Help! "Vehicle coolant is low - schedule service" alert

[The_Kilt]

Hi, i am wondering if you can help/recommend what to do. labout 5 days ago this warning came up on the screen, so i immedietly raised a service request, and on monday accepted the estimate and booked the car in for this friday No mention from Tesla not to drive, etc. The alert doesnt stay on the screen, it disapears after a while, then pops back up when i go into the car next. The warning itself does not indicate the car shoudlnt be driven, it only states "Schedule Service" which to me is a pre-alarm with the coolant at a certain level, where it should be looked at. especially as it diapears. Reading the manual there is no mention of any such alert, or recommendations. I have been driving the car short distances (about 4-5 miles each trip), however yesterday the warning started alerting more frequently, so i messaged the service team asking if there is a concern driving the vehicle, and they responded with:

"Without inspecting the vehicle we wouldnt be able to advise. If you feel that your vehicle is unsafe to drive, please arange for recovery to the service centre. Thank you."

A very wishwashy not going into any detail where liability coudl be placed on their side. I then responded asking how i would know if its unsafe to drive. are there any further alerts which state "Do not drive" etc as i cannot tell how low the coolant is as its a sealed system. I do not want Tesla to invalidate the warranty should the battery fail when i shouldnt of been driving the vehicle with this alert. Any other car i have had its a lot more detailed into the issue, and generally an amber alert (like this one) is a pre-warning, and a red alert is "Do not drive" etc.

Anyone else had any experiance?

 

[DerbyDave]

The warning should come on before damage occurs, alerting that the coolant is low, but should be fixed. There is still a reserve of coolant above a damaging level when this occurs. Of course, with a fast leak, the illumination may come on solid, and other errors will soon follow. Probably OK to drive easy with your car.

 

[The_Kilt]

The warning should come on before damage occurs, alerting that the coolant is low, but should be fixed. There is still a reserve of coolant above a damaging level when this occurs. Of course, with a fast leak, the illumination may come on solid, and other errors will soon follow. Probably OK to drive easy with your car.

that was my thought process, however tesla are being very insistant its my decision. To be honest, I negotiate commercial terms for a living, and the way they are responding smells of involvement of legal input to ensure to liability is placed on Tesla. Its just not very assuring that they dont tell you something like the above. they should have a low alarm (this) and then a low low alarm which is then a red warning and do not drive seek roadside assistance. I cannot see any leaks on my driveway however it has been wet rediculously wet. it is perfectly dry on the driveway now with no little drips so i dont think its leaking that much.

 

[Doanster1]

You have a coolant warning and want Tesla to tell you at what point does it become “catastrophic”? There aren’t progressively escalating warnings. It’s your call. Play it completely safe and don’t drive until your appt, monitoring the ground as you have done, or drive it short distances. Again, your call. Or… remove the frunk tub and check the coolant level yourself and see if you notice obvious signs of leakage.

 

[DerbyDave]

With the alert going off and on, it seem the coolant level has just reached minimum. If there were a big leak, the warning would remain on, thus it seems somewhat progressive in its warnings.

 

[The_Kilt]

You have a coolant warning and want Tesla to tell you at what point does it become “catastrophic”? There aren’t progressively escalating warnings. It’s your call. Play it completely safe and don’t drive until your appt, monitoring the ground as you have done, or drive it short distances. Again, your call. Or… remove the frunk tub and check the coolant level yourself and see if you notice obvious signs of leakage.

What i am trying to avoid is Tesla weasling out of the Battery warranty (god forbid if something went wrong later down the line) by saying "you shoudlnt have driven the car with that warning". If its bad (no way of anyone teling) and fails going to the SC, then i dont want to be liable as i was driving it.
I will have a look under the tub and see if i can see the level, however the manual specifically states "Any damage caused by opening the Battery coolant reservoir is excluded from the warranty." so again i dont want to dig around too much. I have been stung in the past by companies passing liability and want to avoid it now at all costs.

 

[Doanster1]

Warranty wording aside, the coolant tank is nothing special, just like the washer fluid bottle. Check the level once you remove the frunk. If it’s drastically low, you know you have a big problem. If it’s marginally low, either top it off to your liking since there’s no sensor that tells Tesla you unscrewed the cap. Or just leave it alone until your appt. Battery warranty would not be on my mind unless you drive the car after seeing a giant puddle of coolant on the floor. Sorta like the other thread asking about driving 2.5hrs after the car was speared and coolant has been depleted.

 

[DerbyDave]

I wouldn't top it off -- asking for Tesla problems. When you have set up an appointment to check the level, and have warnings in the system log for low coolant, Tesla would have proof you violated that portion of the warranty if it is topped off particularly not using the Tesla approved coolant.

 

[cbdream99]

Model S Do It Yourself | Tesla

service.tesla.com

Although there are youtube videos showing how to do it, this link is against it, and the coolant should last the lifetime of the vehicle, may be there is another problem. If the drive to SC is not too far away, just drop it off and told them you don't feel safe to drive and they normally will take it under special circumstances (at least in the US). There may not a code or information to tell from remote diagnostics, so they may be telling you the truth.

Any damage caused by opening the Battery coolant reservoir is excluded from the warranty

 

[ucmndd]

The car is fine. The alert didn't tell you not to drive. Low coolant isn't going to be a crisis in the UK in November.

Drive it to the service center and figure out where the leak is.

 

[KalJoMoS]

As your service is already on friday, you might not need this but why not to ask their ranger to come and top-up the system? There are several videos on youtube showing how to do this and the reservoir is plain and simple automotive part so just don’t brake it. Not knowing the OP model so can’t give suggestions but if it’s with the large HVAC filter cartridge opposed to the small one, then reaching the reservoir is quite simple. Just remove the top plastic covers, no need to hassle with the frunk at all…

 

[Rob J]

I've had this twice. Once I had the warning, got it in to Tesla and they replaced a 3 way diverter valve. 2nd time 18 months later I spotted a small puddle of coolant near the drivers side front wheel (RHD UK car), got it in to Tesla and it was the same issue, replaced again. Both not under battery warranty.

 

[Zuikkis]

I had this warning on my MX last winter. Service replaced both three- and four-way valves. The valves itself are not very expensive and they are next to each other so it makes sense to replace both.

I did add coolant myself because I had to wait a few weeks for the service. I don't think there's much issue here, just make sure to use G48 coolant instead of regular one.

When this happened to me, the tesla.com instruction manuals actually showed the coolant type and the reservoir location, but the instruction text was "Do NOT add coolant into this location" or something like that. But now they seem to have removed the photos.

 

[The_Kilt]

I managed to get to the SC, and they replaced both the three way and 4 way valves in around 2 hours, replaced under my extended warranty. However after returning home from the SC i then notice that somehow both front door handles do not properly close, they are protuding very slightly. Either something to do with going into service mode, or a total coincidence however mobile technician is now coming to me on friday.

I also discussed the signal issue with the car, and had some waffle about masts in the areas and something to do with Huwai emitters etc. can take a while to fix as they have to locate the specific masts and produce a fix for it. Where i am signal is pretty poor so i think it will take a while.