Low Coolant warning - 2013 Tesla Model S in Maryland

[Raza-Khan]

Hello,

Three weeks ago, we saw a low coolant warning. We only drive few miles a day. That warning went away later in the afternoon and did not appear till few days later when it showed up. We have stopped driving the car and drive our other cars. I made an appointment with Tesla Service in Owings Mills but due to the age of the car (2013 with 125k miles), they sent me an estimate of about $1900 and let me know it can even go higher. That car is too old to just pay $1900 for just coolant or leaks. Does any one know if I can take the car to any authorized dealers in Maryland who work on Tesla to figure out if it is just low coolant or some bigger issue. We have not seen any coolant or liquid puddles under the car when parked during that time.

Any help would be appreciated. Just an FYI - I am close to Baltimore.

 

[EVRider-FL]

If you Google “how to add coolant to a tesla” you’ll find instructional videos, so I would try that before bringing in the car for service. Seeing a low coolant warning doesn’t mean there’s a leak.

 

[Fgpalmer71]

Brace yourself......

I had the low coolant warning about 2 months ago. I researched it and found that it could be the coolant pump(s) in the frunk. I took the frunk apart to inspect and top off the coolant. I topped off 1st instead of checking the pumps 1st. I spilled a bit of coolant (couldn't find my funnel). With the spilled coolant I couldn't tell if the large junction pump (for lack of the correct word) was leaking or not. The other pump, closer to the front was dry. I told myself I'd check again later. Had to be leaking in the battery, or 1 of those pumps. Well a week or so later I got an alert "car may not start, schedule service" as I pulled into the grocery store. Drove home without issue.....

The coolant was leaking into the drive unit. It was replaced under warranty just befor I bought the car around 2 years ago....so I didn't think that could possibly be the issue, it was. My car has been at the SC since 2 days before Thanksgiving. The price....it went from $6500...to $6800....to $7500...to $9200. It's landed at $8200 for now. They broke all of the bolts in the suspension for the most part. They had to heat up the bushings to remove them, destroying the bushings....and they don't press new bushings in. They replace the knuckles and other effected parts. ~ $2000 of my bill is for new rear suspension parts.

I hope this isn't you....but prepare yourself. Good luck.

 

[PCMc]

My car is a bit newer, mid-2016, not a P, so does not have the large rear drive unit which is prone to the internal coolant leakage issue.
I did have a low coolant warning message just over a year ago. In my case my initial estimate was about $1000, as it included potential replace of multiple 3-way, 4-way valves, which was their worst case estimate before they inspected the car. Turned out they needed to just replace the 3-way coolant radiator bypass valve that's in the front of the car, so my total cost was about $440, so much less than the original estimate.

What you might do is put a piece of white cardboard under the front of the car and then again under the rear drive motor. That may make it easier to see even if a small drip. If it's in the front, then that tends to point to one of the coolant valves or pumps. If it's in the rear, than that would suggest maybe an internal seal leakage issue in the rear drive unit.

 

[Fgpalmer71]

My car is a bit newer, mid-2016, not a P, so does not have the large rear drive unit which is prone to the internal coolant leakage issue.
I did have a low coolant warning message just over a year ago. In my case my initial estimate was about $1000, as it included potential replace of multiple 3-way, 4-way valves, which was their worst case estimate before they inspected the car. Turned out they needed to just replace the 3-way coolant radiator bypass valve that's in the front of the car, so my total cost was about $440, so much less than the original estimate.

What you might do is put a piece of white cardboard under the front of the car and then again under the rear drive motor. That may make it easier to see even if a small drip. If it's in the front, then that tends to point to one of the coolant valves or pumps. If it's in the rear, than that would suggest maybe an internal seal leakage issue in the rear drive unit.

1st....no way, Columbus, IN!!!?? I just moved from Columbus, IN to Phoenix this past April...small world!!!

2nd....it doesn't need to be a P model. ALL RWD models have the LDU. If you have a dual motor car you're safe.

 

[Fgpalmer71]

PCMc....tell me you're one of the "other" green Model S's in Columbus!! I think there were 2 in C-town other then mine. Every time I'm at a SC here in AZ people half way freak out about my green lantern and say they've never seen a green one. I always tell them that my hometown of Columbus had multiple and I'd see them all of the time!

 

[PCMc]

PCMc....tell me you're one of the "other" green Model S's in Columbus!! I think there were 2 in C-town other then mine. Every time I'm at a SC here in AZ people half way freak out about my green lantern and say they've never seen a green one. I always tell them that my hometown of Columbus had multiple and I'd see them all of the time!

Sorry to disappoint you, but my MS90D is not the early green, but Midnight Silver Metallic. The green was discontinued by the time I purchased my MS90D in mid 2016. There was a green MS with custom plates G_ _ _ _ that maybe is the one you might have seen. They actually lived in Indy area but worked in Columbus, so could be one of the cars you saw around.

2nd....it doesn't need to be a P model. ALL RWD models have the LDU. If you have a dual motor car you're safe.

I am aware that all RWD cars have the large drive motor, but as you can tell from my signature line, I do have a dual motor. RWD by mid-2016 wasn't that common, so I tend to think of cars of my vintage as either P or D models.

 

[Fgpalmer71]

Sorry to disappoint you, but my MS90D is not the early green, but Midnight Silver Metallic. The green was discontinued by the time I purchased my MS90D in mid 2016. There was a green MS with custom plates G_ _ _ _ that maybe is the one you might have seen. They actually lived in Indy area but worked in Columbus, so could be one of the cars you saw around.

1 of the folks lived on Washington and 31, in the Frank Lloyd Wright home. We met and spoke briefly at an event at the Commons some time ago. The other was unknown to me. I lived on N. Riverside Dr. and would see it periodically on Washington St. Neither of those 2 green cars had a vanity plate. Mine was the only one of the 3 with a Vanity plate....I must've missed the one you're reffering to.

Cheers to Columbus! Again, small world.

 

[Ryan Elting]

I just went through this with mine, low coolant warning but no spots under the car while on a road trip. Refilled it at home and plugged it in the next morning a few small drips under the front end. I Found a very small hole from a rock in the radiator that would only drip when the coolant pumps turned on while charging.