Servicing M3P

[spon88]

I've owned an M3P since August 2019 and done quite limited mileage, 7300 ish and mostly on 18" rims, not the OEM 20".

Other than keeping it clean and the one wheel change to the 18s, I've done nothing to it other than top up the washer fluid. I'm aware that servicing requirements are supposed to be minimal and essentially DIY, but is it worth dropping it into Cleevely EVs or similar for a more thorough check? I'm thinking brakes, wheel alignment etc.

I own the car so no lease requirements etc.

Anyone else considering periodic "pro" servicing? I don't mind paying a few hundred quid for peace of mind.

 

[nxsynjs]

Considering it, but not decided. So much of our thinking re:servicing is shaped by owning an ICE car. For example annual oil/fluid changes are very wise when dealing with ICE as are things like cambelt and other inspections. But for an EV. I really have no idea what would need looking at other than a visual inspection of the brakes and overall condition of the car. I've gotten used to having periods of no music on a journey just to listen to the car to see if I can pick something up(e.g wheel bearing, brake's grinding)

So atm I am leaning towards the visual inspections and monthly checks I would do anyway and then see where we are in 6-9 months time.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

It's worth having an alignment check done once a year on any car.
Brake fluid should be changed every 2 years. Cabin air filter can be replaced at the same time.
Tyres, brake discs should be regularly inspected by the owner, but unless you have a specific issue with the brakes or live in a very cold climate, there's no need to get them inspected every year. Lack of use is a common issue with brakes on Teslas.
Nothing much else is likely to need any maintenance unless it breaks or wear out.

 

[Plagued]

For a first year service brakes is probably the only thing i would look at. The lack of use can make them prone to seizing and with the salt on the roads here it's probably worse. The "service" on the calipers basically involves pulling the pads out, giving everything a clean and then lightly greasing the caliper pin and the running edge of the caliper where the pads sit.
you could do it on your driveway without too much effort or it's 30 mins work for a garage. I'd be tempted to just get a local independent that you trust to throw it up on the ramp and check there's no loose bolts/under tray fixings while they're at it.

 

[Durzel]

The way my discs are going I wonder if they'll end up needing to be reskimmed from time to time. They're pretty much always discoloured, and unevenly so. I'm so used to driving without using the brake at all, and not driving much anyway, that doing the whole "stand on the brakes, then accelerate, then do it again" etc thing feels arbitrary. I'd be doing it on every journey the way things are going at the moment.

 

[spon88]

Useful feedback, thanks. I do listen to the car regularly and eyeball calipers etc. I reckon I'll leave it until spring and then either get a quick running gear check locally or drop down to Cleevely EVs. I've asked them for a quote for a basic check over. The other thing I do weekly is drop the regen back and hit the brakes fairly hard a few times, just to try to keep the discs a bit cleaner.

Cheers all.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

The way my discs are going I wonder if they'll end up needing to be reskimmed from time to time. They're pretty much always discoloured, and unevenly so. I'm so used to driving without using the brake at all, and not driving much anyway, that doing the whole "stand on the brakes, then accelerate, then do it again" etc thing feels arbitrary. I'd be doing it on every journey the way things are going at the moment.

Sounds like you're just getting an even coating of surface rust, which is common on all cars left for a day or two in this damp weather.
There's nothing to worry about there and even light braking will clean that off at the start of a journey. Often you need to use the brakes initially anyway as regen will be limited if you've just finished charging.

The problems arise when cars are left for weeks at a time outside in the cold rain and snow after having been blasted with grit and salt and road dirt. That's when they'll corrode, brake pads stick on to the discs etc. and then driving and using the brakes heavily may not clean them off and could even make it worse.

It's all just a matter of glancing at the discs every few days and if things are looking worse than normal, go out for a 5 minute drive with regen on low and do a few 50-30 slow-downs to get everything back to normal.

It's also worth mentioning that a brake pad service takes quite a bit longer on a M3P than a SR/LR because the calipers have to be removed to get the pads out.