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strider
Active Member
I thought it was actually an upgraded fan that would keep the PEM cooler in warm weather? It's not very hot here but during the summer I got a "power reduced" a few times.
The new blower does not have a higher throughput of air. The new blower has one capsulated motor with 2 rotors on both sides. The cabin around the rotor/motor combination prevents to blow dust and other debris to the PEM, which is blocking the cooling ribs on the heat exchanger.
Jaff
Active Member
Shhh...you might wake old man Winter up...I still shudder when I see your pics from last winter (sans garage)..:scared:.
New fan assembly (two blowers on one motor):
New & old swaybars:
Old Fans:
New shroud (several of them clustered together here):
Installation took 5-6 hours (!) ... consisted of replacing the sway bar, cutting off the ends of some bolts (to get them out of the way), a thousand screws, etc etc...
The fan definitely sounds different ... louder unfortunately (more motor noise than wind noise ... so far at least). I did some very heavy acceleration runs to really heat it up and it cooled the PEM back down to the FIRST BAR which I've NEVER seen happen, even in below-zero temps -- and it's ~40F today. The motor was actually the last to cool down -- backwards from what I'm used to.
New & old swaybars:
Old Fans:
New shroud (several of them clustered together here):
Installation took 5-6 hours (!) ... consisted of replacing the sway bar, cutting off the ends of some bolts (to get them out of the way), a thousand screws, etc etc...
The fan definitely sounds different ... louder unfortunately (more motor noise than wind noise ... so far at least). I did some very heavy acceleration runs to really heat it up and it cooled the PEM back down to the FIRST BAR which I've NEVER seen happen, even in below-zero temps -- and it's ~40F today. The motor was actually the last to cool down -- backwards from what I'm used to.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Much better design, without the fan sucking air and junk into the fan motor, but I'd still like to see some filter material involved.
DrComputer
TeslaClubLA President
But now with the single motor design the car cannot regulate which fan needs to spin faster to cool down either the PEM or motor. I assume the software errors on the side of spinning faster to cool the hottest component. I guess this would potentially make the fan louder.
Wow, thanks for the detailed photos. This explains why a firmware update was required to support the new fans. One motor - two fans. They had to change the control logic to make it work.
It's amazing how big of a mod this is. It's so big they have to put in new rear sway bars! This is going to cost them quite a bit to upgrade so many cars. You gotta hand it to Tesla, they're really supporting their Roadster owners.
It's too bad the fans are noisier, but if it really does cool as well as you say, then I'd say it's the right decision. I've hit power limit on a couple of occasions; if it works that well then I probably won't see that again. Also keeping the electronics cooler will extend their lifespan.
Eli is doing mine on Friday (plus the HIDs). Should be all set for the spring.
It's amazing how big of a mod this is. It's so big they have to put in new rear sway bars! This is going to cost them quite a bit to upgrade so many cars. You gotta hand it to Tesla, they're really supporting their Roadster owners.
It's too bad the fans are noisier, but if it really does cool as well as you say, then I'd say it's the right decision. I've hit power limit on a couple of occasions; if it works that well then I probably won't see that again. Also keeping the electronics cooler will extend their lifespan.
Eli is doing mine on Friday (plus the HIDs). Should be all set for the spring.
Right now they're doing every Roadster in Canada, under warranty, no Ranger fees. I believe they said they originally said were going to roll it out in cold climates first.
Given it's only failed for me when there was salt on the road, it's probably a cold-first thing. I don't know if they're going to replace all of them (that's a *LOT* of work!) ... or wait until you've had a failure to do it. This was fully warrantied (and no ranger fees). I know I kept pressing for "a solution" but didn't specifically ask for the new fans... but they sure knew I wanted something permanent and they put me on the list.
Cinergy when you say cut off the ends of some bolts, did they actually go in there with a grinder with cut-off wheel? Wouldn't it be easier to just replace them with different bolts?
What material is the shroud made of? Does it look like it will keep salt spray out of there? Like the stuff the car in front of you kicks up on the highway that basically goes everywhere?
you're probably rolling on snows right now but I'm curious if the new sway bar changes anything performance wise.
Oh and thanks for posting all these pics. I've been really curious. In case you're too busy to respond, no prob I'm scheduled for later this week.
You say 5-6 hours for installation? That's strange, european Roadsters are good and done in 2 hours. My ranger needed ~3 hours, but that's because it was the first time ever he did the work.
The fan is louder, but you will become accostumed with it. The PEM cooling now is really strong, just as cinergi said it cools it down in seconds from the third to the first bar. Motor is now the number 1 heating "issue".
The fan is louder, but you will become accostumed with it. The PEM cooling now is really strong, just as cinergi said it cools it down in seconds from the third to the first bar. Motor is now the number 1 heating "issue".
strider
Active Member
Yeah, this is weird... If the new system cools the PEM better and PEM overheats are quite common in warmer climates (heck I've had a few and NorCal isn't Houston) you'd think they'd replace the hot weather owners too. Which means they really need to do them all. Perhaps they're just prioritizing the cold weather folks over the winter and they'll roll it out to the rest of us as we come in for our annuals or whatever.
I think they'll probably change them all eventually. I always found it strange that they chose those fans since they never seemed up to withstanding an automotive environment. Regarding priority, it's the difference between the existing fans having to work harder in warm climates versus complete failure in cold climates (due to road grime).
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