Power Train Requires Maintenance

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

Dang, so you've driven like 40,000+ miles per year? How's the rest of the vehicle holding up?

Yes, but not at all evenly distributed across the years. Drove over 50k miles the first year, then far less in the second year b/c of Covid, then more in year 3 than in year 2. Most of it was business travel. I just took a job that requires a lot of long distance travel by air so my miles will now slow down considerably, probably 10k to 15k per year.

The car is holding up great! Have replaced tires several times, replaced the 12V at 80k miles and a few other little things. Interior still looks really good as does the paint. The car still gets up and goes like it did when it was new. For me this is still the best car I’ve ever owned.

 

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

If you have the means it would be interesting to send your oil out for analysis!

At some point if Tesla recommends a change I’ll do that. But for now, if it ain’t broke I’m certainly not gonna fix it!

 

[TLLMRRJ]

At some point if Tesla recommends a change I’ll do that. But for now, if it ain’t broke I’m certainly not gonna fix it!

Changing fluids is a maintenance item, not something you fix. You fix things that break because you didn't do the maintenance.

Think about the shearing forces on the oil from the gears meshing together in the high torque electric drive units. Those extreme forces also create heat that breaks down the lubrication properties.

I won't be waiting until something breaks to do the maintenance.

 

[Amped412]

Changing fluids is a maintenance item, not something you fix. You fix things that break because you didn't do the maintenance.

Think about the shearing forces on the oil from the gears meshing together in the high torque electric drive units. Those extreme forces also create heat that breaks down the lubrication properties.

I won't be waiting until something breaks to do the maintenance.

There’s no recommended maintenance for changing the transmission fluid.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

There’s no recommended maintenance for changing the transmission fluid.

Yeah, that won't stop me from doing maintenance that needs to be done. Car manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to reduce maintenance schedules for environmental purposes, so the engineers do the math to make sure the car will break outside of warranty when they come up with their "sealed for life" maintenance schedules.

 

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

Yeah, that won't stop me from doing maintenance that needs to be done. Car manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to reduce maintenance schedules for environmental purposes, so the engineers do the math to make sure the car will break outside of warranty when they come up with their "sealed for life" maintenance schedules.

I suppose that’s possible. I’m choosing to follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule.

 

[Candleflame]

Yeah, that won't stop me from doing maintenance that needs to be done. Car manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to reduce maintenance schedules for environmental purposes, so the engineers do the math to make sure the car will break outside of warranty when they come up with their "sealed for life" maintenance schedules.

indeed. its the usual crap like "lifetime oil" etc.
Yeah im sure in a lab, when the motor is spinning at 9000 rpm / 120km/h the oil needs to be changed every 300-400k kms and can hence be considered lifetime oil but in an actual accelerating and deaccelerating car it will last considerably less.

The question is how often does it need changing.... and is it something you can change yourself? and is it something you can just ask tesla to do?

 

[TLLMRRJ]

indeed. its the usual crap like "lifetime oil" etc.
Yeah im sure in a lab, when the motor is spinning at 9000 rpm / 120km/h the oil needs to be changed every 300-400k kms and can hence be considered lifetime oil but in an actual accelerating and deaccelerating car it will last considerably less.

The question is how often does it need changing.... and is it something you can change yourself? and is it something you can just ask tesla to do?

I look back to the time before the "lifetime fluids" nonsense. So for gear oil, I go with 50K miles as a safe bet.

You can definitely change the oil and filter yourself. There are DIY's around of people who have already done it.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

I look back to the time before the "lifetime fluids" nonsense. So for gear oil, I go with 50K miles as a safe bet.

You can definitely change the oil and filter yourself. There are DIY's around of people who have already done it.

if you want to waste money... not even a modern multispeed tranny in a ICE vehicle needs new gear oil that often

 

[rpiotro]

if you want to waste money... not even a modern multispeed tranny in a ICE vehicle needs new gear oil that often

CVTs definitely need frequent changes. No more than 40K miles. Sooner if driven hard. Ask any that has owned one for a while.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

if you want to waste money... not even a modern multispeed tranny in a ICE vehicle needs new gear oil that often

You missed the whole point. Let me spell it out for you: The maintenance schedules of modern cars are influenced by forces outside of engineering.

 

[Kvitravn]

I agree with this sentiment. The lifetime oil on an Audi sport diff looks horrible after 100k km if you drive it like it's meant to be driven.

 

[jackmott]

You missed the whole point. Let me spell it out for you: The maintenance schedules of modern cars are influenced by forces outside of engineering.

It would be cool to see people actually send the oil off for analysis then we would know. If you imagine being in my shoes, I see unknown person from the internet asserting 50k miles with no supporting data, vs Tesla supporting "lifetime". I wouldn't know what to believe! It would be cool if some of the high mileage non-racers sent oil off for analysis, but I know that is a big hassle.

I know some of the people racing them have done that, and have found that it needed to be changed. So if you do track days a lot, might be a good idea to change it periodically. But that puts a ton more heat into the drivetrain than normal people.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

i really don't get the issue... Tesla has no required or even recommended gearbox oil replacement schedule and gives you 8yrs/ 100k miles warranty on the powertrain which includes motor(s)/ gearbox etc.

Unless you are intending to drive the car beyond 8yrs or 100k miles... any premature failure is "on the house".

 

[tm1v2]

i really don't get the issue... Tesla has no required or even recommended gearbox oil replacement schedule and gives you 8yrs/ 100k miles warranty on the powertrain which includes motor(s)/ gearbox etc.

Unless you are intending to drive the car beyond 8yrs or 100k miles... any premature failure is "on the house".

Many of us plan to keep these cars for more than 100k miles. Or at least might do so, and a bit of extra maintenance seems worthwhile for possible future reliability benefit. I'm well past 100k miles on my first Tesla and no plans to get rid of it yet.

 

[Amped412]

One of the benefits of an electric car is less maintenance. Take advantage of that benefit. There’s no need to do more maintenance than what is recommended by Tesla. If you miss changing the oil of your car go buy a gas car lol.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

One of the benefits of an electric car is less maintenance. Take advantage of that benefit. There’s no need to do more maintenance than what is recommended by Tesla. If you miss changing the oil of your car go buy a gas car lol.

100%. especially as by now they have over 9 years of real-life experience with the Model S on how long the gearbox oil really lasts. if they had seen failures with the Model S over the years they would have updated the service schedule for the 3 / Y. but they didn't. therefore it's safe to assume that the gearbox oil and filter is good for a long long time.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

100%. especially as by now they have over 9 years of real-life experience with the Model S on how long the gearbox oil really lasts. if they had seen failures with the Model S over the years they would have updated the service schedule for the 3 / Y. but they didn't. therefore it's safe to assume that the gearbox oil and filter is good for a long long time.

Would they? You don't think Tesla wants to sell replacement parts and the labor to install them outside of warranty?

 

[texas_star_TM3]

Would they? You don't think Tesla wants to sell replacement parts and the labor to install them outside of warranty?

with all the technical issues the S had ... failing gear box due to dirty oil isn't one of them

 

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

S

Would they? You don't think Tesla wants to sell replacement parts and the labor to install them outside of warranty?

Sure they do. So they could update the recommended maintenance schedule to show a gearbox oil change at a mileage just outside the warranty period. But they haven’t. So logically one can assume it doesn’t need to be done.