4 years you are definitely good and have fresher brake fluid than 95% of the cars on the road. The ironic part is just checking it allows it to get worse.
I got an alignment several years back. I forget when exactly and accessing Tesla service history is one PDF file at a time which isn't very convenient. Wish there was a better way to search all previous work.
The alignment should be fine, unless you whacked something hard or have suspension wear, but check your tire wear to verify. If you are in the market for new tires an alignment is always a good idea.
I do have a sunroof and will make sure it is cleaned and lubricated. That was done several years back but don't recall when.
If it has been done you are probably good, unless you hear any rubbing or chatter during operation.

I'm sure based on your diligent maintenance history the A/C service has been done a couple of times as well. I am a big believer in having this done this every 2 years.

The coolant is definitely fine. As @ucmndd noted Tesla gives no recommendation for maintenance of coolant, meaning good for life, but if they did it would probably be 10 years or 200,000 miles. Same with drive unit fluids.

Do you have something better to do with the $1300? I would say you are maintaining the car better than 90% of all Tesla model S owners, but will you get rewarded in the long run?

P.S. As someone who has their car at service centre waiting for their new HV pack, I am feeling very glass half empty at the moment, so here are some more (negative) personal thoughts:

Some additional data exposed by time worth considering: What I am noticing over the past year or two is there many owners who babied the car from new: annual maintenance, fluid changes, very little supercharging, never let the battery get out of 20-90% etc. and the drive units and HV pack still "pack" it in after 7-10 years, regardless of mileage, which means they are getting new coolant (as least some) and drive unit fluids in their new/refurb parts anyway, so hindsight says that money was wasted. Yours is 2015, which is reported to be more reliable in many ways than the 2013's, but we'll see...

Tesla is correct: the coolant and drive unit fluids are good for life. :) Maybe save that $1300 and use it for a downpayment on the drive unit that might need replacing next year? (not wishing that on you of course)
 
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I'm scheduling a battery pack inspection and improvements like 057tech's. It's expensive but faster and cheaper than waiting for failure.

Goal is to keep the S rolling until a Cybertruck gets rejected or traded in. Then my Dad will have my S, he drools over my "air conditioned golf cart".
 
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