Drain and refill the front and rear drive unit gearboxes on a 2024 Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor. Despite Tesla's earlier 'lifetime fluid' marketing, current guidance is to service drive unit oil at 12,500 mi initial then every 25,000–50,000 mi depending on duty cycle.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Drive unit drain plug crush washer / sealing washer (front) × 1 — OEM Tesla sealing washer for front drive unit drain
• Drive unit drain plug crush washer / sealing washer (rear) × 1 — OEM Tesla sealing washer for rear drive unit drain
• Drive unit fill plug sealing washer (front and rear, if equipped) × 2 — OEM Tesla sealing washer for fill plug
• Underbody aero panel fasteners (replace any damaged on removal) × 1 — OEM Tesla aero shield clip/screw assortment

Fluids

• 75W-90 GL-5 Gear Oil (front drive unit) — 1.5 qt
• 75W-90 GL-5 Gear Oil (rear drive unit) — 2 qt

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place in P, engage parking brake.
2. Exit all doors with the key fob taken at least 10 m away from the vehicle. Wait at least 2 minutes for low-voltage systems to settle, even on this non-HV job.
3. Open the frunk and remove the frunk liner/scuff trim as needed to access the 12V battery service point. On the 2024 Model 3, disconnect the low-voltage battery (12V lead-acid or 16V Li-ion depending on build) negative terminal before going under the vehicle. Refer to the architecture notes — some 2024 builds use a Li-ion 12V; treat it the same for disconnection purposes.
4. DO NOT touch, cut, or pierce any orange cable. If at any point you encounter an orange cable, an HV component, or are unsure if a system is de-energized: STOP and consult a Tesla-certified technician.
5. Raise the vehicle on a 2-post lift using the four Tesla-specified pinch-weld pad locations, or lift with a floor jack and support on rated jack stands at the same points. Confirm the vehicle is level side-to-side and front-to-rear — drive unit fill levels are set by the fill-plug overflow method and depend on a level vehicle.
6. Allow the drive units to cool to a safe handling temperature if the car was just driven.
7. Position a clean drain pan under the rear drive unit first; you will repeat the process at the front.

Procedure

1. 1

   Remove the rear underbody aero shield
   Locate and remove the rear underbody aero panel that covers the rear drive unit. Remove the perimeter T25/T27 Torx fasteners and any plastic push-pin clips using a plastic trim tool. Lower the panel carefully and set it aside on a clean surface — these panels are composite and crack if dropped. Do not use the panel as a fluid funnel.
   ⚠Note any orange HV cabling routed near the panel. Do not let the panel scrape an HV cable as it comes down.
2. 2

   Identify the rear drive unit drain and fill plugs
   On the rear drive unit (integrated motor + reduction gearbox + differential housing), identify the two service plugs on the gearbox housing: a lower DRAIN plug at the bottom of the case and a side FILL/LEVEL plug on the gearbox face. Both are typically internal hex (Allen) drive. Wipe both plug heads clean of road grime so debris does not fall into the housing when opened.
   ℹ️If you cannot positively identify both plugs without disturbing HV connectors, coolant lines, or orange cabling — stop. The plugs on a Model 3 rear drive unit are accessible without removing HV hardware; if they appear not to be, you are looking at the wrong fastener.
3. 3

   Crack the rear fill plug FIRST
   Before removing the drain plug, break loose the rear fill/level plug with the appropriate hex bit and a breaker bar. Once it moves freely, snug it back finger-tight. This confirms you can refill the unit before you commit to draining it.
   ⚠If the fill plug is seized, do NOT proceed to drain. Resolve the seized fill plug first (penetrating oil, heat as appropriate to OEM spec, correct-fit hex bit) — a stripped fill plug with the unit drained means a tow.
4. 4

   Drain the rear drive unit
   Position the drain pan directly under the rear drain plug. Remove the drain plug and its sealing washer. Allow the gear oil to drain completely — minimum 10 minutes. Inspect the drained fluid: a small amount of fine grey shimmer is normal break-in wear; chunks, glitter, or a burnt smell indicate gearbox damage and the job should stop pending diagnosis. Inspect the magnetic tip of the drain plug (if magnetic) and wipe it clean.
5. 5

   Reinstall the rear drain plug
   Install a new sealing washer on the drain plug. Thread the plug in by hand to avoid cross-threading the aluminum case, then torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual for the rear drive unit drain plug torque (do not guess; the gearbox case is aluminum and over-torquing strips it).
   ⚠Aluminum gearbox case — cross-threaded or over-torqued plugs require case replacement.
6. 6

   Refill the rear drive unit
   Remove the rear fill/level plug. Using a hand pump or transfer pump with a flexible hose, pump 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil into the fill port until fluid begins to weep steadily out of the fill hole. The fill-plug hole IS the level reference — stop pumping when it overflows. Expected fill volume is approximately 2.0 qt; if you put in significantly less or more before overflow, recheck that the vehicle is level.
7. 7

   Reinstall the rear fill plug
   Wipe excess oil from the fill port. Install a new sealing washer (if the plug uses one). Thread the fill plug in by hand, then torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual for the rear drive unit fill plug torque.
8. 8

   Reinstall the rear underbody aero shield
   Reposition the rear aero panel and reinstall all Torx fasteners and push-pin clips. Replace any clips that broke during removal. Confirm the panel sits flush with no gaps that would let road debris into the drive unit area.
9. 9

   Remove the front underbody aero shield
   Move forward and remove the front underbody aero panel covering the front drive unit. Remove perimeter Torx fasteners and push-pin clips. The front panel on Model 3 is typically larger and may overlap the battery shield — remove only the section needed to access the front drive unit, not the HV battery skid plate.
   ⚠️Do NOT remove the HV battery skid plate or any panel secured by torx fasteners that pass into the battery enclosure. That is HV-restricted work.
10. 10

    Crack the front fill plug FIRST, then drain
    Identify the front drive unit drain and fill/level plugs on the gearbox housing. Break the front fill plug loose and snug it back. Then position the drain pan, remove the front drain plug and sealing washer, and allow the front unit to drain completely (minimum 10 minutes). Inspect the drained fluid and the magnetic plug tip as you did on the rear.
11. 11

    Reinstall the front drain plug and refill
    Install a new sealing washer on the front drain plug, thread it in by hand, and torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual. Then remove the front fill plug and pump 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil into the fill port until it weeps steadily from the fill hole. Expected front fill is approximately 1.5 qt.
12. 12

    Reinstall the front fill plug
    Wipe the area clean, install a new sealing washer if applicable, and torque the front fill plug to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual.
13. 13

    Reinstall the front aero shield and lower the vehicle
    Reinstall the front underbody aero panel with all original fasteners and clips, replacing any broken clips. Verify no tools, rags, or fasteners are left under the vehicle. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
14. 14

    Reconnect the 12V/low-voltage battery
    Reconnect the low-voltage battery negative terminal in the frunk. Reinstall the frunk liner/scuff trim. Close the frunk.

Reassembly

1. Confirm both drain plugs and both fill plugs are torqued to OEM specification with new sealing washers.
2. Confirm front and rear underbody aero panels are fully seated with all fasteners and clips installed.
3. Confirm the 12V/low-voltage battery is reconnected and the frunk trim is reinstalled.
4. Wipe any spilled gear oil off the underbody and gearbox cases — clean cases make future leak detection easy.

Verification

• Power up the vehicle. Confirm no drivetrain, traction, or stability control faults appear on the center display. Any new fault after a fluid-only service should be investigated before driving.
• With the vehicle on level ground, drive a short, gentle loop (10–15 minutes, mixed speeds, both forward and reverse) to circulate the new gear oil through both reduction gearboxes.
• Return to the lift. Re-inspect both drain plugs and both fill plugs for any seepage. A wet film on either plug indicates the sealing washer was reused, not seated, or under-torqued.
• Note this service in your maintenance log. Per current Tesla guidance, drive unit fluid is NOT lifetime — schedule the next inspection at 25,000–50,000 mi from this service depending on driving duty cycle (more frequent for towing, track use, or high-load driving).
• While the car is on the lift, this is also the right time to consider the 2-year DOT brake fluid service and the 2-year cabin air filter replacement if either is due.

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