New Noise immediately after 6,500 mile road trip, opinions?

[cwerdna]

I know quality has improved drastically with the newer cars. However, Maybe (And this is OPINION) Tesla should SLOW DOWN with developing new features, until they can remedy ALL or the Majority of the EXISTING ONES.

Yep, not only do they need to slow down on the new features, they need to slow down on new variants (e.g. AWD, 70 kWh model, etc.).

I suspect if those resources were diverted to making their vehicles solid in terms of reliability (making good on what Elon stated he wanted long ago), instead of new features and variants, many of these issues would now be non-issues.

 

[supratachophobia]

Sweet! Bought a bunch of these doo-dads - some that display the voltage and current on the port. Nice!

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I hope this isn't a rude question, but do you drive real fast? I'm just wondering if you have a driving habit that's contributing. Did Tesla say anything about how you could prevent it from happening again? They must be wondering why you keep having it when most don't ever have a drive unit replaced. (am I right? I just assume that, maybe I'm wrong). I drive like an old man. 75 is fast for me. I don't stomp it much anymore either - used to do it alot when I first got the car, but now I drive it like I did all my others.

While not wholly indicative due to inflated numbers during the winter months, what is the average watts per mile for everyone? Based on severity of winter temps, I'm sure we could come up with an adjustment to make a national comparison (think of it like a golf handicap for model s). You'd have to get your original number from a 12 month period though.

Then we could corelate watts per mile to drive unit failure to find a pattern if it's there.

 

[islandbayy]

While not wholly indicative due to inflated numbers during the winter months, what is the average watts per mile for everyone? Based on severity of winter temps, I'm sure we could come up with an adjustment to make a national comparison (think of it like a golf handicap for model s). You'd have to get your original number from a 12 month period though.

Then we could corelate watts per mile to drive unit failure to find a pattern if it's there.

For me, 350 is lifetime. Winter, I usually average 400-500 w/mile on freeway, I refuse to freeze just to get a lower w/mile, since the heat sucks a lot of power.

Summer, I get below 300w/mile even with AC on. On my road trip, I even gave it a shot, and for 68.1 miles (Distance between the charging locations I was stopping between), I managed to average 172 w/mile.

 

[supratachophobia]

For me, 350 is lifetime. Winter, I usually average 400-500 w/mile on freeway, I refuse to freeze just to get a lower w/mile, since the heat sucks a lot of power.

Summer, I get below 300w/mile even with AC on. On my road trip, I even gave it a shot, and for 68.1 miles (Distance between the charging locations I was stopping between), I managed to average 172 w/mile.

357 with two more summer months to go until 1 full year. Ohio weather. So I'd suspect I'll be closer to 350 by then.

 

[Cyclone]

While not wholly indicative due to inflated numbers during the winter months, what is the average watts per mile for everyone? Based on severity of winter temps, I'm sure we could come up with an adjustment to make a national comparison (think of it like a golf handicap for model s). You'd have to get your original number from a 12 month period though.

Then we could corelate watts per mile to drive unit failure to find a pattern if it's there.

Check out this thread: Lifetime Average Wh/mi

 

[David99]

I hope this isn't a rude question, but do you drive real fast? I'm just wondering if you have a driving habit that's contributing. Did Tesla say anything about how you could prevent it from happening again? They must be wondering why you keep having it when most don't ever have a drive unit replaced. (am I right? I just assume that, maybe I'm wrong). I drive like an old man. 75 is fast for me. I don't stomp it much anymore either - used to do it alot when I first got the car, but now I drive it like I did all my others.

It's a fair question. I'm pretty sure Tesla can look at my car logs and see how fast I'm driving. My average consumption on daily driving is around 300 Wh/mile. My total is a little higher because of many long road trips where speeds are higher and wind and weather and a car full of stuff and people sucks much more energy. But overall I'm a pretty average driver around Los Angeles' freeways and surface streets. My tires lasted 52,000 miles which shows that I'm not a crazy driver.

They never questioned me about how I drive or even hinted in any way that how I drive or use the car would contribute. They just measure the sound level and based on that decide if they swap it or not. I really don't know what makes it worse or not. It does seem road trips make it worse, but again, that might just because you add a lot of miles in a few days and then the increased level of noise is more noticeable than when it happens over a 2 month period driving the same amount of miles. The service center has assured me that they will take care of it once the sound reaches an annoying level since it's a warranty issue.

 

[supratachophobia]

Check out this thread: Lifetime Average Wh/mi

That's a great thread, but the only way it can be useful if it's a 12 month snapshot from the same region. Tire longevity may also help determine aggressive driving as well.

 

[SeminoleFSU]

Hearing this from you is really something. Your videos were among the ones that made me want the car even more before I got it. You are the Tesla fan! I'm really sorry to hear you are at the point where your loyalty comes to an end. But I understand.

I actually started thinking this same thing not long after I got my car a year and a half ago. Everything feels really cheap on the car.. My car was delivered with TONS is paint scratches and marring... and the tail light leaks, interior squeaks, rattles, motor hum above 75MPH, drive train slop/clunk, etc have been starting to add up in my mind. I'm very busy and trying to work with Tesla to get these items fixed is a pain. Many times I ask for fixes on things and they aren't addressed anyhow. I get an "ooops, we didn't have time to get that. Here's a free Tesla jacket that's not in your size to make up for it." The service centers don't seem to have a permanent fix for many of these issues. It's just band aid here, adjustment here, shim here, tape there, etc. I can imagine how busy the service centers are, which is extremely. They always seem slammed and understaffed every time I interact with them. As others have noted, AWESOME people, but slammed. I left a message on my SC voicemail to inquire about getting some of these issues I'm having looked at weeks ago and never got a return call. They used to read my posts and contact me about problems but that stopped happening a while back. If things continue like they are I don't see this being sustainable for them, especially if the Model X has similar failure rates and persistent problems with no permanent fixes, just temporary measures that don't permanently resolve defects or prevent failure.
When people stop me to ask questions about the car like "How do you like it?" Which is by far the most common question.. I used to say "Love it." That slowly changed into "I love it but it has its quirks." To now "How much time you got?"
I really don't want to think about going back to an ICE after experiencing the driving experience of my car.. But if all the gas savings are swallowed up by repair and maintenance costs, maybe that will be what I have to do when I'm ready to move on from this one. I'm watching my ODO closely now. I'm at 34k miles or so... Once I hit 40k I'm going to really be mindful of the mileage and you can bet I'll make sure the SC fixes all if these issues before I let the warranty expire. :-/

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I actually started thinking this same thing not long after I got my car a year and a half ago. Everything feels really cheap on the car.. My car was delivered with TONS is paint scratches and marring... and the tail light leaks, interior squeaks, rattles, motor hum above 75MPH, drive train slop/clunk, etc have been starting to add up in my mind. I'm very busy and trying to work with Tesla to get these items fixed is a pain. Many times I ask for fixes on things and they aren't addressed anyhow. I get an "ooops, we didn't have time to get that. Here's a free Tesla jacket that's not in your size to make up for it." The service centers don't seem to have a permanent fix for many of these issues. It's just band aid here, adjustment here, shim here, tape there, etc. I can imagine how busy the service centers are, which is extremely. They always seem slammed and understaffed every time I interact with them. As others have noted, AWESOME people, but slammed. I left a message on my SC voicemail to inquire about getting some of these issues I'm having looked at weeks ago and never got a return call. They used to read my posts and contact me about problems but that stopped happening a while back. If things continue like they are I don't see this being sustainable for them, especially if the Model X has similar failure rates and persistent problems with no permanent fixes, just temporary measures that don't permanently resolve defects or prevent failure.
When people stop me to ask questions about the car like "How do you like it?" Which is by far the most common question.. I used to say "Love it." That slowly changed into "I love it but it has its quirks." To now "How much time you got?"
I really don't want to think about going back to an ICE after experiencing the driving experience of my car.. But if all the gas savings are swallowed up by repair and maintenance costs, maybe that will be what I have to do when I'm ready to move on from this one. I'm watching my ODO closely now. I'm at 34k miles or so... Once I hit 40k I'm going to really be mindful of the mileage and you can bet I'll make sure the SC fixes all if these issues before I let the warranty expire. :-/

Bring your service center homemade cookies, I find that does the trick every time!

 

[tinm]

My car was delivered with TONS is paint scratches and marring... and the tail light leaks, interior squeaks, rattles, motor hum above 75MPH, drive train slop/clunk, etc have been starting to add up in my mind.

Hmm.

• Car delivered with TONS of paint scratches and marring -- check
• Tail light leaks (if you mean condensation in the tail lights) -- check
• Interior squeaks, rattles -- check
• Motor hum above 75MPH (well, 70-75MPH for me) -- check
• Drive train slop/clunk -- check

Sounds like my car!

I still get asked by passersby, even today at the Post Office, what I think of the car, and I am still saying "love it" as an automatic thing, followed immediately by "best car I've ever owned" which is still true by far.

But yeah, I can't wait to sell my 2013 S and get an 85D (or maybe it'll be a 95, 100, 110D by then). I'm definitely buying another S at some point. Clock is ticking... 2 yr car, 27K miles... hope to get a new one in 2016.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

But yeah, I can't wait to sell my 2013 S and get an 85D (or maybe it'll be a 95, 100, 110D by then). I'm definitely buying another S at some point. Clock is ticking... 2 yr car, 27K miles... hope to get a new one in 2016.

Think you should wait for the completely redesigned Model S that will probably roll out in 2017. Tesla will address a lot of shortcomings with a redesign. Cars rolling off the line today still have many of the same problems as cars from 2012.

 

[supratachophobia]

Think you should wait for the completely redesigned Model S that will probably roll out in 2017. Tesla will address a lot of shortcomings with a redesign. Cars rolling off the line today still have many of the same problems as cars from 2012.

Yeah but then you'll want to wait a year after the redesign so they can work all the new bugs out.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Yeah but then you'll want to wait a year after the redesign so they can work all the new bugs out.

I'm glad you're the one who said it lol

 

[David99]

Yeah but then you'll want to wait a year after the redesign so they can work all the new bugs out.

That's why I didn't bother to put down a deposit on the Model X yet. It's the car I actually wanted from the start. But I'm not going to the first in line. I let them figure the initial problems and wait a little.

 

[SeminoleFSU]

Bring your service center homemade cookies, I find that does the trick every time!

They usually pick up my car and drop it back off at my house which is incredibility convenient. I really appreciate that considering my schedule. The SC manager just emailed me a little while ago and mentioned my post about the clunk and wanting to get it looked at. Will respond to him today and get something set up soon. Guess they are still watching, albeit just not quite as closely as they were in the past because I have been commenting on many threads about the clunk for a good while now. Honestly I was trying not to bug them but also watching the forums for (wishful thinking) redesigned DU that had these issues fixed. Then I was going to call and ask for that so I wouldn't have to potentially go through multiple drive units like so many others. I know that's probably running a slight risk of being stranded but my commute in the morning and back home in the evening is through populated areas and the weather is warm right now so now fear of walking in the cold

 

[islandbayy]

Irony this morning...

EDIT: Because I got some pm's asking what I was referring to in the photo, the center screen went out. it did come back online eventually though. I rebooted, but the center screen didn't come back on until about 5 minutes after I rebooted.

 

[AB4EJ]

Leasing looking better & better

Think you should wait for the completely redesigned Model S that will probably roll out in 2017. Tesla will address a lot of shortcomings with a redesign. Cars rolling off the line today still have many of the same problems as cars from 2012.

After reading this thread, and a few others like it, leasing is starting to look better & better. If the car turns out to be a lemon, they just get it back after 3 years. Still want one, though.,

 

[supratachophobia]

UPDATE: New drive unit installed. Whining sound completely gone from all kw usage levels from 0 on up. Also, slop in drive-train gone when gently rolling forward and then backward when parking. Balloon squeal still there at WOT, but I actually like that sound. As always, service center a pleasure to work with. Really appreciate their help, and their believing me when I said I was hearing noises.

Please knock on wood with me, but I think my car is finally to the point where it should have been 10 months ago at delivery. As of this moment, I have zero pending issues beyond needing new tires at the end of the month.

 

[glhs272]

UPDATE: New drive unit installed. Whining sound completely gone from all kw usage levels from 0 on up. Also, slop in drive-train gone when gently rolling forward and then backward when parking. Balloon squeal still there at WOT, but I actually like that sound. As always, service center a pleasure to work with. Really appreciate their help, and their believing me when I said I was hearing noises.

Please knock on wood with me, but I think my car is finally to the point where it should have been 10 months ago at delivery. As of this moment, I have zero pending issues beyond needing new tires at the end of the month.

Good to hear. Tesla service has always been top-notch for me. Aside from minor creeks and rattles, my car too is issue free as I am now rolling past 50K miles. So the warranty honeymoon period is over. A new phase of Tesla Model S ownership has begun. I am hopeful that my refurbished Rev M drive unit will hold up, but I don't think it actually will. I am guessing Tesla still needs more time to get this resolved. I hope I am wrong. It would be great for all those experiencing drive unit issues/replacements to track which revision drive unit you have in your car. Kind of like what people were doing with their batteries. This way when we think we finally get a proper fix, we can know which cars have them and which don't and what to look for.

Edit:
I am not sure if I am going to post a 50K mile review or not (does anyone care?). But I feel like I should make a note on a thread like this. I will state flatly that with everything I now know about my car would I buy it again, when I bought it? @50K mile point, YES. The last 2 years of my life has been something I would never trade back or regret. There is life before Tesla and life after Tesla. For some a car just doesn't matter much to them, for me it does. It represents my freedom and who I am. The car is a pure dream to drive and experience. My car has been better than most (I think) and has had relatively few issues, mostly cosmetic and sound related. The exception being drive units that don't last long enough. I have never been stranded with it. Would I recommend it to someone else? Yes, with caveats. From what I have seen, the newest built cars (like the D series) are much better built (from a detail standpoint) than mine. So I feel it is easier to recommend a new one versus an older used one. Recommending a used one would require letting that person know that they are going to have to have the drive unit replaced at some point (under warranty). I would not recommend one with no drive unit warranty (salvage or 60 with 125K+ miles). I would like to expand on these comments, maybe I will.