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by takeda 4442 days ago
> How do you service your Tesla? Do you have to go to Tesla-authorized shop or can you do it in any workshop? How does it affect repair and maintenance costs if you have no alternatives?

There's not much to service, and normally you should do it once a year. The mechanics currently don't have schematics for Model S so it probably feels better to have it fixed at the company. I would imagine that you could get brakes replaced at your local mechanic, but I can't think of anything else they could do with it.

For example Tesla doesn't even have ODB-II port for diagnostics (it was recently revealed that instead of CanBus they use Ethernet). Things like that make the car is very different and the mechanic might know less about the car than yourself.
2 comments
manacit 4442 days ago 

    It was recently revealed that instead of CanBus they use Ethernet
If you're referring to the thread on teslamotorsclub.com[1], they are not using Ethernet for any sort of communication aside from infotainment and there is definitely a CAN bus[2].

There's been speculation that UDP broadcasts from the CAN bus are carried over that network as well, but it's almost certainly used for displaying information and informing various non-essential systems.

[1]: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/28185-Successf...

[2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7535589

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fps 4442 days ago
Modern japanese made internal-combustion engines are pretty much zero maintenance at this point; in my case, over 8 years and a combined 200K miles on a Nissan and a Toyota, the engines have gotten oil and timing belt changes and that's it. Zero mechanical engine problems at all. The Subaru and Acura I had for 5 years before that were the same. However, I've had to deal with brakes, suspension, tires, climate control, airbag, electronics, etc problems much more frequently, and those issues would happen just as often on a Tesla. Possibly more often because all of those systems are much more complex on a Tesla than the systems I have. Can I get the tesla air suspension serviced at my local mechanic? How about the computerized heater controls?
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