PEM, motor gets too hot -- fans failed

[Alan]

Out of interest, the original fans are SPAL type 009-A70-74D 12V.

SPAL USA


They are only IP33 rated which seems a bit low as water / dust can come from any direction. Given the application / location they should be IP55. Not had time to look through the spal website but perhaps they do something in the same casing with more protection?

 

[Eberhard]

thats how it starts until it has to be replaced. the slaps helps the blower to break free. the blower is also need for charging. if it doesn't start spinning, you will get this error-message. it happens to me too. the blower is only IP33.

this was the old solution. the new one has ip65

 

[vfx]

Yes but I don't see them redesigning the PEM just for the Roadsters which are no longer in production.

The 1.5's don't even get a new fan. And we only have one!

 

[cinergi]

My new fan seems to have picked up a problem :-( sounds like there's something stuck in the blades and it's also squealing (similar to the squealing noises prior to the old fans failing). Ugh.

Soooooo Tesla replaced my fan (the new one) -- much better. I have m4a (iPhone-recorded) files of before & after..

Busted: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14132951/Busted.m4a
Fixed: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14132951/Fixed.m4a

Nothing was obviously wrong with the unit, so they're going to check it out in the shop.

 

[JRP3]

Sounds like a bad bearing.

 

[Doug_G]

It looks like my "new improved" fan unit was defective. It started causing "Drivetrain Problem - Service Required" messages. Tesla replaced it and everything appears to be okay now.

 

[Doug_G]

Today I took my car out to a back road and did 20 cycles of full throttle to 100 kph followed by hard braking. My main goal was to clean the corrosion and crud off my brake rotors (which it did), but I was also interested in how the new cooling fans would handle it. You wouldn't use that much power even on a track! Outdoor temperature was about 14C, so cool but not cold. After 20 cycles of acceleration and braking I pulled over and stopped.

The PEM temperature stayed under 40C until the very end, when I did the last 6 cycles back-to-back as fast as I could. It peaked at 48.5C but was back under 40C a minute later, and down to 30C in two minutes. I've never seen it drop like a stone like that before. These new fans are much more powerful!

The motor gradually rose to 74C and I got a power limit after I finished my last cycle (as it happens I stopped because I ran out of road, not because of the power limit). After stopping the motor was back to 59.5C after three minutes. The power limit was gone and I drove off normally. The fans stayed on for a while after I parked.

During all this the battery went from 20C to 32C. The cooling loop was running of course but it did not engage the A/C or front fans.

 

[dsm363]

I don't see why they only offer this fan upgrade to some owners. If it's that much better, I think it would help people in warmer climates too. Good to hear it works so well though.

 

[Doug_G]

I believe they're replacing them as needed.

The original fans simply couldn't cope with the conditions here in Canada. Even if you don't drive in snow you still end up ingesting residual road salt. The Rangers had been replacing quite a lot of fans, some more than once, and that's a priority repair because dead fans means the car is not drivable. They figured they'd eventually have to do all of them anyway, so they just went ahead and did all of them at once.

 

[bonnie]

My fans were both replaced during my annual maintenance - said the bearings were noisy.

 

[Jaff]

Before I had the new improved fan & shroud installed, I went through 2 replacement sets of PEM & Motor fans (over the period of 1 year)...however, I use my Roadster as a daily driver, year round...so far, the new improved fan is working very well!

 

[dsm363]

Hmm. I think I hear my fan being too loud now too:smile:. Just had my annual service though so will have to wait unless it breaks. I use it as a daily driver although will drive it less once the Model S gets here.

 

[mpt]

Mine started to make a rattly noise but it cleared a few days later. I love the sound of these new fans; they have a digital feel to them that I love.

 

[hcsharp]

Mine started to make a rattly noise but it cleared a few days later. I love the sound of these new fans; they have a digital feel to them that I love.

Yeah, but nothin' like a small-block chevy with a lopey cam.:biggrin:

 

[vfx]

Before I had the new improved fan & shroud installed, I went through 2 replacement sets of PEM & Motor fans (over the period of 1 year)...however, I use my Roadster as a daily driver, year round...so far, the new improved fan is working very well!

I bet that's one reason they offered the new replacement shroud. Cost cutting on labor and parts. Like those carpets.

 

[Doug_G]

I bet that's one reason they offered the new replacement shroud. Cost cutting on labor and parts. Like those carpets.

I don't understand what you mean. The shroud is a completely new part, designed to keep salt, sand, and other debris from reaching the PEM/motor fan assembly.

 

[mpt]

Yeah, but nothin' like a small-block chevy with a lopey cam.:biggrin:

Noooo! I hope you don't hate me for saying this but, ICE cars from Turbo 4 to shrieking V10 no longer hold anything for me, the best sounding ICE I know now is Roger Water's Green Lamborghini on 'The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking.' (Running Shoes 1:15)

 

[vfx]

I don't understand what you mean. The shroud is a completely new part, designed to keep salt, sand, and other debris from reaching the PEM/motor fan assembly.

Sorry, I thought we were talking about the new radiator shroud.

I'm in a 1.5 so I'm just shrouded in mystery.

 

[frequencydip]

Has anyone in a 1.5 had their fan die?

My 1.5 motor has over heated a few times when driving aggressively but I havent ever seen the PEM get hot.

 

[dsm363]

How warm is too warm for the motor? My OVMS is reporting mid 50s C when parked. It's not plugged in during the day at work. Just curious, if plugged in and not charging, does the Roadster use the wall power to cool things off or it only does with charging? Thanks.