Drive Motor (Stator) Over-Temperature -- Power Temporarily Reduced
The TESLA-DI_W046 (Tesla Drive Inverter / Motor (DI)) EV fault code means: Drive Motor (Stator) Over-Temperature -- Power Temporarily Reduced. This is a moderate severity code.
- Keep driving?
- Short distances only
- DIY difficulty
- moderate
- Estimated cost
- $0 when it is simply heat- or load-related and clears after cooling; a powertrain cooling-system repair (coolant, pump, or radiator) is diagnosed and quoted if the fault recurs under normal driving.
A $30 car code reader can't do diesel. The HD7000 reads full-system codes and does parked DPF regen, idle/speed-limit, and service resets from the cab — on everything from a 6.7 Cummins/Power Stroke/Duramax pickup to Class-8 trucks (Detroit, Paccar, CAT, Volvo, Mack, International).
Check Price on AmazonAffiliate link -- we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Full-system 6/9/16-pin diesel scan tool for Cummins, Paccar, CAT, Detroit and more — plug-and-play, no subscription. A cheaper way to read heavy-duty codes a basic OBD2 scanner skips entirely.
Check Price on AmazonAffiliate link -- we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common Symptoms
- Reduced power or acceleration, often with a "power limited" type message
- Appears after sustained hard driving, towing, track use, or long climbs, especially in hot weather
- Power returns once the drive unit cools
- May be accompanied by other thermal warnings during heavy use
Probable Causes (Ranked by Likelihood)
- Sustained high load (track driving, towing, repeated hard launches, or steep grades) heating the motor stator Likely
- High ambient temperature reducing cooling headroom Possible
- A powertrain cooling-system fault -- low coolant, a failing coolant pump, or restricted radiator flow Possible
Step-by-Step Diagnostic Procedure
Per Tesla, a motor over-temperature condition was detected and power is reduced to protect the drive unit. If it was triggered by hard use or heat, let the car cool and full power returns -- this is normal protective behavior.
If the over-temperature warning appears during ordinary driving (not track/towing/heat), suspect the powertrain cooling system: check coolant level and have the coolant pump and radiator flow inspected.
Repeated or low-load occurrences warrant a Tesla service inspection of the drive-unit cooling circuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DI_w046 mean?
It means the drive motor stator has reached an over-temperature threshold and the car has temporarily reduced power to protect the drive unit. It is most often the result of sustained hard driving, towing, or hot conditions.
Is DI_w046 a serious problem?
Usually not if it only appears during hard use or extreme heat and clears once the car cools -- that is normal protection. If it shows up during normal, light driving, have the powertrain cooling system checked.
Sources
This page is built from documented references. Verify against your own service info before repair work.