Drain and refill the gear oil in both front and rear drive units on a 2024 Model Y Long Range AWD. This is no longer a 'lifetime' fluid — Tesla now recommends servicing it, especially for vehicles used in towing, track, or high-torque conditions.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Drive unit drain plug crush washer / sealing washer (front) × 2 — OEM Tesla sealing washer for front drive unit drain
• Drive unit drain plug crush washer / sealing washer (rear) × 2 — OEM Tesla sealing washer for rear drive unit drain

Fluids

• Tesla-spec drive unit gear oil (75W-90 GL-5 per database; verify against current Tesla Service Manual fluid spec for 2024 Model Y before fill) — 3.5 qt

Preparation

1. Park on level ground, place in P, engage parking brake.
2. Exit ALL doors with key fob away from the vehicle. Wait at least 2 minutes for HV systems to fully de-energize, even on this non-HV job.
3. Disconnect the 12V low-voltage battery. On the 2024 Model Y, the 12V (lithium-ion) battery is accessed from the front trunk area under the cowl trim — follow the in-vehicle 'Power Off' menu (Controls → Safety → Power Off) before disconnecting.
4. DO NOT touch, cut, or pierce ANY orange cable — these are high-voltage and lethal.
5. 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.
6. Drive the vehicle for 5–10 minutes beforehand to warm the gear oil for better drainage, then allow 30 minutes to cool to a safe handling temperature.
7. Raise the vehicle on a 2-post lift using Tesla-approved lift pad locations (puck adapters required to protect the battery pack).

Procedure

1. 1

   Confirm scope and locate drive units
   On a 2024 Model Y AWD, there are two drive units: a smaller front drive unit between the front subframe rails, and a larger rear drive unit between the rear subframe rails. Each has its own gear oil sump with a dedicated fill plug and drain plug on the gearbox section of the housing. Visually trace the housing — the gearbox/diff portion is opposite the motor end. Do not confuse coolant ports (with hoses attached) for oil plugs.
   ⚠If you cannot positively identify the gear oil drain and fill plugs on both drive units, stop. Tesla does not publish field service procedures for this job for all VINs — declining is safer than guessing.
2. 2

   Remove the front aero underbody panel
   Remove the front belly pan / aero shield to expose the front drive unit. Fasteners are typically a mix of T25/T27 Torx and 10mm hex plastic-collar fasteners. Support the panel as the last fasteners are removed — it is large and flexible.
3. 3

   Remove the rear aero underbody panel
   Repeat for the rear underbody shield to expose the rear drive unit. Note fastener locations as you remove them — several are shared with the HV battery pack shield. Do NOT remove HV battery pack shield bolts.
   ⚠️Do not loosen any fastener that retains the HV battery pack itself. Only the aero/belly shield comes off.
4. 4

   Pre-loosen front drive unit fill plug
   Before draining, break loose (do NOT remove yet) the FILL plug on the front drive unit. This verifies you can refill the unit before you commit to draining it. If the fill plug is seized, abort the job — you do not want a drained drive unit you cannot refill.
5. 5

   Drain the front drive unit
   Position drain pan beneath the front drive unit drain plug. Remove the drain plug and sealing washer. Allow oil to drain fully (15+ minutes). Inspect drained fluid for metallic debris — fine glitter is normal break-in residue, but chunks or shavings indicate internal damage and the unit should be evaluated before refilling.
6. 6

   Reinstall front drive unit drain plug
   Install a new sealing washer on the drain plug. Hand-thread the plug into the housing — no cross-threading. Torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual for the front drive unit drain plug spec on your VIN.
   ⚠Aluminum housing — over-torquing strips the threads. Use a calibrated torque wrench, not feel.
7. 7

   Fill the front drive unit
   Using a fluid transfer pump, fill the front drive unit through the fill port with the database-referenced gear oil capacity (1.50 qt for the front, per verified data — confirm against Tesla Service Manual for 2024 MY). Fill until oil reaches the bottom edge of the fill port and just begins to weep out — this is the level indicator.
8. 8

   Reinstall front drive unit fill plug
   Install new sealing washer. Hand-thread the fill plug, then torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual.
9. 9

   Pre-loosen rear drive unit fill plug
   Repeat the verification step on the rear drive unit: break loose (do NOT remove) the fill plug before draining. The rear unit is the larger of the two on AWD vehicles.
10. 10

    Drain the rear drive unit
    Position drain pan beneath the rear drive unit drain plug. Remove drain plug and sealing washer, allow to drain fully. Inspect drained fluid as in step 5.
11. 11

    Reinstall rear drive unit drain plug
    Install new sealing washer. Hand-thread, then torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual for the rear drive unit drain plug spec.
12. 12

    Fill the rear drive unit
    Fill the rear drive unit with the database-referenced gear oil capacity (2.00 qt for the rear, per verified data — confirm against Tesla Service Manual). Fill until oil reaches the bottom of the fill port.
13. 13

    Reinstall rear drive unit fill plug
    Install new sealing washer. Hand-thread, then torque to OEM specification — refer to Tesla Service Manual.
14. 14

    Wipe down housings and verify no leaks
    Clean any spilled gear oil off the drive unit housings, subframes, and HV battery pack shield. Residual oil makes future leak diagnosis impossible. Inspect both drain and fill plugs for any weeping after 5 minutes.

Reassembly

1. Reinstall the rear aero underbody panel with all original fasteners. Replace any plastic-collar fasteners that crumbled during removal.
2. Reinstall the front aero underbody panel. Confirm all clips are seated — a loose belly pan will flap at highway speed and tear off.
3. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
4. Reconnect the 12V battery. Close the frunk.
5. Wake the vehicle and allow systems to fully boot (touchscreen, instrument cluster, BMS handshake).

Verification

• After a 10-mile test drive including both low-speed (parking lot) and highway sections, raise the vehicle and re-inspect both drive unit drain and fill plugs for leaks.
• Listen for any new whine, grinding, or vibration from either drive unit at 30–50 mph — a sign of underfill or contaminated fluid.
• Confirm no drivetrain fault codes are displayed on the touchscreen.
• Per Tesla's revised guidance, drive unit fluid is NOT lifetime — log this service and plan the next interval at 25,000–50,000 mi depending on driving style (towing, track, or aggressive use → shorter interval).
• If you observed metallic debris in the drained fluid beyond fine break-in glitter, schedule a Tesla Service Center inspection of the affected drive unit before extended driving.

More procedures for this vehicle