Plaid Vibration around 38-42MPH....

[Meltdow]

I have a slight vibration around 45. My wife happened to put the suspension in comfort mode, I usually have it in automatic, and it seems to help with the vibration. Is that just because it's compensating or could that mean something?

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Noted a mild vibration/NVH issue in one of our 2022 MS Plaids. At under 8k miles I was surprised to see what appears to be evidence of a failure of the INNER CV boot on the driver’s side half shaft. (Massive amounts of grease splatter in that general area.)

This boot only flexes with height changes vs. height AND steering on the outer, which is why the outer boots wear out first. Can’t 100% confirm this is the issue without pulling the wheel off, etc., but, since the car is going in for service next week for other issues (hopefully) I’ll just add this to the list and let them deal with it. Frustrating to have so many issues on such an expensive car, and after what appears to be many years of development. Perhaps Tesla needs to increase prototype testing, even if it results in more delays in launching new models . . . .

Side note: Interestingly the amount of grease particles being flung out of that area actually made the aft lower control arm on the driver’s side become discolored /stained grey; right side picture posted for comparison. (Although the pictures don't it capture well, there is a remarkable difference in the real world, side-by-side comparison.)

Questions:

1. What are the latest and greatest part numbers for the MS Plaid front half-shafts?

2. Should I have both replaced “while they’re there,” or is that not likely to be done given the new attitudes at Tesla Service?

3. Speaking of Tesla Service, I have had friends swear off ever buying another Tesla due to their atrocious service experiences. Thus, an "up vote" on this SayTechnologies.com input for the Q1 investor's call would be of value (if Say will allow it to be posted, which is "iffy"):

Service continues on a downward spiral with weeks long appointment wait times, month-long waits for parts, and Uber credits vs. loaners (and the rare loaner car is a half-decade old, trade-in). This damages the brand and mission. Will Tesla ever address this chronic failure?

 

[pyreegue]

Noted a mild vibration/NVH issue in one of our 2022 MS Plaids. At under 8k miles I was surprised to see what appears to be evidence of a failure of the INNER CV boot on the driver’s side half shaft. (Massive amounts of grease splatter in that general area.)

This boot only flexes with height changes vs. height AND steering on the outer, which is why the outer boots wear out first. Can’t 100% confirm this is the issue without pulling the wheel off, etc., but, since the car is going in for service next week for other issues (hopefully) I’ll just add this to the list and let them deal with it. Frustrating to have so many issues on such an expensive car, and after what appears to be many years of development. Perhaps Tesla needs to increase prototype testing, even if it results in more delays in launching new models . . . .

Side note: Interestingly the amount of grease particles being flung out of that area actually made the aft lower control arm on the driver’s side become discolored /stained grey; right side picture posted for comparison. (Although the pictures don't it capture well, there is a remarkable difference in the real world, side-by-side comparison.)

Questions:

1. What are the latest and greatest part numbers for the MS Plaid front half-shafts?

2. Should I have both replaced “while they’re there,” or is that not likely to be done given the new attitudes at Tesla Service?

3. Speaking of Tesla Service, I have had friends swear off ever buying another Tesla due to their atrocious service experiences. Thus, an "up vote" on this SayTechnologies.com input for the Q1 investor's call would be of value (if Say will allow it to be posted, which is "iffy"):

Service continues on a downward spiral with weeks long appointment wait times, month-long waits for parts, and Uber credits vs. loaners (and the rare loaner car is a half-decade old, trade-in). This damages the brand and mission. Will Tesla ever address this chronic failure?

Literally a decade old issue with half shafts and they still haven't fixed it.

 

[n2mb_racing]

Literally a decade old issue with half shafts and they still haven't fixed it.

Well, sort of. They fixed the really bad vibration with the updated half shafts. Then they re-used those in the plaid and refresh S, and now we have a new, more subtle vibration. I wonder if any pre-refresh cars with the new shafts are vibrating like this?

 

[jebinc]

Noted a mild vibration/NVH issue in one of our 2022 MS Plaids. At under 8k miles I was surprised to see what appears to be evidence of a failure of the INNER CV boot on the driver’s side half shaft. (Massive amounts of grease splatter in that general area.)

This boot only flexes with height changes vs. height AND steering on the outer, which is why the outer boots wear out first. Can’t 100% confirm this is the issue without pulling the wheel off, etc., but, since the car is going in for service next week for other issues (hopefully) I’ll just add this to the list and let them deal with it. Frustrating to have so many issues on such an expensive car, and after what appears to be many years of development. Perhaps Tesla needs to increase prototype testing, even if it results in more delays in launching new models . . . .

Side note: Interestingly the amount of grease particles being flung out of that area actually made the aft lower control arm on the driver’s side become discolored /stained grey; right side picture posted for comparison. (Although the pictures don't it capture well, there is a remarkable difference in the real world, side-by-side comparison.)

Questions:

1. What are the latest and greatest part numbers for the MS Plaid front half-shafts?

2. Should I have both replaced “while they’re there,” or is that not likely to be done given the new attitudes at Tesla Service?

3. Speaking of Tesla Service, I have had friends swear off ever buying another Tesla due to their atrocious service experiences. Thus, an "up vote" on this SayTechnologies.com input for the Q1 investor's call would be of value (if Say will allow it to be posted, which is "iffy"):

Service continues on a downward spiral with weeks long appointment wait times, month-long waits for parts, and Uber credits vs. loaners (and the rare loaner car is a half-decade old, trade-in). This damages the brand and mission. Will Tesla ever address this chronic failure?

Yep, pretty sad - Tesla calling this normal for nearly a decade.

 

[pyreegue]

Well, sort of. They fixed the really bad vibration with the updated half shafts. Then they re-used those in the plaid and refresh S, and now we have a new, more subtle vibration. I wonder if any pre-refresh cars with the new shafts are vibrating like this?

So if Ravens are a-OK, I guess they will need a better half-shaft to compensate for more power because this car is literally destroying itself with this much torque. It's a shame I can't really punch it in any suspension setting other than the lowest one. I bought the car almost specifically for this.

 

[sorka]

I've been fortunate enough to always bet loaners at the Fremont service center. Most recently a Model 3 for 5 weeks.

 

[n2mb_racing]

So if Ravens are a-OK, I guess they will need a better half-shaft to compensate for more power because this car is literally destroying itself with this much torque. It's a shame I can't really punch it in any suspension setting other than the lowest one. I bought the car almost specifically for this.

Well, actually, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with torque. My half shafts were replaced and I specifically did not floor it for a week. The vibration came back anyway.

Also, the plaid has lower wheel torque than the Raven. You can check out the torque and HP charts. The Plaid has way more HP, but wheel torque remains the same or lower. So, I don't think there are any different or increased loads on the shafts compared to the Raven.

 

[sorka]

Well, actually, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with torque. My half shafts were replaced and I specifically did not floor it for a week. The vibration came back anyway.

Also, the plaid has lower wheel torque than the Raven. You can check out the torque and HP charts. The Plaid has way more HP, but wheel torque remains the same or lower. So, I don't think there are any different or increased loads on the shafts compared to the Raven.

Not lower torque but certainly not higher as both are traction limited at lower rpms/speed where torque is highest.

 

[n2mb_racing]

Not lower torque but certainly not higher as both are traction limited at lower rpms/speed where torque is highest.

This is where I'm getting lower torque from. You can see the 2019 Performance has slightly higher HP up to just under 40 mph, then the 2019 transitions to being HP / battery kW limited, where the Plaid maintains the same torque almost to 60 mph, which allows it to beat the 2019 to 60. I suspect the 2019 would be a hair faster to 37 mph, if this graph is accurate. Although, I doubt anyone would notice.

Anyway, torque is constant up to ~60 mph and either motor amp or traction limited, and likely no higher than the Raven or P100D.

So, I have no idea where the vibration is coming from.

 

[WilliamG]

This is where I'm getting lower torque from. You can see the 2019 Performance has slightly higher HP up to just under 40 mph, then the 2019 transitions to being HP / battery kW limited, where the Plaid maintains the same torque almost to 60 mph, which allows it to beat the 2019 to 60. I suspect the 2019 would be a hair faster to 37 mph, if this graph is accurate. Although, I doubt anyone would notice.

Anyway, torque is constant up to ~60 mph and either motor amp or traction limited, and likely no higher than the Raven or P100D.

So, I have no idea where the vibration is coming from.

View attachment 814698

I’d also like to know why the latest 2022s (including my own) have this new vibration. I’m “fortunate” enough to have had the 2021 and now 2022 Plaid and am intimately familiar with the ~40mph 2021 vibration. The 2022 vibration is something quite different.

 

[n2mb_racing]

I’d also like to know why the latest 2022s (including my own) have this new vibration. I’m “fortunate” enough to have had the 2021 and now 2022 Plaid and am intimately familiar with the ~40mph 2021 vibration. The 2022 vibration is something quite different.

Your 2022 plaid has a different vibration than your 2021 plaid?

 

[WilliamG]

Your 2022 plaid has a different vibration than your 2021 plaid?

Correct. Mine (and it appears many other 2022s only) vibrates around 32mph just for the first couple of minutes of any trip. Then it’s gone.

 

[pyreegue]

This is where I'm getting lower torque from. You can see the 2019 Performance has slightly higher HP up to just under 40 mph, then the 2019 transitions to being HP / battery kW limited, where the Plaid maintains the same torque almost to 60 mph, which allows it to beat the 2019 to 60. I suspect the 2019 would be a hair faster to 37 mph, if this graph is accurate. Although, I doubt anyone would notice.

Anyway, torque is constant up to ~60 mph and either motor amp or traction limited, and likely no higher than the Raven or P100D.

So, I have no idea where the vibration is coming from.

View attachment 814698

And here's your answer. Vibrations at 38-42, I've seen other threads where people had vibrations at 50-70mph, right where the power curve exceeds previous generation MS.

 

[mswlogo]

Well, sort of. They fixed the really bad vibration with the updated half shafts. Then they re-used those in the plaid and refresh S, and now we have a new, more subtle vibration. I wonder if any pre-refresh cars with the new shafts are vibrating like this?

I have the exact same part number shaft in my pre-refresh Model X. And on normal height and sport mode it vibrated bad. It wasn’t bad on low and Chill. But it was eating tires doing that. And god forbid I run it in sport mode scoot down a highway entrance ramp.

That’s exactly what I’m doing on the S Refresh and crossing my fingers I don’t eat tires. Always chill. No launches.

 

[lbowroom]

And here's your answer. Vibrations at 38-42, I've seen other threads where people had vibrations at 50-70mph, right where the power curve exceeds previous generation MS.

You’re missing the point. They aren’t failing from power. They don’t vibrate under full load, they vibrate under no load steady state.

 

[jlundbye]

Correct. Mine (and it appears many other 2022s only) vibrates around 32mph just for the first couple of minutes of any trip. Then it’s gone.

@WilliamG - this is exactly what’s happening to my new plaid. Are you aware of any fixes?

 

[WilliamG]

@WilliamG - this is exactly what’s happening to my new plaid. Are you aware of any fixes?

Nope. It’s pretty bad, though, right? Some parts must have changed between the 2021 and 2022 Model S for this to occur as it’s really noticeable.

 

[jlundbye]

Nope. It’s pretty bad, though, right? Some parts must have changed between the 2021 and 2022 Model S for this to occur as it’s really noticeable.

Yes but only for the first part of your drive. I did bring it to my service center and they balanced my wheels. Not useful at all.
I’ve been a model S owner since 2014 (4 vehicles) and the service has really eroded. Frustrating!

 

[WilliamG]

Yes but only for the first part of your drive. I did bring it to my service center and they balanced my wheels. Not useful at all.
I’ve been a model S owner since 2014 (4 vehicles) and the service has really eroded. Frustrating!

Yeah it’s not great. You’d think buying a car this expensive would be a little different, but it’s just the way it is…