Is it worth it to get the 50K service done?

[smilepak]

Anyone did the battery coolant flush at 4 years / 50k miles? I took mine in at 3 years of ownership but have 48.7k miles. I take it in every year so far. They gave me a 3 years service plan deal and didn't suggest the battery coolant flush. I wonder can I do it next year when it is 4 years and potentially 65k? I've been putting in approx 18k - 20k a year miles on the MS so far.

Strange how the drive trans flush is at the 1st year 12.5 miles and you don't see it again for the next 3 years according to their schedule.

 

[appleguru]

Strange how the drive trans flush is at the 1st year 12.5 miles and you don't see it again for the next 3 years according to their schedule.

Not strange at all... Tesla originally didn't have the fluid flush at the first annual maintenance, but found that newly manufactured drive units had metal shavings/residue that would come loose during the first few thousand miles of driving. That debris was ultimately leading to premature drive unit failure. The first year service flushes all of this "manufacturing" debris out, so is actually arguably the most important flush you can do (though I still recommend following their intervals, unless you're sending fluid out periodically for testing to verify health like some do with engine oil... which I'm not sure anyone does yet for this stuff).

 

[Barry]

Not strange at all... Tesla originally didn't have the fluid flush at the first annual maintenance, but found that newly manufactured drive units had metal shavings/residue that would come loose during the first few thousand miles of driving. That debris was ultimately leading to premature drive unit failure. The first year service flushes all of this "manufacturing" debris out, so is actually arguably the most important flush you can do (though I still recommend following their intervals, unless you're sending fluid out periodically for testing to verify health like some do with engine oil... which I'm not sure anyone does yet for this stuff).

Yet they didn't do it retroactively for cars beyond the first service when the policy went into effect. I specifically asked about it at the 2 year service.

 

[Max*]

The service seems like a waste of money to me. I was in a similar position, but I went ahead and did it.

My Tesla has been in for mostly warranty "work" (not maintenance) 12 times before I hit 50k miles. I had a few things that needed fixing before I went out of warranty, and I said "eh, why not, let me pay them to do the service maybe they'll find/fix something". They did not. It was routine. This was what was done for $850

Corrections: Fixed Price Annual Service 4 Year/50000 Mile/80000 km
- Pulled logs and checked for active faults: No active faults.
- Checked firmware version: Updated to latest version.
- Performed function check of closures (moving glass, doors, trunks): Cleaned and
lubricated latches. Good, no issue.
- Tested and inspected customer¶s charge cable: Good, no issue. Vehicle charged
normally @40amps.
- Replaced:
- Wiper Blades
- Key Fob Battery
- Cabin Air Filter
- Remote Keyless Entry: Good, no issue
- Seat belts and latches: Good, no issue
- Interior/exterior lighting and horn: Good, no issue
- Performed inspection of powertrain and chassis components: Good, no issues.
- Checked fluid levels: Topped off washer fluid. Brake and coolant levels optimal. No signs
of leakage.
- Inspected tires and rotated as necessary.
- Measured tire tread depth at:
(Outer) (Center) (Inner)
LF: 8/32 8/32 8/32
RF: 8/32 8/32 8/32
LR: 8/32 8/32 8/32
RR: 8/32 8/32 8/32
- Adjusted tire pressures to B-pillar spec: 45psi Front, 45psi Rear
- Measured brake pad thickness (mm)
LF: 8mm RF: 8mm LR: 8mm RR: 8mm Park: 5mm
- Performed 4-wheel alignment
- Test drive: Vehicle functions as designed.
- Cleaned and lubricated panoramic roof assembly
- Performed Air Conditioning service and replaced desiccant cartridge
- Performed brake fluid flush
- Performed coolant system flush

The OEM wipers lasted a while, then I replaced them with Bosch Icons which lasted about a year. And now the service replaced them with "wipers". I use that term loosely. They are complete cheap crap. The crap they put on was streaking within a month. I've never had wipers go bad that fast, not even $5 wipers from Walmart.

Then there's the alignment...
1. In hindsight I never got an alignment log, which shows the before and after
2. I came in to Tesla at 45k miles to get new tires, and they told me my car's alignment is fine, no need to get it aligned (I asked them if it's needed to just do it). So for the first 45k miles no alignment needed, and then bam in 5k miles the car needs an alignment. I get it, it can happen. But it just seems... almost as if they put it down to pack more into the $850 service. It doesn't say they performed an alignment check and it came back fine, it says they performed a 4-wheel alignment. It's likely not the case, but who knows.



So yes, they did everything they were supposed to do. But I don't feel my car needed most of what was done. I can do most of it, besides the battery fluid flush, myself. And $850 is steep for what was done.

 

[Max*]

Yet they didn't do it retroactively for cars beyond the first service when the policy went into effect. I specifically asked about it at the 2 year service.

Negative. Not for me. I only had the 4 year service, and they did not do it for me.

 

[acentre]

Has anyone done a battery flush?

 

[AmpedRealtor]

no you are 100% wrong service is not required for warranty

It is for the ESA (extended "warranty"). In order to maintain the ESA, you must adhere to all recommended service intervals.

 

[dcmetro]

Thank God I went the pre-paid route when I thought I was just saving $100 per service. Coupled with the alignment it’s turned out to be quite the bargain.

What’s the schedule beyond 50k? Or does it just repeat?

Curious what you thought it was a bargain. Gathering info..so I can decide whether to take it or not. In these 12.5k services, did they find any issues that needed repairs? 2 of my friends that own Tesla have not taken it in 3 years..not even for Alignment..which i think is bizarre. I may do 25 and 50....an initial thought..

 

[dcmetro]

The service seems like a waste of money to me. I was in a similar position, but I went ahead and did it.

My Tesla has been in for mostly warranty "work" (not maintenance) 12 times before I hit 50k miles. I had a few things that needed fixing before I went out of warranty, and I said "eh, why not, let me pay them to do the service maybe they'll find/fix something". They did not. It was routine. This was what was done for $850


The OEM wipers lasted a while, then I replaced them with Bosch Icons which lasted about a year. And now the service replaced them with "wipers". I use that term loosely. They are complete cheap crap. The crap they put on was streaking within a month. I've never had wipers go bad that fast, not even $5 wipers from Walmart.

Then there's the alignment...
1. In hindsight I never got an alignment log, which shows the before and after
2. I came in to Tesla at 45k miles to get new tires, and they told me my car's alignment is fine, no need to get it aligned (I asked them if it's needed to just do it). So for the first 45k miles no alignment needed, and then bam in 5k miles the car needs an alignment. I get it, it can happen. But it just seems... almost as if they put it down to pack more into the $850 service. It doesn't say they performed an alignment check and it came back fine, it says they performed a 4-wheel alignment. It's likely not the case, but who knows.



So yes, they did everything they were supposed to do. But I don't feel my car needed most of what was done. I can do most of it, besides the battery fluid flush, myself. And $850 is steep for what was done.

Could you have asked them to do alignment each time for a service...or does it depend upon them?

 

[Max*]

Could you have asked them to do alignment each time for a service...or does it depend upon them?

I've seen the alignment come and go from being included in the other services, looking at the maintenance page now, it's included in all 4 years. So if you do the other services, they should have done "Wheel alignment check (and adjustment, if needed)"

Maintenance Plans | Model S and Model X

 

[Knightowl]

My Tesla has been into service 8 or 9 times since I've owned it but never for "maintenance". I'm at 49K miles now and just scheduled a service visit week after next to fix quite a long list of mostly minor (and some not so minor) issues before the warranty expires.

Early on I'd read that Tesla really examines the cars very thoroughly during paid service visits. I vaguely remember an account where someone said they'd taken off the bumpers and practically went through the entire car making sure everything was OK.

My suspicion is that this diligence was an artifact early of examining how the cars were holding up and that now that years have gone and with service centers jam packed with cars on tight schedules, that they're more likely to do the bare minimum.

The $850 includes battery fluid, brake fluid flush, wheel alignment, multi point inspection and other stuff I don't really need like fob battery replacements which I just did plus I already have a lifetime wheel alignment contract elsewhere. Also my brake fluid has 0% moisture and 0 ppm of copper so far so it would be a waste of resources to change perfectly good fluid.

I also recently remember reading that the battery warranty does not require changing the fluid(except in MA)since Tesla has declined publish service documentation that third parties or DIYers could use to perform those maintenance items.

Still $850 once on the off chance that they might find other things that need correcting under warranty is why I'm more than tempted to pop for the 50K service while I'm there getting other things fixed.

Any thoughts?

I bought mine used and did do the 50k mile maintenance, glad I did as the car had not been in for any prev maintenance checks, they replaced the left and right fore links and lower shock absorber bolts as they found issues with them.

 

[sorka]

Not strange at all... Tesla originally didn't have the fluid flush at the first annual maintenance, but found that newly manufactured drive units had metal shavings/residue that would come loose during the first few thousand miles of driving. That debris was ultimately leading to premature drive unit failure. The first year service flushes all of this "manufacturing" debris out, so is actually arguably the most important flush you can do (though I still recommend following their intervals, unless you're sending fluid out periodically for testing to verify health like some do with engine oil... which I'm not sure anyone does yet for this stuff).

My rear DU was done twice fairly early on because the seals leaks and they had to pull the shafts and replace the seals. I wonder if this is why I haven't had any DU issues in the first 50K miles.

 

[RAW84]

Curious what you thought it was a bargain. Gathering info..so I can decide whether to take it or not. In these 12.5k services, did they find any issues that needed repairs? 2 of my friends that own Tesla have not taken it in 3 years..not even for Alignment..which i think is bizarre. I may do 25 and 50....an initial thought..

I was just comparing pre-paying vs paying each year. I wasn’t assessing the value in what you get for the service.

Given what I paid for the car as well as the infancy of both the company and the technology I knew that I would prefer to have them look the car over in intervals they felt were justified.

 

[zwede]

Has anyone done a battery flush?

Anyone did the battery coolant flush at 4 years / 50k miles?

I had them do the coolant flush last month (July 2013 car). They charged me $236 which isn't too bad considering it takes a lot of coolant.

 

[Hornedfrog1]

I just had warnings during a trip to get service done or car might not restart. Turns out it was the battery coolant heater going bad and the 12 volt battery starting to get low. They check lots of stuff. Just to make sure everything is ok with your systems, unless they get it all done before hand, I would say have them do it. It was very frustrating to break down 260 miles from home, have to leave my car there, and drive home in a Kia minivan. And I’ve had my 50,000 done.

 

[icanmakeit]

I bought mine used and did do the 50k mile maintenance, glad I did as the car had not been in for any prev maintenance checks, they replaced the left and right fore links and lower shock absorber bolts as they found issues with them.

Hey when they found those extra issues did they the cover the cost ?

 

[Knightowl]

Hey when they found those extra issues did they the cover the cost ?

originally they quoted me another $730 (not exact recollection) and I was fine with it but when I picked it up they goodwilled it for me so that was awesome of them.

 

[redbaronace]

Im at 48,000 miles so one a few thousand miles remaining on my bumper to bumper warranty. I have a bunch of items being repaired by Tesla once the parts arrive.

Contemplating whether to extend the warranty for 2 additional years or not. The other option of course would be to save those funds for actual repairs which will eventually be needed.

Wonder if they goodwill more generously if a person has paid into the service plans. Any feedback for members here?

 

[Marcboy]

i am in the exacxt same boat, should I do the 50 k service before going out of warranty.

My car was also at the SC a few times, so many checked were already done.

and I also never did any yearly maintenace check,

I was going to do it (I even have the appointment, but looking at the check list above, I am not so sure I need it).

 

[cc76]

I bought mine 3rd party and, in calling Tesla ahead of time, found out it had never been in for service - ever. So at 49K I went ahead and paid the $850. I did get a new drive unit out of it![/QUOTE.

Thinking about buying 3rd party as well, how did you get Tesla to disclose the service history? Did you just call a service center and give them the VIN?