Reduction Gear Oil

What is a reduction gear oil change?

An essential, yet often overlooked aspect of electric vehicle (EV) maintenance is the reduction gear oil change. This procedure involves draining the old gear oil from your EV’s reduction gearbox and replenishing it with new, high-quality oil. Many EV owners may not be aware that despite the absence of a traditional engine, their vehicles still contain crucial oil-dependent components.

Updating the reduction gear oil is more than a simple maintenance task; it’s a vital step in preserving the longevity and efficiency of your vehicle. Fresh oil minimizes wear on the gear components, reduces friction, and thereby decreases the likelihood of noise and mechanical failures within the reduction gears—issues that tend to arise as the vehicle accumulates mileage.

During the oil change process, our skilled technicians often discover metal filings and fragments within the old oil, indicative of normal wear and tear. If not addressed, these metallic particles can circulate within the gearbox, leading to accelerated component wear and potentially irreversible damage over time. By ensuring regular reduction gear oil changes, you’re not just maintaining your EV; you’re investing in its future reliability and performance.

How do you know if your vehicle needs a reduction gear oil change?

As a rule, you should consider replacing your reduction gear oil every 40,000 miles (unless you have a Tesla; see why below.) If you wait until you have noise or vibration from your reduction gears, you may have left it too late. Reduction gear oil changes are a very cheap insurance so if it hasn’t been done, we recommend booking as soon as possible and adding this important maintainance to your EV service schedule

Why does my manufacturer not recommend a reduction gear oil change?

Many electric vehicle manufacturers do not schedule reduction gear oil changes or suggest that this service item is completed at well over 100,000 miles. Our experience in the real world with EVs, is that this interval is far too long. We fear that manufacturers enjoy the benefit of promoting EVs reduced service requirements, safe in the knowledge that most EVs will be out of warranty by the time the reduction gears fail

Does my Tesla need a Drive Unit Oil Change?

Tesla have employed a different system in their drive units to many other manufacturers. Their pumped and filtered system ensures protection for the drive unit over a much longer period. We would recommend considering a drive unit oil change on your Tesla at around 90,000 miles.

At Cleevely Mobile, we can replace the oil in the rear drive unit of your Tesla. Due to access difficulties, we often cannot access the front drive unit. As such, we recommend a trip to our workshop in Cheltenham for this service on dual motor Teslas.