Has anyone had a need to top off their coolant? I checked mine out this week and found the level just below the "low" indicator on the bottle. It wasn't low enough to throw a warning, and suspect it had a way to go before it did. It didn't need much, but I figured I'd top it off while I was there. The coolant is fairly common and sold at Walmart in 50/50 pre-mix jugs.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Coolant top off
- Thread starter Adirondack_D
- Start date
jabloomf1230
Minister of Silly Walks
Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla
Learn how to check and top up vehicle fluids such as battery coolant, brake fluid, and winshield washer fluid.
www.tesla.com
wasn't aware the battery coolant could be topped up at home, as the link you provided says not to.Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla
Learn how to check and top up vehicle fluids such as battery coolant, brake fluid, and winshield washer fluid.www.tesla.com
Its the coolant for the Battery, and yes you can top it up. The bottle resides next to the cabin air intake. Unlike my Hybrid Chrysler Pacifica, it does not have a tamper proof lid. Just unscrew and add until it reaches the scribe line on the coolant bottle. As far as the manual, they would have you go to the service center as often as possible to make more money off of you. Unless I got a low coolant notification, there's no need to drive 100+ miles (in my case) to bring it in and be charged $200+ for a quick top off. The coolant I used is Valvoline Zerex G48; it even says made for Tesla on the jug.
I plan on monitoring the coolant level these next few weeks to see if it drops any. If it does, then its service bound. I suspect the fluid level dropped due to season/temperature cycling and just plain old age. I just didn't know if anyone else experienced it yet.
I plan on monitoring the coolant level these next few weeks to see if it drops any. If it does, then its service bound. I suspect the fluid level dropped due to season/temperature cycling and just plain old age. I just didn't know if anyone else experienced it yet.
Battery coolant is sold in jugs at WalMart? I’m not going to mess with my $20k battery.
Great Value Tesla Battery Coolant ....
My personal opinion ... don't buy something from Walmart and pour in the reservoir.
From the Model Y manual:
Checking Battery Coolant
Your Battery coolant should not need to be replaced for the life of your vehicle under most circumstances. However, if the quantity of fluid in the cooling system drops below the recommended level, the touchscreen displays a warning message. Stop driving Model Y as soon as safety permits and contact Tesla.Fluid Level Check
DO NOT REMOVE THE FILLER CAP AND DO NOT ADD FLUID. Doing so can result in damage not covered by the warranty.Do Not Top Up Battery Coolant
WarningBattery coolant can be hazardous and can irritate eyes and skin. Under no circumstances should you remove the filler cap and/or add coolant. If the touchscreen warns you that the fluid level is low, contact Tesla immediately.
Depending on your vehicle’s manufacture date, the cooling system uses either G-48 (blue) or HTF-LS (orange-red) coolant. Contact Tesla for more specific information about the coolant.
Last edited:
Funny how the Tesla manual contradicts itself. It says don't touch, but then gives you the type of fluid it uses. Additionally if it was so crucial, they would not have put an easy to remove cover on the bottle.
BTW, its not Walmart brand, its Valvoline brand and is the identical coolant used in BMW's, Volvos and Mercedes. Not all items sold at Walmart are cheap junk.
Here is a link to the model 3 discussion on this vary blog Model 3 Coolant Specification
Additionally, my original question was Has anyone had a need to top off their coolant? I did not ask Should I top off my coolant?
Seems everyone has an opinion about how I should treat my vehicle. I was not asking for that, just as I don't ask what brand of Beer people drink, or whether it was wise to have 10 of them and attempt to drive.
BTW, its not Walmart brand, its Valvoline brand and is the identical coolant used in BMW's, Volvos and Mercedes. Not all items sold at Walmart are cheap junk.
Here is a link to the model 3 discussion on this vary blog Model 3 Coolant Specification
Additionally, my original question was Has anyone had a need to top off their coolant? I did not ask Should I top off my coolant?
Seems everyone has an opinion about how I should treat my vehicle. I was not asking for that, just as I don't ask what brand of Beer people drink, or whether it was wise to have 10 of them and attempt to drive.
fiehlsport
Tire Guy
I'm guessing it was underfilled at the factory, or you have a really slow leak somewhere that could be dripping into the undertray and drying up before it becomes obvious. At least now, you have a baseline to see if it drops again. Otherwise, you did what I would have done. No need for everyone to freak out about the type of coolant you used or start whipping out owners manual screenshots... G48 coolant is G48 coolant, likely the same stuff Tesla uses, sourced from the same place.
The Tesla coolant should only be serviced by Tesla. If you inspect the coolant overflow tank level every few months and notice the level dropping then there is a leak that requires immediate service.
Using the wrong type of coolant, i.e a coolant made with water that is not at the correct ultra low level of de-ionization will contaminate the cooling system, may brick the Tesla vehicle. If the vehicle detects a voltage in the coolant it could be due to a short circuit in the high voltage system.
If the coolant level drops below the level in the overflow tank air can be drawn into the cooling system. Normally whenever the coolant needs to be drained, after replacing the coolant a vacuum pump is connected to the cooling system and run for an hour or longer to evacuate any air bubbles from the system.
Using the wrong type of coolant, i.e a coolant made with water that is not at the correct ultra low level of de-ionization will contaminate the cooling system, may brick the Tesla vehicle. If the vehicle detects a voltage in the coolant it could be due to a short circuit in the high voltage system.
If the coolant level drops below the level in the overflow tank air can be drawn into the cooling system. Normally whenever the coolant needs to be drained, after replacing the coolant a vacuum pump is connected to the cooling system and run for an hour or longer to evacuate any air bubbles from the system.
My 12/2020 produced 2021 MYLR needed coolant the FIRST time I pulled the tray to inspect it...maybe at 400-500 miles. It was down about 1" while cold, not a significant amount. It hasn't needed any coolant since then, and I'm at 32k miles.
Adirondack_D: When you said "Walmart", I have to say I puckered a bit. If you had said "Valvoline G48 from Walmart" you probably wouldn't have been lectured by the cautious OCD folk here!
We would have thanked you for pointing out that Valvoline G48 is available at Walmart!!!!
Adirondack_D: When you said "Walmart", I have to say I puckered a bit. If you had said "Valvoline G48 from Walmart" you probably wouldn't have been lectured by the cautious OCD folk here!
We would have thanked you for pointing out that Valvoline G48 is available at Walmart!!!!Apparently, the visible marks on my tank are the MAX line and the NOM lines. I think I mistakenly assumed the two lines meant MAX and MIN. After seeing the same marks on a Model S tank, which are accompanied by a third mark, MIN, I am assuming the NORMAL level on the Model Y is above, or below the NOM line. The MIN line is not visible on my Model Y, but I am also assuming one is located behind the strut tower cross support. Can someone confirm that the Model Y has a MIN level mark that is not visible without removing the strut tower cross support (to which most of the cooing components are attached)?
I just happened to check the coolant level (also 12V battery and brake fluid level) in my 2020 LRMY (at ~30 months (2-1/2 years) ownership.) The coolant level, as far as I can remember from the last time I inspected the coolant level, has not changed. The level was a little below the Nom level line. I looked down with my flashlight and could see that there is still quite a bit of coolant in the reservoir. I will check things again in 6 months. (My original 12V lead-acid battery tested good and the brake fluid reservoir was full.)
Last edited:
Similar threads
