Cyclone
Cyclonic Member ((.oO))
Not on my car, but they had to retrofit the motor side mounts in my car and that caused some shifting of the wiring in my trunk.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Not on my car, but they had to retrofit the motor side mounts in my car and that caused some shifting of the wiring in my trunk.
Don't believe it. I've had three DU replacements and I have only floored my car twice and hardly ever accelerate aggressively. In fact, my first DU replacement took place at 500 miles - I hardly even had a chance to drive the thing. My average consumption is 296 Wh/mi. I drive it very gently with an eye more towards efficiency than speed/acceleration. If I need three replacements in 18,000 miles as delicately as I drive, from my perspective it has nothing to do with the car's torque and power.
One forum member had his DU replaced and the replacement exhibited the same issue before he made it off the service center lot.
Not replaced but they have to pull out the suspension components to get the DU out and then put them back. That's why an alignment is always included whenever the DU is pulled out, it's a requirement. So if anyone's rear end is squirly after a DU swap it's probably the alignment was done bad and needs to be done again.
Cyclone
Cyclonic Member ((.oO))
Glad to hear it, let's hope it lasts! Note that you got a remanufactured DU, not new. My question is; have they made engineering changes on the reman units to stop the failure, or is it just the same stuff, just buying more time?
Amongst reports from major media outlets, analysts at different institutions, to what's on the Bloomberg terminals, these blogs and posts are just tiny noises not even worth mentioning IMHO.
That is very true. These trolls don't matter one wee bit, either for TSLA or for making a dent on prospects buying decisions.
On the other hand a FUD hit piece from WSJ or a less than stellar report from CR, or on the flip side the pump&dump recommendations from Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas - they all have a big impact at least short term.
On the other hand a FUD hit piece from WSJ or a less than stellar report from CR, or on the flip side the pump&dump recommendations from Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas - they all have a big impact at least short term.
This would make it the third time that I've been quoted in some Tesla hit piece. Whatevs.
AlbertOnMars
Member
I just started experiencing the milling sound midway along a 5,000 miles road trip in my Model S. I started in Austin, Texas, and I'm currently in Portland, Oregon. I first noticed the sound a day after I arrived in Portland, and I called the Tesla Service phone number last Friday afternoon. They told me that the sound was not a safety issue and just an annoyance. I told them I wanted to take the car to the Portland Service Center, but that I would not be able to make it there on Friday. So, I arranged to go down there first thing Monday morning (today).
The sound is identical to that in the second video posted in this thread (the recording made in a parking garage). You can clearly hear it during acceleration at lower speeds, and I can also hear it during regeneration at slow speeds. At first I thought it could only be heard in the car, but putting down my windows revealed that it's quite audible outside the car as well. I can very easily modulate the sound as someone else described in this thread.
Another issue then popped up after I called the Tesla Service number. The first time I drive the car after it's been sitting for a while, I can smell a strong, burning smell inside the cabin. It's a very unpleasant smell, and it goes away after a few minutes. This, to me, is more alarming than the milling sounds.
I brought my car to the Portland service center this morning. I described the burning smell I am experiencing when I start driving the car after it has been sitting for a while. The service advisor stated that it's not unusual for the heating system to produce a smell from dust burning off after it hasn't been used for a while. I am skeptical of this explanation, as I had two overnight stays on my journey where the outside temperature was 40 degrees one morning and 45 degrees another morning. The heater was on to warm up the cabin both of these times, and I experienced no unusual smells then. If there was a significant amount of dust to be burned off, it surely would have done so during those times when the heater was operating for an extended period of time.
A tech made a recording of the noise from within the car while I drove it around briefly. The advisor stated they would pull the logs for the car, and get feedback from engineering as to how to proceed. He said that if they did have to replace the drive unit, they'd have to get one from the factory and it would take 3-6 days to arrive. Well, since I'm driving down to Fremont tomorrow to get a tour of the factory on Wednesday, that obviously would not be convenient. When I told him that, he said that if they did authorize replacing the drive unit, it might be faster for them to do so at the factory. The tech advisor told me the tech who recorded the sound described it as the "milling noise".
Being in the middle of a long road trip (which has been great up to this point), I'm greatly concerned about having the drive unit fail in the middle of some leg of my journey. The noise is one thing and annoying (very noticeable, inside and out), but the new smell is more alarming. I have not put many miles on the car since arriving in Portland, so driving down to Fremont will be the first extended drive of the vehicle since these issues appeared. I am going to continue my journey as planned (especially since I have a tour scheduled for Wednesday), and will obviously pay close attention to both issues. I have turned off the climate control system to see if the smell persists.
To me, the milling sound is unacceptable. The car used to be completely silent, and now I hear this sound anytime I accelerate from a stop or I'm driving a lower speeds (such as in the city), even when I have music playing (unless it's playing loudly). It's especially noticeable when accelerating from a stop or decelerating to a stop. You can easily hear it from outside the car as well
For those keeping track, I'm driving a late 2014 S85 with less than 15,000 miles on the clock.
The sound is identical to that in the second video posted in this thread (the recording made in a parking garage). You can clearly hear it during acceleration at lower speeds, and I can also hear it during regeneration at slow speeds. At first I thought it could only be heard in the car, but putting down my windows revealed that it's quite audible outside the car as well. I can very easily modulate the sound as someone else described in this thread.
Another issue then popped up after I called the Tesla Service number. The first time I drive the car after it's been sitting for a while, I can smell a strong, burning smell inside the cabin. It's a very unpleasant smell, and it goes away after a few minutes. This, to me, is more alarming than the milling sounds.
I brought my car to the Portland service center this morning. I described the burning smell I am experiencing when I start driving the car after it has been sitting for a while. The service advisor stated that it's not unusual for the heating system to produce a smell from dust burning off after it hasn't been used for a while. I am skeptical of this explanation, as I had two overnight stays on my journey where the outside temperature was 40 degrees one morning and 45 degrees another morning. The heater was on to warm up the cabin both of these times, and I experienced no unusual smells then. If there was a significant amount of dust to be burned off, it surely would have done so during those times when the heater was operating for an extended period of time.
A tech made a recording of the noise from within the car while I drove it around briefly. The advisor stated they would pull the logs for the car, and get feedback from engineering as to how to proceed. He said that if they did have to replace the drive unit, they'd have to get one from the factory and it would take 3-6 days to arrive. Well, since I'm driving down to Fremont tomorrow to get a tour of the factory on Wednesday, that obviously would not be convenient. When I told him that, he said that if they did authorize replacing the drive unit, it might be faster for them to do so at the factory. The tech advisor told me the tech who recorded the sound described it as the "milling noise".
Being in the middle of a long road trip (which has been great up to this point), I'm greatly concerned about having the drive unit fail in the middle of some leg of my journey. The noise is one thing and annoying (very noticeable, inside and out), but the new smell is more alarming. I have not put many miles on the car since arriving in Portland, so driving down to Fremont will be the first extended drive of the vehicle since these issues appeared. I am going to continue my journey as planned (especially since I have a tour scheduled for Wednesday), and will obviously pay close attention to both issues. I have turned off the climate control system to see if the smell persists.
To me, the milling sound is unacceptable. The car used to be completely silent, and now I hear this sound anytime I accelerate from a stop or I'm driving a lower speeds (such as in the city), even when I have music playing (unless it's playing loudly). It's especially noticeable when accelerating from a stop or decelerating to a stop. You can easily hear it from outside the car as well
For those keeping track, I'm driving a late 2014 S85 with less than 15,000 miles on the clock.
sometimes adding too many moves complicates things unnecessarily you should consider being sure that you get a firm authorization
from the people in portland, watch them log it into the system and get a hard copy, then try to get the fix at fremont or just wait until you get home. The noise isn't going to cause any failure in the short term, it is just annoying. Good luck
from the people in portland, watch them log it into the system and get a hard copy, then try to get the fix at fremont or just wait until you get home. The noise isn't going to cause any failure in the short term, it is just annoying. Good luck
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
AlbertOnMars
Member
I didn't get a hard copy, but I'm pretty sure they logged it into the system. They had a printout of my issue when I arrived, as a result of my previous call to the service number. And the service tech added the audio recording and his comments to my issue. I plan on arriving early in Fremont so I can talk to them before my scheduled tour.
I don't expect a failure short-term, but it is annoying, and I still have to drive 2,500 before I get home.
- - - Updated - - -
Tomorrow morning before we head south towards California, I will make sure the environmental controls are off. If after driving for five minutes I don't smell anything, I'll then turn on the heater and see if I get that same smell.
mknox
Well-Known Member
I think that's just dust being burned off the heating elements that haven't been used all summer. I notice it around this time every year in my car. It goes away. I have a rental property with electric baseboard heat. Same thing when you first turn them back on in the fall.
AlbertOnMars
Member
A quick update on my issue. I'm nearly back home, after driving over 5,000 miles on this particular trip. The milling noise hasn't gotten any worse (as far as I can tell), and the car seems to be just fine outside of that. The burning smell I experienced several times in Portland has been mostly absent since I made my initial post above. I did actually smell it for the first time in over a week this morning, and it probably is related to the heater. So, I'm no longer concerned about that.
As for the drive unit, I stopped at the Fremont service center (at the factory) to get their opinion. They suggested that I call my local service center so they could work on the issue with me. I contacted them and they have ordered a replacement drive unit and will be replacing it on November 18th.
I've had plenty of opportunity to listen to the noise with the windows down, at low speed, and it's pretty loud from the outside of the car. It's an unusual noise, so I'm sure people are wondering what the heck it is as I drive by (or as I'm accelerating next to them when the light turns green). It will be very nice to have silence again, as well as not having to worry about the issue getting worse and potentially causing failure of the drive unit.
As for the drive unit, I stopped at the Fremont service center (at the factory) to get their opinion. They suggested that I call my local service center so they could work on the issue with me. I contacted them and they have ordered a replacement drive unit and will be replacing it on November 18th.
I've had plenty of opportunity to listen to the noise with the windows down, at low speed, and it's pretty loud from the outside of the car. It's an unusual noise, so I'm sure people are wondering what the heck it is as I drive by (or as I'm accelerating next to them when the light turns green). It will be very nice to have silence again, as well as not having to worry about the issue getting worse and potentially causing failure of the drive unit.
From this comment: TrueDelta: Tesla Is Least Reliable Automotive Brand - Model S Repair Frequency Is 2 To 3 Times Worse Than Average
It seems that on average a random Model S will get its drive unit replaced once every 9 years. Those stats may improve over time. Or they may worsen. We will see. Nonetheless, my conclusion is that it is one less obstacle on the road to my purchase of a Tesla.
It seems that on average a random Model S will get its drive unit replaced once every 9 years. Those stats may improve over time. Or they may worsen. We will see. Nonetheless, my conclusion is that it is one less obstacle on the road to my purchase of a Tesla.
green1
Active Member
Just keep in mind that TrueDelta statistics are 100% useless for any form of statistical analysis. TrueDelta relies on self reporting by owners, this ALWAYS causes horrible statistical inaccuracies and a strong bias towards showing more problems than really exist as owners with no problems have no incentive to look for places to report that.
The only reasonable studies are ones that actively seek out owners and interview them regardless of if they have issues or not. CR is about the only one so far, and although they rate the car below average in reliability, if you look at the actual data they post, it seems the car is extremely reliable, except for a few creaks and squeeks which probably wouldn't even be heard in most other cars.
No. CR statistics were over optimistic at first, since with time they are reaching the same conclusion as TrueDelta. Or put another way: CR stats' evolution may show a quick degradation of the Model S that was first shown by the most disgruntled Model S owners who reported their problems to TrueDelta. You made me reconsider: maybe I should wait a couple more years before concluding anything about the reliability of Tesla cars.
