Model S (2013) rear-left airsuspension leak (?)

[widodh]

During the COVID-19 outbreak everywhere both our Model S (85 and 100D) are parked for longer periods. When I just came to the parking garage where we park I noticed that the S85 was very low on it's suspension on the rear-left.



Now I think this is a leak, because this shouldn't happen. The car has been parked for about 7 days now (but it only lost 7km or range, yay!).

Searching around the internet I found various people having some issues with the airsuspension leaking, but that was usually somewhere in the frunk where a hose would leak.

Is this a known issue with a Model S from 2013? It has 260.000km on the ODO at the moment.

I'll go to a garage this Thursday (April 2nd) to have it checked, but I'd like to be well-informed

 

[Aggmeister2010]

I don't think it's necessarily a "known issue," but rather just an old air suspension thing.

Tesla's air suspension is basically a 95% copy of the Mercedes Airmatic system, which is known for issues with leak-down once it gets older. It's just normal wear and tear on an older fancy pneumatic suspension system.

More than likely, you either have a leak at one of the air line junctions/terminals, or a leak in the air strut itself. The diagnostic is going to be the pain in the ass, because they have to determine where the leak is coming from. Slow leaks are a lot harder to track down because so little air is coming out.

They'll likely spray the connection points with soapy water and look for bubbles to form....wherever the bubbles form is where the leak is coming from, and replace / repair that component.

 

[widodh]

I don't think it's necessarily a "known issue," but rather just an old air suspension thing.

Tesla's air suspension is basically a 95% copy of the Mercedes Airmatic system, which is known for issues with leak-down once it gets older. It's just normal wear and tear on an older fancy pneumatic suspension system.

More than likely, you either have a leak at one of the air line junctions/terminals, or a leak in the air strut itself. The diagnostic is going to be the pain in the ass, because they have to determine where the leak is coming from. Slow leaks are a lot harder to track down because so little air is coming out.

They'll likely spray the connection points with soapy water and look for bubbles to form....wherever the bubbles form is where the leak is coming from, and replace / repair that component.

Yes, this is what they did.

It turns out there is a leak in the Rear Left strut. They have ordered the parts and it will take about 5 days to fix.

Total costs including diagnose and other labour: €1415

Not doing this at a SeC, went to a local garage.

 

[Rk604]

Are you able to breakdown the quote? Is it primarily parts or labour?

Thoughts on getting a used strut off a wrecked car?

 

[widodh]

Are you able to breakdown the quote? Is it primarily parts or labour?

Thoughts on getting a used strut off a wrecked car?

So the quote (Euro):

- 985 for the strut
- 200 for the labor
- 21% VAT

So it's mainly parts. I thought about going for a used one, but since this car is being used daily (well, not with the COVID-19 situation....) I wanted to have it fixed soon. So therefor I went for a new strut.

I'll post the used parts here later.

 

[Messagepads]

Mine is a Model S from 2015 purchased in a reseller (but as second hand) a couple of months ago.

Not knowing which "failures" I could possibly face, I took an extra "warranty coverage" for 1 year and 40.000 km.

I hope that if such problems would arise, if any, it would come during the insured period... fingers crossed.

So far, very satisfied with this fantastic vehicle.

 

[Lasttoy]

My struts r ok, but my hub bearings went bad. Just for your future reference. Easy to change, took couple hours.

 

[widodh]

So my car was repaired last week and I finally got the invoice by mail yesterday.

Total amount: EUR 1202 (excluding 21% VAT)

Parts: EUR 985
Labor 3h: EUR 178,50
Calibration: EUR 39,00

This wasn't done at a Tesla Service Center, but a local dealer who has software from Tesla to do such repairs.

 

[Go4IT]

So my car was repaired last week and I finally got the invoice by mail yesterday.

Total amount: EUR 1202 (excluding 21% VAT)

Parts: EUR 985
Labor 3h: EUR 178,50
Calibration: EUR 39,00

This wasn't done at a Tesla Service Center, but a local dealer who has software from Tesla to do such repairs.

Hello Widodh!
My 2013 P85 (400.000km on the ODO) started to have the same problem (rear left going down alone after being parked several days) a few months ago. Now it looks like the whole car is going down even after a single day park. Hence my search for leak will probably have to expand to other area. What was included in the "calibration" part of the invoice?

 

[widodh]

Hello Widodh!
My 2013 P85 (400.000km on the ODO) started to have the same problem (rear left going down alone after being parked several days) a few months ago. Now it looks like the whole car is going down even after a single day park. Hence my search for leak will probably have to expand to other area. What was included in the "calibration" part of the invoice?

I don't know exactly, but that calibration part was done by Tesla. I think it has to do with the ride height of the vehicle and that it's leveled.

As a repair shop you can buy this software from Tesla to do such calibration.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

I don't know exactly, but that calibration part was done by Tesla. I think it has to do with the ride height of the vehicle and that it's leveled.

As a repair shop you can buy this software from Tesla to do such calibration.

Calibration involves setting the car on a perfectly level surface, and configuring the ride height of each corner of the vehicle to factory spec based on input from the level sensors using Tesla's service software.

If you have any lowering equipment on the car (links, brackets) they should be removed before the service. If you don't, the calibration doesn't account for those and will be reset to stock height *with that gear still installed,* so you lose your drop. And then if you ever take the lowering components back off, the car will raise up way above factory levels and potentially break the air struts.

I don't think calibration would be strictly necessary when just replacing air feed components because the suspension geometry wouldn't be affected.

I don't know of any shops who have bought Tesla's service software. Can't imagine what ungodly amount they charge to license that software.

 

[dubzz24]

I had the same thing happen last year - went on a 2 week trip and when I came back the rear left was very low, like tire tucked in the wheel well low. I didn't notice any sagging when leaving the car for shorter periods (a day or 2). The SC replaced an air line junction and the rear left strut under warranty.

Now 8 months later (and now out of warranty) and the rear left is sagging worse. I use the car almost daily so I haven't had a chance to let it sit for days or weeks to test it, but every morning now the car is noticeably low in the back left, and as soon as I start the car I hear the air tank pressurize and the rear left comes back up. Seems like it's dropping about an inch over night. I'm talking to my SC now to see if this is something they'll goodwill since the problem clearly wasn't resolved with the repairs they did.

 

[summit123]

I had the same thing happen last year - went on a 2 week trip and when I came back the rear left was very low, like tire tucked in the wheel well low. I didn't notice any sagging when leaving the car for shorter periods (a day or 2). The SC replaced an air line junction and the rear left strut under warranty.

Now 8 months later (and now out of warranty) and the rear left is sagging worse. I use the car almost daily so I haven't had a chance to let it sit for days or weeks to test it, but every morning now the car is noticeably low in the back left, and as soon as I start the car I hear the air tank pressurize and the rear left comes back up. Seems like it's dropping about an inch over night. I'm talking to my SC now to see if this is something they'll goodwill since the problem clearly wasn't resolved with the repairs they did.

Did your SC ever make good on this?