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Tesla Dealer Wanted $5,500 for a New Motor - We Fixed It for $80
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- Published on Apr 18, 2026
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My Tesla's Motor kept dying as I would drive my car; so when I contacted Tesla they recommended I get a brand new replacement for $5,500. I almost sold the car for scrap until I spoke with Alex from @OutofSpecRenew and It turned out the fix was much cheaper...
Instagram: / samcracc
Facebook: / samcracauto
Email Me: SamcracAuto@gmail.com
As someone who works on this at the service center, seeing this done at home on wood dolly’s is insane. Respect
Sam, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I was just about to junk my old Tesla because of this exact issue. I'm proud to have you as a fellow Floridian!
i dont think the car needed a new motor....if he fix it for 80$....click bait much
@sebg2086 BRUH can you read? The DEALER wanted to SCAM him for replacing the motor when SAM found that all that was needed was an $80 repair
Sam's home has a garage that is closer to a Tesla shop than my garage at home.
@sebg2086 you must have never took your car to a dealer ship before??
All dealerships will tell you you need a motor so they can make more money that's why people call them stealerships
"Uglier but functional better than my ex" killed me
🤣🤣 That is hilarious
Yeah Sam really is Adam Sandler's twin brother, great humor 😂
yeah loved that joke, so relatable for guys with ugly ex's 😂
I think that line resonates with a lot of us
I think that line resonates with a lot of us
The only guy rebuilding Italian sports cars snd Tesla’s with Walmart battery tools. lol
A penny saved is a penny earned.
As long as it gets the job done... 🤷
@big_0 Except the Walmart tools won't last more than a few years before they break, so false economy.
Probably much less than that. @Beer_Dad1975
@RiverOfBlacklightsbut it really didn’t do the job
Tesla wanted $850 to fix a broken window switch on the driver door of my '22 Model S. The switch module is built into the door panel, so they want you to buy a whole new panel. I found an aftermarket switch unit for a model 3, figured out how to pop off the switch covers, and was able to replace the broken switch. Total cost, about $6.
A 22 Model S , and a Switch isn't under Warranty?????
A 22 Model S , and it wasn't under Warranty????😮
@dtriplett03We put 100 miles a day on it. It went out of warranty for mileage last year.
@toddbarney4738wow. My LTE isn't connecting, and Tesla wants 450$ to fix it... 2020M3
Where do you think Musk's billions of dollars came from?
Next time, make your locating rods different lengths. That way you only worry about the long one first, rather than jumping between the opposite corners of the battery.
Dealer quoting $5,500 and you solving it with patience and a multimeter feels like a masterclass in not panicking
Neanderthal mechanix.
next time cut the threaded rod 40/60 instead of 50/50
I thought the same.
why?
@TurboCroissant So that you can line up long side and then just pivot the other side.
Smart Man, here is your beer. 🍺🍺🍺
...and make the down end conical.
Glad you were able to get your Model S all fixed up! It's a lot of work to replace just one sensor, but way cheaper than a whole drive unit!
For anyone who likes seeing these types of repairs on Teslas and other EVs, I typically put up 1-2 videos a week up on the Out Of Spec Renew channel!
Alex, how is the move going?
@dwarfgrumpycoming along! Getting packed up and should be getting moved into my new shop space at the track by April!
Just subed!
Don't have to tell us twice.
@AlexEVRepair Excited for the new shop tour when you've settled in!
Such a relatively easy fix if you have a friend with a lift, ha. You helped a lot of people with this video!!
No idea why this showed up in my feed, but enjoyed watching you repair this, nice cost avoidance.
Sam , change the drive unit oil for both motors while you're in there
Hmm
It's nice to see you actually fixed something from start to finish. Great job Sam!
yes its normal for that drill to be doing that, you gotta turn the ring with the numbers on it untill you see the drill icon facing up. The numbers indicate a stop-moment, to prevent you ramming crews through a surface, rather than sitting flush with it.
This 👆👆👆
Strangely from the owners manual:
"• Torque control (VariTorque) w
- output torque will increase as clutch ring B is rotated
from 1 to 17; position C will lock up the clutch to permit
drilling or driving heavy duty work
- when turning in a screw, first try VariTorque position 1
and increase until the desired depth has been reached"
In other words RTFM
Yeah the drill is fine it was operator error.
@TheCroupier74 Any chance pre drilling the hole with a drill bit 1st would help? Because the "mA0r power" solution can lead to stripped screw heads and broken bit tips. Ask me how I know?
Yep, it is normal. People have to learn that drills are just that DRILLS. They are designed for putting holes in things, not driving screw fasteners, even though they can do a reasonable job of it most of the time. To drive those GRK screws he was using, you really need an impact driver.
@Ron-l9d@Ron-l9d if he was using a lag bolt, then most definitely, but even in this case it would be beneficial since he was using a drill instead of a driver. The GRK fasteners that he was using, however, are designed to be self-drilling and a pilot hole is unnecessary assuming that they are installed with the proper tools. I usually have to turn DOWN the power on my impact when driving them. The hole should be drilled through the first piece of wood only, and should be larger than the shank of the screw. The threads of the screw should only be biting into the wood behind it and the top board should slide on the screw so that the boards can be drawn together as the fastener tightens. One of the features on those GRK screws is that it actually enlarges the hole back towards the head so that the top board can pull down automatically.
Don't own a electric car, but watched your video out of curiosity. All I can say is, you are a CHAMP for creating this video, saving others from great expense.
Well done 🍻
sensor failure could be from that coroded battery terminal. Low voltage electronics are really sensitive lol
yeah, and EVs tend to freak out and throw all kinds of spurious errors if theres a problem with the 12v battery. Although the fact he was consistently getting the SAME error makes me think the sensor really was bad.
@PK1312yes but it went bad cause of the supplied voltage not being consistent.
Hell i have sensor led lamps that all burned when we got a 5 sec voltage oscilation in our building
@brold6111nah it’s just a common issue with these. You’re absolutely right about low voltage tho
@PK1312Yep, same with hybrids too -- a lot of weird things happen when something happens to the 12v battery or the battery voltage sensor. I've had a Prius with a faulty battery voltage sensor (corrosion) but the codes it gave implied the whole hybrid battery system was out and even Toyota claimed it needed a total replacement of the hybrid battery pack (6K for a 12K car).
The low voltage battery isn't powering that part. It's feedback to the VFD/VVVF inverter.
Suggestions:
Cheap lipstick to use as a grease pencil to mark where the dolly was in the floor.
Tie a washer to some thread and use it as a plumb line to line up things vertically.
🥰
or insulation tape.
Maybe, his ex-wife's lipstick!
1. Rather than el cheapo dollies under your substantial home made wooden platform rig, just put 4 3" caster wheels ($20-25) on your platform corners.
2. Put the threaded dowels through the battery bolt holes to the floor where the battery was demounted before moving it and
3. Secure the location of the rig with door stops, etc. This is not necessary if your caster wheels have brakes.
4. Mark all 4 corners with (a) grease pencil (b) lipstick, (c) tape, (d) spray paint, or whatever before moving the rig.
5. To remount, move the rig with the dowels to the marked spots, re-securing the location of the rig.
6. Use the dowels as you did in the video.
@philipkozloff3832 the dollies were only a problem with moving they held up to the weight a lot better than what they were attached to.
I think his method with the all-thread was Ok. Sure if you were going to do it multiple times then you would set up like you suggest.
Sam you actually repaired something
I'm surprised you didn't call Rich from the Electrified Garage for help.
He wanted it actually fixed.
I thought that was first friend who told him to dump it!😂
@rks9612same
@rks9612 no,that would have been randy from autoauction rebuilds,
rich would have said to ls3 swap it
That would have been too easy 😅
As a former Joiner, a screw in wood holds immensely better if predrilled with a proper-sized drill!!
@28:03 You failed to line up the load correctly. Turn the dollies 90 degrees, and put the weight directly over the wheels, not midspan. The bending of the dollies is also why you could not steer them easily, as the casters bind when they are at an angle.
lol I seen that to! Hes lucky boards didn’t break .. alway over wheels
The dowel pins were a great idea.
Now think about how many of these "bad motors" that are sitting around with bad sensors. Or maybe that's the grift, tesla swaps it out, then changes the sensor and sells it to another customer with a "bad motor".
If you watch a bunch of these mechanic youtubers, it makes you wonder how many cars a year are misdiagnosed so they're mechanically totalled when they could still be kept on the road? 🤔🙄
@supertouring1can't make billions letting people keep their old cars. Gotta sell them the same car every two yeard
Hows that any different that ICE motors where this happens? Hell when I was flipping cars, that was the fix 50% of the time. Cranks shaft sensor, camshaft sensor, etc etc... I bet thats the furthest that Model S has been taken apart in its whole life... I LOVE electric cars for that very reason. Almost nothing goes wrong on them. And when it does, its something silly like a sensor. If they would only use LTO chemistry in the batteries... the battery packs would go 2 million miles probably with almost no degredation.
@TheAceofFate Yeah had a friend with a VW that was told her engine was bad and she would need a new one. I diagnosed as a bad coil and fixed it for like $40 . Not a dealership but still shady
@supertouring1 in general they're not misdiagnosed. insurance just can't diagnose this far since manufacturer approved repair procedure wouldn't allow for such repairs. maybe 20 years ago yeah
I shook my head when you said there was only two massive bolts on the front of the battery...!
If there are two on the front, there was OBVIOUSLY going to be two on the back... but your careful step by step helped you uncover that initial oversight.
140 to 10 is insane devaluation! gratz on the deal!
Yeah but, you couldnt do that $80 job without a $20k lift, and a big garage right?
Really fascinating and super informative video! Takes some of the mystery out of these cars. Thank you.
Nah, it doesn't have to be a $20k lift. You can get one for $2k-$3k, new. Probably find a better deal on a used one.
You could buy a pretty decent 2-post lift to do the repair, and still come out $2k-$3k ahead, and end up with a free lift for future repairs!
@Wrenchmonkey1 - Sounds good. But the ceiling on the average home garage is about 8'. Maybe you could do the under car job on your knees?
@monkeyfinger7949 Or on a stool, or on a creeper...
The point is, it COULD be done. I know people who have lifts on a concrete pad next to or behind their house.
The point is, it's possible. And it doesn't take a $20,000 lift.
Not everybody has a place to put a lift, that's true.
But not everybody has two arms. Not everybody has tools. Not everybody even has a house, let alone a garage. Not everybody has a Tesla, and not every Tesla that needs to be repaired just needs that specific sensor. 🤷♂
All of that is also irrelevant to your original argument...
Tesla uses a passive speed sensor. It uses a magnet. This is why the metal particles stick to the sensors face. These metal particles inhibits the sensor from picking up the moving gear, on the motor. Cleaning the sensor may restore its function. Since these metal particles are in the front drive unit oil. I recomend, changing the front drive unit oil, and filter. Other wise the sensor may fail again.
exactly. this is why tesla maintenance book requires to change the oil at 125000 miles.
Sounds like a good idea to have a magnet on the end of the drain plug, or maybe they do. Obviously changing the oil is a good idea but collecting the metal particles on a magnet that could easily be cleaned while performing the oil change would be good preventative maintenance.
Even better, put a magnet 🧲 somewhere in the reservoir to constantly pick up the particles
No problem just repeat everything. 😁😁😁
7:52 that dial around the chuck is for torque settings.
It's on maybe 2 or 3 and it's a sheer mystery why the screw's not going in lol
I wont be surprised if tesla dealer claim to replace the motor and in reality they only change that sensor😂
For sure
it could be a costly lawsuit if they charged you for a new motor and only replaced the bad sensor on the original motor. Most people would no way of knowing,though.
Ask for the replaced parts when you sign the work order.
25:39 The guide pins are brilliant!
Again you have defied all odds and fixed the unfixable. My hats off, respect man, respect!
You also managed to bend the prongs when you broke the connector. However I gather you repaired those give it all works!
Well done Sam!
Did u buy it off rich rebuilds 😎
It's got Richie Kidd written all over it
You're the man Sam! I love how you show everyone the dealership scams.
So Much Fun to Watch. Excellent Work.
I didn't want to watch this all the way through, but... Like being born fully aware my sense of wonder is on overload with this. Amazing complexity sitting right next to amazing simplicity. All the great tool just appear when needed and are built when they don't exist. Break a part...just print one out. Just...It's like a dream where you are faced with an insurmountable problem yet you just stroll through with nary a hitch. The creator is like a child with joy and wonder and is fearless in the face of a task that would make most people just cry at the thought. Amazing!
When Sam gets a win I am happy for him.
This video made me proud as an engineer! Especially the part where u used the print-file of the other guy who made the same mistake 😌.
This is what our community is all about, and I hope this is how it will continue to be. Let's keep looking out for each other ❤
As a mechanic sometimes I wonder what you lot are smoking.
Out of spec renew! Love that guy.
Amazing mate!
Power in your hand! Perfect!!!
Alex at Out of Spec is an awesome guy!! Great channel too.
Sam doing woodwork in the field is oddly satisfying and infuriating at the same time.
This is the samcrac we know and love, simple repairs that any one of us whose stupid enough can try. gotta love it.
13:23 Adam Sandler
😂
You had ur drill at 1, turn it to the highest number for more power. It’s right before the chuck.
That.... and it might have been wise to predrill the hole with a drill bit not only to help the screw go in easier but prevent breaking tip bits or stripping the screw heads....🤔
That dolly system was totally sketchy!
Poor Dolly! I am amazed it didn't brake. The weight should have been on the wheels. Samcrac is Crazy man!!
Great job and thank you for all this invaluable information
this is amazing thanks for the video sam
Use an impact driver, not a drill for that.
This is the correct answer 😊
predrill your holes for a drill if no impact
🥰😍
or put it in screw mode
I came here to say the same thing.
That was an amazing repair on a wonderful car. That ancient Tesla Model S was beautifully built. Your ingenious repair was a joy to watch! No oily mess and Squeaky Clean Hands. I hope you do more Tesla's on your Channel. Thank you and best wishes
14:25 In Australia we call that small measure a "Bee's Dick".
an "ants cock" is a little more precise for a small measurement
It was a "Mickey hair", (or more correctly, a C**t hair), in my day on the tools). Aussie diesel fitter.
Gnat's c0ck in the UK :)
Lol just scrolled to your comment and realised I said the same. Yep I'm from aus too!
Of course a loose fit is called a "Bee's dick in a bucket"
Very clever idea with the guide pins !
Clear points, nicely organized
The OutofSpec channel actually helped me figure out my Tesla issue and fix it. Saved an LDU replacement!
He liked the porn bot comment and not urs. That’s crazy.
@finbarrsheehan8304 for real! 😅😢
Has become one of my favorite channels!
Great job and video! Love your channel and thanks to Alex for the great information
Such a great job with this . Love seeing this
Very cool project. Nicely done.
6:45 elevated, can hold 1200lbs, has wheels on it….. I see two toolboxes right behind you that fit that bill perfectly
Good eye. Repurposing tool boxes and tool carts is a thing.
Nice shade tree way to get the battery out Sam 💯🔥
That's shade tree? You never saw Rich's old videos?
@CheezeCracker I only watch Sam’s videos 😎
Absolutely enjoyed this video thank you so much!
AWESOME, thank you for showing this!
14:23 Small measure: "Gnat's eyelash"
A fuzz
RCH=Red Cunt Hair
Despite a cracked Molex connector, you did a fine job on replacing that sensor. You take some chances but you usually get the job done. Much respect to you. That was some interesting content. Nice makeshift dolly for the battery pack. Not that you need my input because I couldn't do that job on my own. I wouldn't even attempt it if I owned a Tesla. More power to you.
Tyler Hoover should have some of your skills so he could save more money on vehicle repairs.
Tyler should not be permitted to work on a Tractor Supply go-kart.
I generally agree, but when you cracked that Molex connector, I cringed. I also cringed because I didn’t see you straighten out the pins you bent before you replaced the housing.
On those dollies, you can’t put 1000 pounds right in the middle of what is essentially a one by four. You should’ve either put it directly over the wheels, or added another layer of 2x4 across the wheels so the weight does not flex the frame of the dolly.
Hey. Saved a buck. 😄😄😀😀😅😅
28:07 I-beam some 2x4's in there. Thanks for the heads up !!!
Great sharing and Techniques !
How did your old friend Rich, remove the battery from a Tesla with a butterknife?😂😂
That's the OSHA-approved repair method 👍🏼
WOW! Those are four-wheel furniture dollies, and they’re only really strong when putting the weight (aka the 2x4 parts of the pallet) directly over the wheels, not free-floating (in space) on the 1x section of the dolly. That was so dangerous!!!
Right I’m in shock 😂
I thought the same thing
Sam well knew that it was sketch, I noticed that he never put himself directly under that battery while suspended on that dolly. The risk was only that it would come crashing down and wreck the battery pack. No humans were harmed during the making of this video.
Those dolleys were shit, dunno why he couldn't use a pallet jack or bolt casters directly to that wood frame.
Apparently he needs a lesson in the difference between distributed and point loads.
Woohoo. A new update from Mr Crac
Innovation everywhere 🚀 Copytrading really elevated my finances pulling in about $30k weekly by staying consistent...
. .. ...
Respect! Love seeing discipline applied outside its usual lane. That mindset really carries over.
Big win 🙌 I started small too and slowly built confidence once I focused on consistency instead of hype currently making about 100k monthly
I follow Bella Flor Hampton steps. She's honestly one of the smartest and most supportive mentor I've ever learned from. Her mindset and the way she explains things really helped me alot
That’s been my experience too… Bella Flor Hampton really focuses on building a strategy that fits your situation, not just one type of investment.
So cool when different content creators collab 👏
Sam you never cease to amaze me! Way to go
If you can find one of these old ones that has the full self-driving as well as free supercharging that could be a really good deal
SC01s with purchased FSD are getting to be unicorn status, as they were only made until early 2017.
Most electric Motors don't die their sensors get fouled out and the electronic controls stop working correctly.
I worked at a laundry mat repairing machines using parts from other machines that had structural issues. On the east coast near the water the machines would rot away and the circuit boards would still be fine.
I personally always wanted to use new parts because the turnaround time was less than half the time it took to track down the bad circuit and replace it.
The old man that owned the Laundromat was a mechanical engineer and he would go over the schematics and map out what the different circuits were used for and I would get the part from the scrap pile test it to make sure it still worked and then soldier it in or in some cases it was the control board so I would replace the board and the machine was back to work.
I did repairs and I had a full time job and so you can understand a full time job to me was 80 hours or more each week. I did the pickups from block island and I repaired the van.
The pizza place I worked for let me do the side jobs and let me stay on the clock so I could make some money.
The pizza place was seasonal and the owner could always ask for anything and I would do it. I would watch his place and his dog for him in the winter when he would take trips and I stayed until it closed.
Capacitors over time heat up and swell and once they start yo swell they begin to stop working correctly. Resistors cook themselves and diodes like to break at the legs.
Especiqlly since most EV motors are Brushless. (Not all are believe it or not lol)
@rkan2the brushes aren't always hard to replace.
I would just put some tape or something where the wheels on the platform were when it took the battery out, then simply rolled the platform back onto those tape marks to refit 😉
I was going to suggest using a framing square or square piece of plywood to transfer the battery pack edge locations to marks on the floor. But how many Tesla owners have a shop with a two post lift and a 3D printer to work on them anyway?
@JP-rf7px 3D printer's easy. The two post lift is the issue for me. But heck, a budget lift, even with some concrete to pour proper pads, is less than the dealer quote, right?
Congratulations!!! For making the cheap fix!!!
Nice work, man!
32:30 @SAMCRAC IS THAT A ZZPERFORMANCE SHIRT MY GUY?? 🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼 THOSE GUYS ARE AWESOME
RCH is the hair measurement u r looking for.
RCH went out of favor in the mid 1980’s when the Japanese auto engineering claimed world dominance.
When the Japanese tried using JCH instead of RCH, they were off by a bunch- because JCH‘s are so much finer than RCH’s. True story.
What's the R mean?
(I know the rest)
@mv235red
“How’s that pallet look?”
Sam: “…. It’s still there..”
Great fix nice to see
This is wisdom bro ❤❤❤❤❤❤
The unit of measure is a ' c hair'......😅😅
An age old standard.
30 seconds ago that’s crazyyy
Why are you gay
I would have marked the floor of the dolly wheel to know where to put back the battery 😂
3:01 its a Debt trap.
I’m sure he knows that.
Very enlightening. First time I've seen anything about tesla
Good Job guys!
$80 if you have a lift in your garage.
Love the video ❤️
Buddy of mine bought a 2013 Model S with 130,000 miles a few years ago. It currently has over 220,000 miles and zero issues with battery or motor. Great cars!
On those Skill drills there is a push button on the base by the battery to adjust torque levels. I have both that drill and the impact version and was disappointed until I figured out how to adjust that.
That’s cool! Thanks for sharing.
good job, man, and a great video!
As an Ophthalmologist I've seen numerous severe eye injuries resulting in emergency surgery and even loss of the eye and blindness. Just slap on some protective glasses!
My best friend was using a gas weed Wacker. A rock flew up hit him in the eye. Well, he has one eye now. Wear safety glasses
Great. Just $400,000.00 worth of equipment and some mechanics to help you, and 3 months worth of tech. courses, you too can do this.
😂😂😂 😅😅😮😮😢😢 how I felt
Congrats!
The treaded rod/guide is GENIUS!!!
Well done!👍🏻
Good job Sam 👍
Amazing Sam!!!🎉🎉🎉