Model 3 Power Reduced Warning

[Alpaca]

Ugh more random failures. I’ve never been given an answer by anyone who says that parts will fail “early” or many many years from now. How many miles or length of time is the “early” window?

Well, in semiconductors - there is the classic "bath tub curve" that says parts will fail at early life (due to defects) then drop to a low steady state failure rate, and then increase to high failure at end of life. Most chip companies will test and "burn in" their parts at the factory to eliminate most of these early failures - but some process excursion - can cause a batch of parts that go beyond the burn in period and still fail (there is always a tradeoff between cost of burn in and acceptable fail rate)- or a new failure mode can be discovered in early production - that was not screened out.

But in automotive electronics - the most common source of issues are connectors and wiring. The connector may not have seated well, or there could be a wiring crimp problem. A bit of vibration after some miles of driving could expose the problem. If it doesn't fail early on - chances are it will be good though its design life (although even then failures are not zero) - which is also heavily dependent on usage factors like temperature, shock, vibration, humidity, temperature cycles, etc.

In your case, looks like you had rodent damage (or something similar) , which you cannot really blame the manufacturer for ...

 

[ChrisH]

Well, in semiconductors - there is the classic "bath tub curve" that says parts will fail at early life (due to defects) then drop to a low steady state failure rate, and then increase to high failure at end of life. Most chip companies will test and "burn in" their parts at the factory to eliminate most of these early failures - but some process excursion - can cause a batch of parts that go beyond the burn in period and still fail (there is always a tradeoff between cost of burn in and acceptable fail rate)- or a new failure mode can be discovered in early production - that was not screened out.

But in automotive electronics - the most common source of issues are connectors and wiring. The connector may not have seated well, or there could be a wiring crimp problem. A bit of vibration after some miles of driving could expose the problem. If it doesn't fail early on - chances are it will be good though its design life (although even then failures are not zero) - which is also heavily dependent on usage factors like temperature, shock, vibration, humidity, temperature cycles, etc.

In your case, looks like you had rodent damage (or something similar) , which you cannot really blame the manufacturer for ...

That was someone else who had the rodent issue. I’m looking for how long or how many miles the “early failure” window is. People keep bringing it up and we keep getting drive motor failures later and later in the “early” ownership timeframe. Most recent one was at 2000 miles.

 

[pej2000]

Hmm. This is not the first time I’ve heard of this happening on the 3 actually. I can’t remember why they are attracted to the wiring but apparently it is a thing. Where are these wires located?!

They said a 'one of your wiring harnesses in the front of the vehicle'. If that means anything to you?

 

[C141medic]

I can’t remember why they are attracted to the wiring but apparently it is a thing.

I recall seeing a post in another thread that rabbits and other furry creatures are attracted to the wires because they’re covered in a soy based or another organic based compound. To keep mice from moving into my car in my garage I’ve used dryer sheets in various locations in my other vehicles.
Mice In Car - Keep Mice Out of Your Classic Car | Hagerty Article

 

[motonosh]

I've been going through the same issue. Took delivery on 11/21, drove down to LA on 11/25 and returned 11/29. On the 30th I walked out to my car to find the Power Reduced message on the screen. Just glad it didn't happen while I was in LA.

I drove over to the service center about a mile from my house and they ended up taking the car. Fortunately they gave us a Model S as a loaner.

They still have the car (today is day 12.5). They've had the car back longer than I've had it. Turns out the wrong rear drive unit was installed. I have the performance model and they installed a stock unit. Still waiting to get clarification on when the car will be ready. They also had to fix the hood as it wasn't installed properly (panel gap).

I'm not as irritated as I should be since they were able to loan me the S. Big problem is we're really starting to like the S. My wife still hasn't even driven the 3 since we got it. She calls me today telling me she's in love with the S and regrets not looking at more closely. She was sure it was too big so we never looked at it. Now I'm wondering if we made a mistake going with the 3.

 

[pej2000]

Just got my 3 pack today. Service was wonderful all the way through and I think I am even more of a Tesla fan than ever before. To recap: I got back from a trip to find my M3 was having weird power surges and a bunch of errors. I called support, after concluding it was a serious issue they sent a truck to get the car, offered to rent me a car (instead they got me an Uber so i could take a train). As soon as the car was received in Denver (5 hours away) I received a text letting me know the car had arrived and would undergo diagnostics soon. They diagnosed a 'rabbit had eaten through and wiring harness'. It did take several days to do the repairs, but I was kept informed the whole time. Once the repairs were done, they shipped the car back to me at no charge! I only paid for the wiring harness ~$150, since there is no warranty on rabbit damage. I doubt BMW or any of the other big car companies would have handled me so well. They also fixed a few dings that I discovered after the purchase but were clearly there before. So I am very very happy.

Now the important news!
They took pictures of the RABBIT! It was alive. The Tesla crew extracted it and released it into the wild (of Littleton, CO)

 

[JeffK]

Just got my 3 pack today. Service was wonderful all the way through and I think I am even more of a Tesla fan than ever before. To recap: I got back from a trip to find my M3 was having weird power surges and a bunch of errors. I called support, after concluding it was a serious issue they sent a truck to get the car, offered to rent me a car (instead they got me an Uber so i could take a train). As soon as the car was received in Denver (5 hours away) I received a text letting me know the car had arrived and would undergo diagnostics soon. They diagnosed a 'rabbit had eaten through and wiring harness'. It did take several days to do the repairs, but I was kept informed the whole time. Once the repairs were done, they shipped the car back to me at no charge! I only paid for the wiring harness ~$150, since there is no warranty on rabbit damage. I doubt BMW or any of the other big car companies would have handled me so well. They also fixed a few dings that I discovered after the purchase but were clearly there before. So I am very very happy.

Now the important news!
They took pictures of the RABBIT! It was alive. The Tesla crew extracted it and released it into the wild (of Littleton, CO) View attachment 362119View attachment 362120

... staff could be heard saying: "Be vewy vewy quiet I'm hunting wabbits"

 

[brianman]

I would crop that rabbit picture and make it my avatar if I were you.

 

[Perry]

I've been going through the same issue. Took delivery on 11/21, drove down to LA on 11/25 and returned 11/29. On the 30th I walked out to my car to find the Power Reduced message on the screen. Just glad it didn't happen while I was in LA.

I drove over to the service center about a mile from my house and they ended up taking the car. Fortunately they gave us a Model S as a loaner.

They still have the car (today is day 12.5). They've had the car back longer than I've had it. Turns out the wrong rear drive unit was installed. I have the performance model and they installed a stock unit. Still waiting to get clarification on when the car will be ready. They also had to fix the hood as it wasn't installed properly (panel gap).

I'm not as irritated as I should be since they were able to loan me the S. Big problem is we're really starting to like the S. My wife still hasn't even driven the 3 since we got it. She calls me today telling me she's in love with the S and regrets not looking at more closely. She was sure it was too big so we never looked at it. Now I'm wondering if we made a mistake going with the 3.

You did not make a mistake. Don't see how anybody would like the S over the 3 from a driving experience. I also had an S loaner while my performance Model 3 was in the service center and I could not wait to get my 3 back. The S felt sluggish, its a boat so its harder to park, the battery would overheat much easier causing acceleration limiting, the traction control is too aggressive on the corners limiting acceleration too much, its heavy and lumbering in the corners, the air vents suck comparatively, the steering is looser and not as precise, the screen response is slower, the center console is less practical, the way the door opens from inside is not as ergonomic, the range is less, the overall interior seems more dated, the glass roof is darker so you can't see the outside as well, the overall tech and battery management is older and less advanced, so on and so forth. There is nothing to like about the S over the 3 unless you need more storage space.

Of course your wife likes the S if she hasn't driven the 3. She is probably comparing the S to a previous ICE car. The S will be better than anything else other than the 3.

 

[txwoodchuck]

I received an email and a call from Tesla sc. They said I have a service issue that required me to bring my car in. I asked what the problem was. They said they needed to replace an oil pump.

I followed with some Q's. They told me that was located in the rear, near the motor. They said it was discovered during a routine diagnostic check. I can't bring it in during the first week in February, their first available appointment. They said it's not serious and can wait. I'll bring it in on Valentines day and see what happens.

 

[ngogas]

It is pretty fast when they have the parts. They kept my car overnight and had the part the next day. Got her back in the afternoon.

 

[dmd2005]

I had my oil pump stall out and it had to be replaced when I got this error message 3 weeks ago. Took a day to change out and I got the pleasure to drive a Model S P100D as a loaner for 3 days since it was the New Years weekend.

 

[megstr]

I’ve had the error message ‘power reduced – please exit the vehicle and re-enter to restore power’ several times, but when I called they said they didn’t see anything wrong on their end so no need to bring it in. Now it has happened several more times, always in forward motion when I’m using the accelerator minimally, as I must do exiting my blind driveway. With so many different causes reported for this message, I think I better bring it in!

 

[ngogas]

Likely you have an intermittent issue with the oil pump. I’d bring it in. Take a pic and show it to them.

 

[megstr]

Thanks, that’s a good idea. And also reporting the error message through the voice commands. Thank you forum posters!

 

[mediahostage]

Hi everyone, new to the forum as I've just had my M3 for about 2 months now. I've had no issues until today, when I was pulling into the parking deck at my office and got the 'reduced power' warning you guys are discussing here. I was going about 5 MPH and the car shuddered, braked, and I got the power warning as well as a warning that my automatic braking is disabled. I drove slowly out of the way of traffic and the car definitely jerked a bit as I did so. I did the 'exit and re enter' thing and was able to drive to my parking space with no problems. But of course I'm paranoid now about my drive home!

So my question: everyone seems to be having this issue while driving slowly - have any of you seen it happen while rockin' down the highway? It would be no bueno if that had happened wile doing 75 in the HOV. I don't want to schedule service if its not necessary! Appreciate your input.

 

[ngogas]

Have sc pull your car logs over the air. They can determine the issue and if not they will schedule an appointment for service.

 

[dmd2005]

I was able to drive at about 90-95km/h or about 60mph max when the error messages popped up. I would definitely contact the SC or even the Tesla emergency line and have them check the error message to see if it is safe to drive.

 

[mediahostage]

Thanks all. I called the SC and they checked the error message and said that I should be safe to drive it but I should also make a service appt just to get it looked at. Reassuring I guess but I'm still not filled with confidence until my appointment (earliest I could get was a week from today!).

 

[digiphart]

Had car for 10 days. Had the same errors. Totally dead in parking spot. A little disconcerting for a new car! The severity of this issue is a safety concern. What if you were driving down the highway and the car pops up with this problem?
Car is currently in the sc...will see what they find. Great car but this problem for a new car definitely puts a huge question mark on QA of the Tesla product.