TMC is an independent, primarily volunteer organization that relies on ad revenue to cover its operating costs. Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. For more info: Support TMC
  1. TMC is currently READ ONLY.
    Click here for more info.

Roadster Rear Blower Maintenance

Discussion in 'Roadster 2008-2012' started by Jackyche, Mar 21, 2014.

Tags:
  1. mgemmell

    mgemmell Scottish chap

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2012
    Messages:
    321
    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    Right enough... might be good to put some filter material over the rear slots too though.

    I'm thinking that maybe with some simple mods to the boot space at either side I might be able to pull down air from above the rear wheel arches.... Combining your idea, or the snow blocker panels with this could really reduce the dirty PEM issue.
     
  2. n2mb_racing

    n2mb_racing Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2014
    Messages:
    1,108
    Location:
    durham, NC
    Does anyone know if Tesla is still performing the upgrade from single to dual blowers? Was it covered under warranty? I'm trying to ask them to do it to my car, since it has the single blower setup and isn't really doing a good job of keeping the PEM cool in any weather above 75 degrees...
     
  3. hcsharp

    hcsharp Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,370
    Location:
    Vermont
    They've always had dual blowers on the 2.0 and 2.5 Roadsters. The upgrade has one motor and two blowers. If your PEM is overheating it's possible the blower motor is bad but far more likely that your PEM and blower need cleaning. The fan blades and the PEM itself gets dirt and leaves blocking the air flow.
     
  4. n2mb_racing

    n2mb_racing Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2014
    Messages:
    1,108
    Location:
    durham, NC
    I'm assuming my PEM is clean since Tesla just did the annual service in March, less than 2k miles ago.

    Does the upgrade flow more air? Mine has the dual motor setup, instead of the newer single motor design.
     
  5. hcsharp

    hcsharp Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,370
    Location:
    Vermont
    The original fans that you have moved more than enough air to keep everything cool for aggressive street driving. It was generally only a problem on a track, and usually the motor overheated before the PEM.

    Look in the blowers themselves and see if there is anything stuck in there like leaves, gravel, etc. You might have to drop the pan. See if it spins free or does it have a lot of friction. Does it make a lot of noise when it's running? If they just cleaned it then you have to do some investigating to see what's wrong. Don't rule out that your PEM/blower is dirty again or wasn't cleaned very well to begin with.
     
  6. n2mb_racing

    n2mb_racing Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2014
    Messages:
    1,108
    Location:
    durham, NC
    Hmmm... I guess I'll have to take a closer look. I was assuming they did a good job on the annual service.
     
  7. gregd

    gregd Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2014
    Messages:
    2,524
    Location:
    CM98
    You might also have them try putting some foam gasketing around where the blower tube meets the PEM, keep air from leaking out.

    My 2.0 kept flashing error codes related to air flow, low fan speeds, etc., and after replacing a lot of sutff (including a burned contact on the cable driving the blower), and still having the error, that's what they did. It's been a few weeks now, and a lot hotter outside (upper 90's), and no further errors! (Trying to find some real wood around here to knock...) Contact the Rocklin, CA service center and ask what they did. My car is #834.
     
  8. hcsharp

    hcsharp Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,370
    Location:
    Vermont
    That's good to know! It's interesting because my blower tube flange feels like it fits fairly tight to the PEM. Next time I'm under there I'll look and see if any air is leaking around it. I wonder if yours was coming loose after they snapped it into place? I mean when you were still getting the error messages.
     
  9. gregd

    gregd Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2014
    Messages:
    2,524
    Location:
    CM98
    They said that everything looked fine, ducting in tact and attached properly, etc. Tried this almost in desperation. The repair order states:

    "Removed the PEM fan to check for any damage or poor performance. After removing, installed a foam seal around the housing to ensure no airflow was being lost while driving."

    I think that refers to the duct-to-PEM connection, but it could be elsewhere. I haven't gotten in there to see what exactly they did.
     
  10. mgemmell

    mgemmell Scottish chap

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2012
    Messages:
    321
    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    Hi everyone.

    I have prepared a video to help those of you wanting to do your own PEM clean. We did ours last week, and while it was a bit more than changing a bulb, it was nothing crazy. I suspect I could get the job done in a couple of hours in the future.

    Tesla Roadster V2.5 PEM Cleaning - YouTube

    Hope this helps you all.

    It didn't just fix the power limit issues but it also managed to improve performance mode in so much as the word "Performance" is almost always in white now. It hasn't been that way since the first year!

    When it comes down to things, I suppose I am willing to spend hours cleaning the PEM if that is what it takes. I can only imagine that the Tesla service giuys are running to a schedule and can't be so rigorous.

    Anyway, good luck to you if you are doing this and let me know if there are any mistakes I made.

    Cheers

    Mark
     
  11. Mark77a

    Mark77a Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2012
    Messages:
    453
    Location:
    Poole, Dorset, UK
    Just watching now - ABSOLUTELY brilliant, Mark, covered a few aspects I was a bit worried about (eg putting electrics to sleep, and waking them up again).
    THANK YOU :cool:
     
  12. hcsharp

    hcsharp Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,370
    Location:
    Vermont
    Thanks Mark for this nice video. How long did you have to practice that Scottish accent in order to make it? :tongue:

    A couple things I would add. First, it's a good idea to leave a door open or the top off. When I was done I couldn't get inside to re-enable APS because my doors wouldn't open. I left the PEM out overnight so maybe the 12v battery went dead?

    It took me the better part of a day to do this the first time. I don't think I could ever get it down to 2 hours. I expect it will take me at least 4 hours the next time I do it including the motor cowling and blower fan cleaning. At least. Nothing will get you to appreciate Tesla's annual service fee more than doing this job yourself.
     
  13. Habious

    Habious Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2014
    Messages:
    420
    Location:
    Springfield, VA
    This might be one of those questions that "shouldn't be asked"...but I'm gonna go ahead and ask it anyway.

    When he goes to shut off power to the APS, he taps on the screen an indeterminate number of times, in a not-specified place, to bring up a hidden menu. He then proceeds to enter a super-secret password to get to the menu to shut down the APS.

    How exactly does one do this? It seems like a crucial step in the process.
     
  14. Chillout

    Chillout Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2014
    Messages:
    307
    Location:
    the Netherlands
    I'll explain it to you
     
  15. mgemmell

    mgemmell Scottish chap

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2012
    Messages:
    321
    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    Certainly if I had to clean the blower fan (which in my case would mean removing the anti roll bar) then there is no question it would take 4 hours or more, but just the PEM?... I sense a challenge coming on for the next PEM cleaning:)

    As for the accent. This is my taimed-down accent. It was that or subtitles.
     
  16. ViperDoc

    ViperDoc Roadster 1305

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2011
    Messages:
    417
    Location:
    Vermont
    Hi,

    Can you PM me as well on the way to get to the secret menu?

    Thanks

    David (ViperDoc)
     
  17. hcsharp

    hcsharp Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,370
    Location:
    Vermont
    Some day I hope we get to hear the story of how the Scottish chap ended up in Madrid.:smile:

    You can clean the blower without taking the roll bar off. You have to drop the rear pan which gives you access to the underside of the blowers. Depending on whether you have the snow dam and/or blower upgrade you can then get into the inside of the blower squirrel cages. They are usually full of leaves. There are 4 sections and judging by how much dirt and leaves showed up in your video, I'd say you probably have some leaves in your blowers.
     
  18. mgemmell

    mgemmell Scottish chap

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2012
    Messages:
    321
    Location:
    Madrid, Spain
    Bah.. the usual. Boy meets girl. Girls moves back to home country. Boy jumps on motorobike and learns Spanish.
     
  19. hcsharp

    hcsharp Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,370
    Location:
    Vermont
    That's a better story than you think it is! And it gets even better! Boy and girl have son who likes to help with Dad's Roadster projects!
     
  20. Mark77a

    Mark77a Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2012
    Messages:
    453
    Location:
    Poole, Dorset, UK
    Thats a Saga :biggrin: Nice 1, Mark
     

Share This Page

  • About Us

    Formed in 2006, Tesla Motors Club (TMC) was the first independent online Tesla community. Today it remains the largest and most dynamic community of Tesla enthusiasts. Learn more.
  • Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.


    SUPPORT TMC