Power Steering falling apart

[AZbba]

Sounds like when the bolts were replaced during the recall the motor tension on the belt was compromised. Therefore the cog belt would wear and give you that warning message.

I'm not, nor can anyone be 100% sure my issue was caused by the recall or recall service, but no one can also be 100% sure it was not caused by the recall or recall service - considering the recall was on a bolt that holds the part on.

I don't know if the shims were installed as that other post indicated they should be. I don't know if the tension on the belt was compromised. I feel there is enough doubt as to the exact cause of the failure that they should fix it.

Tesla has already supposedly escalated this to the regional management who has denied my request to have the repair done as goodwill.

So my options are to spend about $1100 for a certified body shop to replace it with one pulled from a parted out car, or to spend the $3800 and sue them to recover it. I think my chances of success would be fairly high but the amount of work required with the holidays coming up and vacation, ect. I'll probably just have the body shop do it.

 

[AZbba]

If the motor came loose or bolts snapped, then it'd be covered under the recall.
@AZbba indicated the bolts were recently replaced, so I highly doubt they're snapped or loose; and didn't mention it was making noise - just working intermittently.

I agree, Tesla won't service the rack; only replace it. If this happened to mine, I'd find a used motor and swap it out myself. It's too easy a repair to spend $3860 on.

I explored this, the problem is the belt is likely shredded as well. From my understanding replacing the belt is probably more work than replacing the whole rack.

 

[nuronce]

Additional update: The recall-replaced power steering rack died completely (after being intermittent), a bit over a year and 6000 miles since it was replaced. Tesla wants $4,000 to replace it again! Gotta make up for all the cash that Tesla is bleeding somehow. Correction: $4,745.63 out the door.

These are the reasons I am planning to leave Tesla

 

[WinterDragoness]

So my options are to spend about $1100 for a certified body shop to replace it with one pulled from a parted out car, or to spend the $3800 and sue them to recover it.

Which body shop was willing to install a used power steering rack for that price?

 

[Plasmid_Boy]

Hey MrElbe

I just fiqured out both of our problems when we both installed our motors wrong and mine works now we didn't pre tensioned the belts hopefully yours works like mine just did I pulled my motor off again to see if I could get a part number off the belt and I did will post pictures after this then I reinstalled the motor it sounded even worse then before with the loud grinding sounds so I lossen the bolts off again and placed a pry bar under the rear side of the motor and forced the motor up hard!! And retightend the bolts there is no tensioner in this system but just the slop in the holes in the rack is enough to make the belt jump so I just tried it out and it works just like before!!! No noises at all!!! I hope you read this and everyone else that does this job reads this
View attachment 275793
Push down hard!! on the pry bar in this position and tighten the bolts at the same time
View attachment 275794

Thank you for this. Just replaced the bolts and got grinding sound. Will try your tensioning trick. Thanks again!

 

[Plasmid_Boy]

They don't look that way in the photos.
Can anyone who has preemptively removed and replaced these bolts weigh in here?
I'm getting ready to change mine and don't want any "shoulda left well enough alone" surprises.
Thanks
MDR

Yes, I just did it last night (thanks to this thread).
I took the motor off and lubricated the o-ring with silicone vacuum grease before installing it back.
And I coated the threads of the bolts with anti-seize.
Remember to pry the motor up to create tension on the belt as described in an earlier post (sorry forgot the name).
The bolts I used were a little shorter (maybe 1/8") than the originals, so fingers crossed.

 

[wozzinator]

I'm not, nor can anyone be 100% sure my issue was caused by the recall or recall service, but no one can also be 100% sure it was not caused by the recall or recall service - considering the recall was on a bolt that holds the part on.

I don't know if the shims were installed as that other post indicated they should be. I don't know if the tension on the belt was compromised. I feel there is enough doubt as to the exact cause of the failure that they should fix it.

Tesla has already supposedly escalated this to the regional management who has denied my request to have the repair done as goodwill.

So my options are to spend about $1100 for a certified body shop to replace it with one pulled from a parted out car, or to spend the $3800 and sue them to recover it. I think my chances of success would be fairly high but the amount of work required with the holidays coming up and vacation, ect. I'll probably just have the body shop do it.

I had my steering rack bolt replaced in my 2015 Model S as part of the recall back in August of 2018 (SB-18-32-002). I just dropped my car off this morning for service because the power steering gave out entirely. They said that the failure signature looks like the electronics in the steering rack and that it is all one unit so it had to be replaced entirely. Is there any correlation between cars that had the steering bolt replaced as part of the recall requiring premature steering rack replacement? $3900 replacement is a tough pill to swallow.

 

[mongo]

I had my steering rack bolt replaced in my 2015 Model S as part of the recall back in August of 2018 (SB-18-32-002). I just dropped my car off this morning for service because the power steering gave out entirely. They said that the failure signature looks like the electronics in the steering rack and that it is all one unit so it had to be replaced entirely. Is there any correlation between cars that had the steering bolt replaced as part of the recall requiring premature steering rack replacement? $3900 replacement is a tough pill to swallow.

Sorry to hear about the trouble. Those two events should not have anything to do with each other.

 

[Mikenicee]

Hey MrElbe

I just fiqured out both of our problems when we both installed our motors wrong and mine works now we didn't pre tensioned the belts hopefully yours works like mine just did I pulled my motor off again to see if I could get a part number off the belt and I did will post pictures after this then I reinstalled the motor it sounded even worse then before with the loud grinding sounds so I lossen the bolts off again and placed a pry bar under the rear side of the motor and forced the motor up hard!! And retightend the bolts there is no tensioner in this system but just the slop in the holes in the rack is enough to make the belt jump so I just tried it out and it works just like before!!! No noises at all!!! I hope you read this and everyone else that does this job reads this
View attachment 275793
Push down hard!! on the pry bar in this position and tighten the bolts at the same time
View attachment 275794

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My steering motor died, got a new motor on ebay for $200 but couldn't figure out how to add tension to it. Thanks to your explanation, I got it.

You saved me $3500. Tesla wanted to change out entire assembly. I said I know it's just the motor,.. Nope they wouldn't just do that for me.

Thank you. If ever on long Island, steak dinner for you!