2019 Mdl 3 fluid drips in passenger floorboard (orange?)

[MP3Mike]

@Garlan - thanks for that image you posted of the computer, that helps, i'll be looking closely at those hoses connectors asap...

From what I have seen the hose connectors are outside the car under the Frunk tub. (The AP computer mounts to the firewall with the nipples poking through.) Of course the leak could be something on the AP computer itself.

If you pull the Frunk tub you should be able to see the color of the coolant in your car in the overflow/surge tank to see if it is orange or not.

The other fluid that is normally blue from the factory, but can be orange if refilled with different, is the washer fluid...

 

[dano bro]

From what I have seen the hose connectors are outside the car under the Frunk tub. (The AP computer mounts to the firewall with the nipples poking through.) Of course the leak could be something on the AP computer itself.

If you pull the Frunk tub you should be able to see the color of the coolant in your car in the overflow/surge tank to see if it is orange or not.

The other fluid that is normally blue from the factory, but can be orange if refilled with different, is the washer fluid...

Great Info!.... I was hoping I might be able to see that if I pulled the frunk tub out, but wasn't sure..... I'll definitely take it out and take a look this evening, I'll report back what I find!... Thanks again to everyone!

 

[03DSG]

Have you the HW3 upgrade yet? If not this is a great time for them to do it. IMO that's coolant for sure. Only source in that area is the coolant loop for the computer as described above. Sounds gross but taste it. Just a touch on your finger. Seriously. Coolant is sweet. It will confirm it for you.

 

[Margaritaboy]

Great Info!.... I was hoping I might be able to see that if I pulled the frunk tub out, but wasn't sure..... I'll definitely take it out and take a look this evening, I'll report back what I find!... Thanks again to everyone!

If you car is under warranty, I would just take it to the service center and have them trouble shoot.

Those coolant hoses attach to a cold plate on the back of the MCU. The MCU is burried in the right passenger dash and is not accessible unless you remove the right passenger trim, glove box, and knee air bag. Assessing the coolant hoses from the front of the vehicle would require removing a good bit of the trim, cowel, and funk tub....but you'd have to remove the front aeroshield under the vehicle to physically access the hoses, which requires lifting the car.

Either way, if it is under warranty, let them fix it and take responsibility for any damage that has or will occur. The MCU is expensive!

 

[Garlan Garner]

haha yep no creamsicles in glove box... wish it were that easy.

& yep definitely passenger side. Later tonight when I get home i'll pull the panel off again, and try to get a better look and see if i can zero in on the source of the leak.

so no one can say for sure what would be an "orange" color fluid in the car?.... you guys think its probably autopilot computer coolant then (that at one time was blue, but perhaps has been replaced with orange)?

@Garlan - thanks for that image you posted of the computer, that helps, i'll be looking closely at those hoses connectors asap...

No problem.

I thought it was interesting that the color of the fluid that hit the foam/fabric material in your pic was definitely blue ( some kind of way ) and by the time it hit the floor mat - it was orange.

hmmmmmmm…..

I would be interested in Tesla explaining that one.

 

[Garlan Garner]

If you car is under warranty, I would just take it to the service center and have them trouble shoot.

Those coolant hoses attach to a cold plate on the back of the MCU. The MCU is burried in the right passenger dash and is not accessible unless you remove the right passenger trim, glove box, and knee air bag. Assessing the coolant hoses from the front of the vehicle would require removing a good bit of the trim, cowel, and funk tub....but you'd have to remove the front aeroshield under the vehicle to physically access the hoses, which requires lifting the car.

Either way, if it is under warranty, let them fix it and take responsibility for any damage that has or will occur. The MCU is expensive!

Indeed the Computer mounts to the inside firewall where you would have to remove a ton of stuff to get the view below.

And indeed you are correct that you have to remove a ton of stuff to see these hoses below.

The 4 bolts you see in the above come from the following pic.

 

[dano bro]

you guys are all rockstars thanks for the support big time!!!! .... gives me some ideas of what's going on BEFORE talkin' with service center....

 

[mrau]

I stopped by the Toledo Service center last week just to check it out. The desk guy was very friendly and helpful. They did have some loaner cars in the lot as well. They have done some HW 3 computer upgrades, so they should be able to handle this repair for you. Some more intense repairs will have to have the car sent to Cleveland since Toledo is considered a "Lite Repair Facility". They are remodeling to become a full facility later this year.

 

[SD_Engnr]

Indeed the Computer mounts to the inside firewall where you would have to remove a ton of stuff to get the view below.

View attachment 504818

And indeed you are correct that you have to remove a ton of stuff to see these hoses below.

View attachment 504819

The 4 bolts you see in the above come from the following pic.

View attachment 504822

Can you share where you are getting these images? I'd love to have the same access. Thank you!

 

[Garlan Garner]

Can you share where you are getting these images? I'd love to have the same access. Thank you!

I purchased a service manual for the Model 3 ( web based ) online. $22.

They are all over ebay.

 

[AdamMacDon]

The coolant is blue G-48 coolant if I recall right, that said either coolant or water could mix with dirt or other contaminants to make the color you're seeing. I'd say either the coolant hoses to the AP computer are leaking, or water somehow got that far through your HVAC system. If you pulled your air filters and they were wet, I'd lean to the latter. But I'd for sure visit a service center.

 

[alstoralset]

To me that looks like either dirty or rusty water.

Is it possible you drove through a mud puddle that could have driven water through the firewall into the cabin?

Or (less likely), do they use salt on the roads in your area, which could result in ingressed water causing rust?

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

It's odd that the coolant on the pad is clearly blue, while the drips on the panel below that is orange (the stuff on the floor is too, but that could be due to dirt or whatever, but it's clearly not since it's orange on the panel).

So likely coolant, which is causing other stuff under the dash to rust or something.

 

[that_HMMWV_guy]

Do you by any chance use the orange rain-x washer fluid? I saw on the other Tesla forum that someone’s windshield was leaking and draining to the passenger floorboard. It could also be your HVAC duct leaking. Don’t know why it would be orang tho. Here is the link to the other forum. Water leaking into the car | Tesla