Hi folks,
My car's due for its "annual" service, last done in 2019. 2020 was mostly a non-driving year, thanks to the pandemic and a failed PEM Fan connector; 2021 wasn't much more. But, over the past few months, the 1115 and 1116 alerts (motor temperature-related warnings) have become frequent in the logs as the weather warms, a clear sign that the motor fins are getting plugged. Time to bite the bullet and get the car serviced.
I stopped by the Service Center (since you can't contact them without the proverbial app) and made an appointment, noting that I really need the service to be done in a day, and that I needed to talk to the Tech about the fan connector fix that I did (so they wouldn't reverse the fix!). That service was set for tomorrow as I write this. It no longer is.
I got a call back from someone at the SC asking if I wanted to also do a wheel alignment, brake flush, replace the transmission fluid, and I think something else. What? After a short discussion, she also revealed that they are down to only one Roadster-qualified tech (someone I had not worked with before), and that he was working on other cars at the same time. Due to all this, the service visit was going to take between a week to a week and a half to complete. I later got the emailed estimate of over $1,800 for the service. (This is normally under $700.)
After some more discussion, I canceled the appointment. This should be a 4 hour job, perhaps a bit longer if they really need to do some of the other stuff. I'm making an appointment for service, not for them to park the car and get around to it when they have an otherwise spare moment. The last service, also done during the summer, was delayed and they left the car outside in the 100+ sun over a weekend, letting the battery temp rise to around 40C according to the OVMS before I called them (via the Sales dept) and told them to get the car indoors and on a charger to cool the battery! Prior recent service events resulted in other issues. They simply aren't treating these cars the way they need to be treated.
SO... Two questions:
1. The car has about 57K miles on the odometer. What, if any, of those add-ons are actually needed? The A/C system was last refilled back in 2018, I think. Other than the motor temp alerts, and a general rise in motor / PEM temps, everything seems to be working fine.
2. Considering doing the PEM and motor clean-out myself. I've read through the thread on doing this, and watched the videos. I think I get the overall procedure, but wonder what trouble I might be in for. Not documented, for example, is whether I need to pull the main disconnect, or simply disable the APS from the VDS. I'm hoping the disable is sufficient. I have wrenches and such, and a shop vac, but don't have any compressed air. Do I need to get a compressor? I do have car ramps, a legacy of the PEM connector fix which I was able to do without removing the PEM itself. Do I need to get under the car, or is this strictly a top-access process? What else do I need to know?
There is another (brand new) service center that's farther away, but no idea about their Roadster expertise, and I can't simply stop by for a chat. What other options do I have? Do I do this myself or is it worth the week+ of stress that it will inflict on both me and the car by taking it to the SC?
My car's due for its "annual" service, last done in 2019. 2020 was mostly a non-driving year, thanks to the pandemic and a failed PEM Fan connector; 2021 wasn't much more. But, over the past few months, the 1115 and 1116 alerts (motor temperature-related warnings) have become frequent in the logs as the weather warms, a clear sign that the motor fins are getting plugged. Time to bite the bullet and get the car serviced.
I stopped by the Service Center (since you can't contact them without the proverbial app) and made an appointment, noting that I really need the service to be done in a day, and that I needed to talk to the Tech about the fan connector fix that I did (so they wouldn't reverse the fix!). That service was set for tomorrow as I write this. It no longer is.
I got a call back from someone at the SC asking if I wanted to also do a wheel alignment, brake flush, replace the transmission fluid, and I think something else. What? After a short discussion, she also revealed that they are down to only one Roadster-qualified tech (someone I had not worked with before), and that he was working on other cars at the same time. Due to all this, the service visit was going to take between a week to a week and a half to complete. I later got the emailed estimate of over $1,800 for the service. (This is normally under $700.)
After some more discussion, I canceled the appointment. This should be a 4 hour job, perhaps a bit longer if they really need to do some of the other stuff. I'm making an appointment for service, not for them to park the car and get around to it when they have an otherwise spare moment. The last service, also done during the summer, was delayed and they left the car outside in the 100+ sun over a weekend, letting the battery temp rise to around 40C according to the OVMS before I called them (via the Sales dept) and told them to get the car indoors and on a charger to cool the battery! Prior recent service events resulted in other issues. They simply aren't treating these cars the way they need to be treated.
SO... Two questions:
1. The car has about 57K miles on the odometer. What, if any, of those add-ons are actually needed? The A/C system was last refilled back in 2018, I think. Other than the motor temp alerts, and a general rise in motor / PEM temps, everything seems to be working fine.
2. Considering doing the PEM and motor clean-out myself. I've read through the thread on doing this, and watched the videos. I think I get the overall procedure, but wonder what trouble I might be in for. Not documented, for example, is whether I need to pull the main disconnect, or simply disable the APS from the VDS. I'm hoping the disable is sufficient. I have wrenches and such, and a shop vac, but don't have any compressed air. Do I need to get a compressor? I do have car ramps, a legacy of the PEM connector fix which I was able to do without removing the PEM itself. Do I need to get under the car, or is this strictly a top-access process? What else do I need to know?
There is another (brand new) service center that's farther away, but no idea about their Roadster expertise, and I can't simply stop by for a chat. What other options do I have? Do I do this myself or is it worth the week+ of stress that it will inflict on both me and the car by taking it to the SC?
