Anyone done gearbox oil changes?

Specifically what gear box are you referring to

the single speed gearbox?

It is called electric motor I believe.

This has to be a troll

You’d think so, but people should probably change oil on high mileage EV’s. Same as you should on high mileage manual gear boxes even if it’s not in the service program. For one it tells you what state your (reduction) gearbox oil is in, plus it drains out metal shavings and other particles at the same time. If what comes out is really bad you can pass the car on or start saving for a new motor assembly. And you get to fill it up again with fresh oil which hasn’t aged. Likely not going to be life or death, but oil isn’t a magical thing that lasts forever. And if I were to guess why it’s a topic today? Probably because the _Car Pervert_ (Johnny Smith) himself recommended it the other day: https://youtu.be/WLwj9q8dadM

Tesla says not needed, specialty shops say 100k miles for filters and fluids.

The electric motor is not connected directly to the wheels. All Teslas use a single-speed fixed gear transmission (essentially a reduction gearbox) connected to each electric motor.

100k on the original oil?

https://preview.redd.it/f7ve1apgpxkg1.jpeg?width=1390&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa39d8fccca1143774c6f8ac9b9017e984c7bd13 That’s the single drive gearbox he’s talking about, and yes it needs a service around 100k miles or 6 years as preventative maintenance.

https://preview.redd.it/3jqmbqlxpxkg1.jpeg?width=646&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b854d1b4c63385b5e3843aef45807572fcbc169 And this is your 320hp electric motor.

I’ve read (and seen) high mileage model S owners change it every 100kkm (63-ish thousand miles) or so.

thank you!

lol I havent come across that particular video (thanks for the recommendation), but I was wondering if I should change the original oil on my new tesla to just remove any metal from breaking in since I got my Tesla, I've had to do oil changes on all of my other (ICE) cars so it feels weird not doing any routine maintenance.

are there any other preventive maintenance? (besides brakes) Tesla says coolant is a "lifetime fluid" and I presume coolant degrades slower on EVs, but I don't believe in anything "lifetime"

Never believe that anything is lifetime. Parts wear put in time. Fluid needs to be changed. Example, your blood isn't lifetime. It wears out and is replaced constantly. New blood cells are replaced.

Tesla’s have a gear reduction box. As it’s only 1 gear. People seem to forget about it.

Brake fluid every 4 years. coolant every 10years(this is why they call it life time) Drive unit lubricant and filters 6 years-100k/mi Cabin filter every 2 years. Brakes cleaned and lubed every year or 12k/mi Tire rotation every 6k/mi Ac desiccant bag 6 years Al this is preventative maintenance Everything else is more or less inspection>replace. Boots, bushings and control arms are a thing to look out for when doing an inspection.

Life time means expected life time of the part/vehicle. So basically Tesla expects you to ditch or destroy the car before any maintenance is actually needed.

Although not really necessary to do it every 63k, it is good practice to do so. So for ice oil changes, manufacturers say 15k good practice is 10k Keeping your fluids clean drastically improves the life span of your vehicle.

Also it’s important you do a half/yearly coolant check to see if you still have enough coolant in the system.

ICE engines and transmissions experience temperatures that are way higher and contribute more thermal stress than what Tesla's powertrain would experience. This most likely contributes to why Tesla doesn't require the powertrain fluids to be regularly serviced. Maybe they change it down the line to be time dependent since the fluids may degrade with time.

Yes that is the idea. Marketing terms.

thank you so much!

Alex from Out of Spec Renew just posted a video on this actually: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOw0MMtkGlg

I got this done at the service center for my 2015 MS back in 2023 or so and it cost $85.

Oh I’ve done 180,000kms on MS. Should I just message service team to change my oil then

I believe the filter is there to catch that original metal in the oil.

Why do brakes need to be cleaned and lubed every year? All my ICEs only needed them to be inspected and they were used much more. My rotors looked pristine even after a winter of snow and ice late last spring when I changed from my snow tire and wheel set to my summers. Same with brake fluid. I think my ICE manuals used to only recommend inspecting them and maybe change at 60,000/5 years.

On a ev the wear is not an issue, it’s the lack of use. This causes rust buildup and can cause the brakes to seize. That’s why they need a yearly clean and lubrication so when you actually need them they work. On ice cars that’s your main use for stopping so they stay clean and supple. On a ev you use the regen braking.

How much lack of use? I probably have to press the brake pedal at least once a week, and for my weekly ski road trips to the mountains when I charge to 100%, I'm pretty sure the brakes are used at the beginning of my trips to compensate for lack of regen such as stopping at the end of my driveway so I can close the garage door, and the steep hill about a mile from home.

As in they should be used multiple times a day. You’re not going to die if you skip a service, but it’s good practice to do so and only takes like 15-30 minutes. They are not replacing anything, just making sure everything is in order and putting some grease on the edges to make sure everything operates smoothly. A service at Tesla costs about 60bucks. They say ev are basically maintenance free but that’s a massive lie. Every car should get a yearly check up to see if everything is in order, electric or ice doesn’t matter.

Some things are taken away to make EV service life cheaper. Marketing vs mechanics are competing with each other. I notice on my service center maintenance board that these 2 things are taken away. It used to have vials on what new and old fluid looks like.

I agree with what. Honda's 2001 Civic transmission was an enclosed unit. Their design changed after the next year.