554.22
They told me that the leak had corroded an electrical connection and it had to be replaced.
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Leaking 3-way valve
- Thread starter dmwahl
- Start date
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- Tags
- coolant fluid leak leak slow leak
They told me that the leak had corroded an electrical connection and it had to be replaced.
Has anyone with a leak like this had the service center claim that BOTH the 3-way and 4-way valves needed replacement? That's my current situation. It seems unlikely, and Tesla wants $700 to replace both of the valves (on my Model X). I've reached out to ask them to clarify/explain before approving the estimate but it seems odd that both would be at fault at the same time.
dark cloud
Active Member
Yes, I have read at least one person where this happened.
I recall another diy'er decided to just replace the other when one of them was leaking, as one might as well if one is in there getting ones hands dirty topping up the coolant for another $100 or so for the valve off the top of my head, which of course saves doing it down the road at some point, and having it go at an inconvenient time.
I believe they have your best interests as a priority, and they are not just trying to grab another few hundred unnecessarily.
Alysashley79
Active Member
Have you pulled out your trunk to see if both of the valves are leaking? It’s pretty easy and quick. Took me like 5 minutes to get it all out. The 3 way on mine is fine and it’s just the 4 way that has any moisture on it at all. You can tell quickly where the blue juice is coming from. I know X and s are different cars. But they’re only chafing me $197 for the valve and coolant flush. $700 seems high. I think the parts are the same on the two iirc.
Kensiko
Member
All my 3-way and 4-way valves were replaced under warranty, one failing after another one, and one of the replaced valves failed last year too.
Now I opened my frunk because of a ground issue and found that the middle 3 way valve is having a small leak. I'm thinking of replacing it myself. Replacing the valve is no concern for me, but the bleeding of the air is. You simply disconnect and reconnect the 12V battery for that ? My 12V battery is pretty hard to access like Scarface.
Now I opened my frunk because of a ground issue and found that the middle 3 way valve is having a small leak. I'm thinking of replacing it myself. Replacing the valve is no concern for me, but the bleeding of the air is. You simply disconnect and reconnect the 12V battery for that ? My 12V battery is pretty hard to access like Scarface.
When you reconnect the 12V battery the pumps and valves go through a cycle that bleeds the air out. Just keep an eye on the coolant reservoir while it's doing that as the level will drop a bit. I filled mine to max before re-connecting the 12V battery and it went down to about halfway after the bleed cycle. Top it off again and you should be good.
Keep in mind that disconnecting the 12V negative terminal before doing this is important as well. The pumps will run sometimes even when the car is parked, which would quickly make a mess if you had the wrong hose disconnected.
Has anyone had their 3 way or 4 way valves replaced under warranty other than Kensiko ? I have a 2020 Model S with 52,000 miles that needs the 3 way valve replaced and Tesla SC wants $175 for General Diagnosis, $148.75 to remove and replace, $55 for the 3-way valve. They say it's not covered by the battery or drive train warranty. It seems to me that Tesla needs to use better quality valves.
Alysashley79
Active Member
It’s not part of the battery or drive train. If you remove your basin you can clearly see both the 3 way upper right and 4 way lower left. They’ll slowly drip when leaking. I spent 4 minutes doing this and just asked them to replace the 3 way. Total with tax was $185.23 out the door. The majority of the price is the coolant flush they perform after. 1 gallon is $40 alone.
If you have previously told them about the issue it should be covered. If not it’s a cheap and quick fix.
dark cloud
Active Member
One piece of anecdotal evidence, to counteract yours, My whole cooling system, including the valves, are all original in my 7.5 year old 200,000 km model S.
I assume there was there a visible leak on yours? Is that why you brought it to service for them to diagnose it?
Alysashley79
Active Member
I love hearing this! Mine had 90k on the odo when it failed. But it was such a slow leak it could have gone years before it needed to be replaced. (Or so they said)
I know this is an old message but thought I would try a question. Who did you contact at tesla to order the parts? I can't get a straight answer from them, they told me to send an email to a local parts dept (i guess) but no response after a couple of days.
dark cloud
Active Member
Isn't the game fun? Last I talked to them they said it's all online now, just set up an account. And the form asks what size spray booth you have, and what is your business number. I filled it out anyway and they sent it back incomplete. I again ask the service centre, and they said they would find out and email me. Still waiting.
Service request via the Tesla app. I chose something vaguely relevant, then told them the parts I needed, they sent me an invoice. I paid via the app as well and one of the mobile service people delivered the parts to my work.
dark cloud
Active Member
I wonder how low the coolant has to get for the warning to show. I don't suppose you know how low it was, or how much coolant they added? (the invoice won't tell the exact amount)
Anyone else know?
225,000 km on her now and I have done quite a bit of maintenance in the past while, and well as a new battery and drive unit, but the coolant valves are still original.
No I do not know how low or how much coolant was added. I should have eyeballed it before taking it in. However, I am only at 55,000 km on the odo.
Alysashley79
Active Member
If you pop your frunk and pull the frunk bin out (takes about 2 minutes) you can see the resovoir and the levels. When it gets below the min it will toss that alert. Here’s mine when my valve went bad. I just marked with a sharpie the level so know id. Super slow leak for me.
Attachments
Hi friends! I thought I'd add my experience here. I also got a "coolant low" message and scheduled service through the app. The estimate they transmitted thru the app (i.e. before even seeing the car) was $618.35 for both the 3-way and 4-way values. Doesn't seem like there's be any actual telemetry from the values suggesting their failure. So my guess is just that Tesla has seen this kind of thing enough to know what they need to do to fix it.
Relevant bits of the invoice:
Relevant bits of the invoice:
