Tesla nearing 50k miles mark, what preventative maintenance should I have Tesla do?

[MP3Mike]

I'm curious, when Tesla says the battery coolant is "good for the life of the car" I read that to mean "Foregoing replacement of battery coolant won't cause any problems during the warranty period, so don't clog up our Service Centers with this kind of work". Maybe I'm being cynical, but I'm not sure that it's wise to take their recommendation at face value.

They said that they made that change based on what they have seen with the S&X over the years.

My take: they started with the industry standard policy of changing the fluid, but found out that it wasn't necessary because unlike in an ICE it isn't exposed to the high heat. (Which is probably what degrades the coolant the most.)

 

[Uncle Paul]

Early reports from Techs that were doing early recomended fluid changes is that the old fluids coming out looked and smelled just like the new stuff they were putting in.

Tesla has developed amazingly low maintenance cars.

 

[YauKwan]

I live in NJ too and will be close to your mileage, I drive 30k a year. What mileage did you get out of your original tires? Replaced with OEM or a different brand? PSI? And assuming you do a lot of highway driving what’s your WH/MI? Thanks!!

so im on my second set of oem. First set was gone before 20k miles. I also have a winter set i put on for the winter. So these tires have been on for a only a couple of months and are still good.

dont know my WH/MI. I just drive.

 

[YauKwan]

What's the expected lifespan of the 12V battery?
Have there been any reports of 12V battery issues similar to the model S and X? or have they figured that out on the model 3?

ive gone through 2 12v.

but i think that was more of a function of directly attaching my dashcam to the battery. Once i made tapped the lights area for 12v to dash. I havent had the error again.

So thats probably on me.

 

[hlin07]

so im on my second set of oem. First set was gone before 20k miles. I also have a winter set i put on for the winter. So these tires have been on for a only a couple of months and are still good.

dont know my WH/MI. I just drive.

I'm in NJ as well, it appears now that the biggest expense on maintenance of Model 3 may be the tire replacement. Where did you have the tires changed, and how much?

 

[YauKwan]

I'm in NJ as well, it appears now that the biggest expense on maintenance of Model 3 may be the tire replacement. Where did you have the tires changed, and how much?

So the best place i've found is by ordering the tires through Tire rack.

Then getting them shipped to edge motors in haverstraw. Edge Motors - Welcome to Edge Motors

they worked on the Audi/Tesla conversion and is super knowledgeable about EV's.

Customer service is not great, they're not about making you feel warm and fuzzy. Its because they actually know what they are doing and they are fairly snobby about it.

They are inexpensive and good.

 

[Alpaca]

I miss oil threads ... and the endless argument about which brand of 5W30 is better .... now for fun I just go sit outside the Shell gas station and watch people pump it at $4.59 a gallon here in CA ...

 

[thranx]

Costco is great for tires. Nobody on commission. Free nitrogen fills. Frequent sales. Great customer service (can only vouch for local, of course). Had two sets of the Goodyears on my model S. Ran nice, didn't last. Replaced with all-season Michelin pilot sport A/S 3+. Includes free rotation, balancing, flat repair for the life of the tire. They now do plenty of Teslas.

 

[Nocturnal]

I can't wait to see the first model 3 with 500k miles on the original battery pack.

All of my cost savings benefits don't really come into play until 100k+ miles

What are you comparing it to? 100k miles will save me somewhere around 8k compared to my benchmark M3.

 

[HyperionMark]

Costco is great for tires. Nobody on commission. Free nitrogen fills. Frequent sales. Great customer service (can only vouch for local, of course). Had two sets of the Goodyears on my model S. Ran nice, didn't last. Replaced with all-season Michelin pilot sport A/S 3+. Includes free rotation, balancing, flat repair for the life of the tire. They now do plenty of Teslas.

Nitrogen fills are the biggest scam ever.

 

[Knightshade]

Nitrogen fills are the biggest scam ever.

Scam? But for free it's worth it at twice the price!

 

[ricohman]

• Change the oil
• Replace oil filter
• Check spark plugs. Gap or replace as necessary.
• Change transmission fluid.
• Check timing belt. Replace if needed.

Oh. This is a Tesla! Brake fluid and battery coolant come to mind.

What is the service interval on the oil and oil filter?

 

[Johnny Mac]

Totaled. Buy a new one.

 

[Occhis]

• Change the oil
• Replace oil filter
• Check spark plugs. Gap or replace as necessary.
• Change transmission fluid.
• Check timing belt. Replace if needed.

Oh. This is a Tesla! Brake fluid and battery coolant come to mind.

Points, condenser, distributor cap and coil. Maybe a new set of plug wires.

 

[ivy_]

And the brake fluid doesn't need to be changed in normal driving.

It is generally a good idea, as the fluid absorbs water over time. Changing it can extend the life of the calipers, master cylinder, etc.

There may be a way to test it however.

 

[ivy_]

Points, condenser, distributor cap and coil. Maybe a new set of plug wires.

Check the compression. You don’t want oil blow by.

Change the O2 sensor. Then check PCV valve, the evaporative emissions (charcoal) canister, EGR pump, and inspect the catalytic converter for rust or leaks.

Nothing worse than a Tesla spewing a cloud of blue smoke out of the tailpipe.

 

[pscarroll]

I have a Tesla Model 3 Performance (delivered October 2018) and I'm also nearing 50,000 miles (currently at 44,685.79 Miles). I've had multiple autopilot cameras replaced due to failure, backup camera replaced 3 times (1 was from a rear-end accident which included rebuliding the back-end and replacing the trunk and rear side panels and sensors), autopilot computer replaced due to failure (unfortunately not the version 3 one, though I'll get it at some point as I purchased FSD), replacement of the entire back window due to failure of the defroster, replacement of the dash pad due to bubbling issues. I have the same questions. Awesome car, would buy again in a second but want to make sure everything is perfect once the odometer rolls over to 50k. I did have a smelly AC at one point but it seemed to fix itself, should I have Tesla proactively replace the filters? The manual says to lubricate the brake calipers in winter areas that salt roads, have never done this, and I live in the north-east (Pennsylvania), does Tesla do that for free? I religiously was bugs off the car and do an underwash in winter time to remove the salt and sand/gravel.

Side Note: has anyone heard a loud pop from the front speakers, the bar under the extreme front windshield, which then suddenly goes out with no sound from the speakers? It's fixed with rebooting the computer, but not sure if it is a defect that needs fixed or a software bug. It's happened twice, just earlier today.

 

[CharleyBC]

What is the service interval on the oil and oil filter?

That was a joke.

Actually, there is oil in the motor and a small filter. There is no service interval documented that I'm aware of, so I think it's infinite. Life of the motor, which is alleged to be a million miles.

 

[SammichLover]

I think your the first few pioneers who are nearing warranty exploration. Tell us all what you learned.

Yes we are, and I'm not looking forward to catching the arrows in the posterior.

 

[SammichLover]

And the brake fluid doesn't need to be changed in normal driving.

Agreed, unless there's some sort of noticeable colour to it in the reservoir. I'm over 12 months now and I've even cooked mine to the point of the brake temp alarm triggering, and live in a high humidity climate, and really have no need to purge the OEM fluid for road use. I will purge it as part of swapping on aftermarket rotors but that's because it'll need to be taking serious heat.