# New Owner Question



## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

I have read in the forums about blue liquid under the car. I have found several drops of blue liquid. The responses in the forum said it was coolant if slippery like oil and not slippery if it were washer fluid. 

Would this liquid evaporate if it were only washer fluid and not if it were coolant?

If it is coolant - can I drive it until I can get it serviced? I

30 hours into M3 ownership has been eventful!

Thanks for any help you can give.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

Will a coolant leak create a notification in the care that something is wrong?


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

I have just checked and the coolant reservoir is dry. Plenty of coolant on the garage floor however. 

Question: There is a coolant sold at the local auto store - Zerez G48, which says that it approved for BMW and Tesla. Will this work until I can get Tesla to fix the problem?

Tesla support will not help me until they complete the registration, which could be the middle of next week, apparently. They said they could not verify that I am the owner and my purchase paperwork would not suffice. 36 hours into Tesla ownership - glad I have a full warranty.

Thank you for any help you can give.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

KYVolsFan said:


> coolant reservoir is dry.


What coolant reservoir? The only liquid that you need to concern yourself is the washer fluid.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

Bigriver said:


> What coolant reservoir? The only liquid that you need to concern yourself is the washer fluid.


I've had the same thought. But that's beside the point. To hell with Tesla, go DAWGS!!


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

The best way to check which blue liquid it is, is to smell it. Coolant smells artificially sweet (chemical kind of smell), while washer fluid smells slightly like household rubbing alcohol, or no smell at all if it's just blue water (some places sell summer mixtures like that).

To verify which bottle you're checking, the washer fluid can be checked without removing any of the plastic cowling - you can just pull off the plainly visible black cap and look inside. To see the coolant reservoir you have to remove the plastic cowling closest to the windshield. EDIT: If the cowling is missing, as could be in the case of a used model, the washer fluid bottle is higher up and its filler tube extends above the frunk bin.

Make sure to verify which bottle you're looking at before buying anything. I'm concerned you might be looking at the wrong one since you didn't mention the car displaying a warning about the coolant being low.

Now if you actually get a coolant low warning then reply again. Filling the coolant reservoir has a couple of special considerations since the system is unable to store a lot of excess, so it's easy to cause a spillover.


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## android04 (Sep 20, 2017)

KYVolsFan said:


> I have just checked and the coolant reservoir is dry. Plenty of coolant on the garage floor however.
> 
> Question: There is a coolant sold at the local auto store - Zerez G48, which says that it approved for BMW and Tesla. Will this work until I can get Tesla to fix the problem?
> 
> ...


Yes, the Zerex G48 is the correct antifreeze coolant to use on the Tesla but it is concentrated and you need to add it in a 50/50 ratio with water. The car will show a message when it is very low and might only let you drive at a limited speed (like 55) if it is hot where you are. If there is air in the system, it can be purged by going into Service Mode on the car's screen. However, if there's a coolant leak it is best to have Tesla fix it. If you can find the leak (look on the bottom of the car for damage to the undertray or coolant lines in front of the battery pack and behind the front tires), you may be able to use rescue tape to seal the damaged hose temporarily).


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

KYVolsFan said:


> I have read in the forums about blue liquid under the car.


When I searched for "coolant leak", I found only one thread. Replies said that it was most likely washer fluid, and the original poster was never heard from again.









Coolant Leak


Has anyone experienced a coolant leak? I have a watery blue liquid pooling under my M3.




www.teslaownersonline.com





It's most likely washer fluid. I ended up having a leak in my washer fluid reservoir









Fixing a Leaky Windshield Washer Reservoir


For the first time in 54k miles, my car popped up a "low windshield washer fluid" warning. Seemed appropriate after that length of time, so I went ahead and added almost a gallon of solvent. The next day, I went down to the garage to see a trickle of blue liquid coming out from under the car...




www.teslaownersonline.com





Either way, the car will end up giving you a notice when the fluid gets too low. Then you'll know for sure which it is.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

KYVolsFan said:


> glad I have a full warranty.


Not if you are fiddling with the battery coolant.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

garsh said:


> When I searched for "coolant leak", I found only one thread. Replies said that it was most likely washer fluid, and the original poster was never heard from again.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Late last night, or actually after the New Year celebration, I checked my Tesla app and my car has now been put into my name. I immediately scheduled service to get this looked at.

As for what the leak is - I checked both coolant and washer fluid levels. The washer fluid is full. The coolant reservoir is empty, though I have received no warning lights. 

Again, thanks to everyone for being so helpful. The Tesla community is great!


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

Well, I now know it is the coolant. Just received an alert stating coolant was low, but able to drive. Instructed me to schedule service. My question I suppose I’ll get answered tomorrow when they are open is will the ability to drive cover the 2+ hours to the Tesla service center. Anyway, good to have an answer and thank everyone for their help.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

KYVolsFan said:


> Well, I now know it is the coolant. Just received an alert stating coolant was low, but able to drive. Instructed me to schedule service. My question I suppose I’ll get answered tomorrow when they are open is will the ability to drive cover the 2+ hours to the Tesla service center. Anyway, good to have an answer and thank everyone for their help.


If it's that far they will probably have Roadside Assistance come to pick up the car.


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## JMc (9 mo ago)

Be sure to check the min/max coolant level on the side of the reservoir and don't overfill it. I recently noticed a low coolant alert, but only in service mode. I used the Zerex G48 with a funnel and only need to add between 3-5 oz before the max level line was reached. I don't see any signs of leaks on the garage floor.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

JMc said:


> Be sure to check the min/max coolant level on the side of the reservoir and don't overfill it. I recently noticed a low coolant alert, but only in service mode. I used the Zerex G48 with a funnel and only need to add between 3-5 oz before the max level line was reached. I don't see any signs of leaks on the garage floor.


I’ve been told and read that even opening the coolant reservoir can void my warranty. I don’t know how they’d know, but it is stated by Tesla.

Also, did you dilute the G48? Someone in the forums wrote that it had to be a 50/50 mix with water.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

KYVolsFan said:


> I’ve been told and read that even opening the coolant reservoir can void my warranty. I don’t know how they’d know, but it is stated by Tesla.


It probably won’t void the warranty, but if you have a warranty and Tesla did not direct you to add coolant, you could end up with repair charges.


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## JMc (9 mo ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> I’ve been told and read that even opening the coolant reservoir can void my warranty. I don’t know how they’d know, but it is stated by Tesla.
> 
> Also, did you dilute the G48? Someone in the forums wrote that it had to be a 50/50 mix with water.


The mixture is already pre-diluted. So, no. Regarding the coolant reservoir cap, there is no sensor on it. No way for Tesla to know I opened it. It's a bit ridiculous for Tesla to say opening the cap will void the warranty and then tell you exactly what kind of coolant is required. In any event, I'm not worried about it. Now, the warning never appeared on my main screen. Since that is your situation, I would definitely take it in to Tesla and not mess with it. My main motivation was to see how low the coolant level actually was, and as it turns out, not much. I'm going to keep an eye on it and if it throws an error code on the main screen, I will bring it in to Tesla to deal with. From what I've read, the coolant level can rise or fall a little, depending on the weather. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, I suspect that was the reason for my slight drop in level. BTW, I don't know if you have a dog or if it ever gets in the garage, but if you see fluid on the floor, be sure to wipe it up. Ingesting even a little bit of antifreeze is usually fatal to dogs.


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## android04 (Sep 20, 2017)

JMc said:


> The mixture is already pre-diluted. So, no. Regarding the coolant reservoir cap, there is no sensor on it. No way for Tesla to know I opened it. It's a bit ridiculous for Tesla to say opening the cap will void the warranty and then tell you exactly what kind of coolant is required. In any event, I'm not worried about it. Now, the warning never appeared on my main screen. Since that is your situation, I would definitely take it in to Tesla and not mess with it. My main motivation was to see how low the coolant level actually was, and as it turns out, not much. I'm going to keep an eye on it and if it throws an error code on the main screen, I will bring it in to Tesla to deal with. From what I've read, the coolant level can rise or fall a little, depending on the weather. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, I suspect that was the reason for my slight drop in level. BTW, I don't know if you have a dog or if it ever gets in the garage, but if you see fluid on the floor, be sure to wipe it up. Ingesting even a little bit of antifreeze is usually fatal to dogs.





KYVolsFan said:


> I’ve been told and read that even opening the coolant reservoir can void my warranty. I don’t know how they’d know, but it is stated by Tesla.
> 
> Also, did you dilute the G48? Someone in the forums wrote that it had to be a 50/50 mix with water.


Diluting the G48 depends on if you bought a concentrated or premixed 50/50 gallon of it. Zerex sells G48 coolant in both forms, so make sure you read the jug or description. The premixed 50/50 is cheaper per gallon and easier to use (but more expensive per volume of actual coolant). The Tesla service manual says to use a 50/50 mix, so either buy the premixed one or you will have to put in concentrated coolant and distilled water in a 50/50 ratio.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

android04 said:


> Diluting the G48 depends on if you bought a concentrated or premixed 50/50 gallon of it. Zerex sells G48 coolant in both forms, so make sure you read the jug or description. The premixed 50/50 is cheaper per gallon and easier to use (but more expensive per volume of actual coolant). The Tesla service manual says to use a 50/50 mix, so either buy the premixed one or you will have to put in concentrated coolant and distilled water in a 50/50 ratio.


I bought the 50/50 mix. But again, my question is about the warranty. I have an appointment Thursday but could add coolant today. It is needed. Will that void my warranty? How would Tesla know if I added some on my own. I feel very comfortable doing so, but don’t want to lose the warranty on a car with only 12000 miles.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

If you add coolant, you'll likely need to tell Tesla that you did in order to avoid confusion in the diagnosis. Ask your service tech if it's okay for you to add.


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## android04 (Sep 20, 2017)

KYVolsFan said:


> I bought the 50/50 mix. But again, my question is about the warranty. I have an appointment Thursday but could add coolant today. It is needed. Will that void my warranty? How would Tesla know if I added some on my own. I feel very comfortable doing so, but don’t want to lose the warranty on a car with only 12000 miles.





FRC said:


> If you add coolant, you'll likely need to tell Tesla that you did in order to avoid confusion in the diagnosis. Ask your service tech if it's okay for you to add.


I personally would add coolant and take the jug with me to show them what I added, that way they know it is the right stuff. There is way you would cause damage to the system by adding coolant. That's not to say they could accuse you of that, but it wouldn't be true.

Or you can just drive it to them with no coolant since the car itself will limit your speed or give you warnings if it detects things getting too hot. And if anything gets damaged then your warranty would cover it. But I wouldn't want to cause any damage even if it would be covered by warranty. Especially because the damage might not show up right away and could take a while to diagnose and fix.

This was a used car, right? What year and what mileage?


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

android04 said:


> I personally would add coolant and take the jug with me to show them what I added, that way they know it is the right stuff. There is way you would cause damage to the system by adding coolant. That's not to say they could accuse you of that, but it wouldn't be true.
> 
> Or you can just drive it to them with no coolant since the car itself will limit your speed or give you warnings if it detects things getting too hot. And if anything gets damaged then your warranty would cover it. But I wouldn't want to cause any damage even if it would be covered by warranty. Especially because the damage might not show up right away and could take a while to diagnose and fix.
> 
> This was a used car, right? What year and what mileage?


I’m following what my father used to tell me - If in doubt, don’t. I am not going to add anything and attempt to take the care into the service center myself Thursday. If it stops driving I’ll call roadside assistance for help.

2021 M3 LR - 12,500 miles


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## Rub"Y" (4 mo ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> Also, did you dilute the G48? Someone in the forums wrote that it had to be a 50/50 mix with water.


Distilled water.


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## jayru234 (1 mo ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> I have read in the forums about blue liquid under the car. I have found several drops of blue liquid. The responses in the forum said it was coolant if slippery like oil and not slippery if it were washer fluid.
> 
> Would this liquid evaporate if it were only washer fluid and not if it were coolant?
> 
> ...


I’m having a heat/cooling issue since 12/24/22 made an apt for 1/6/23 not sure if I’m missing coolant but I’ve been driving it 125 miles everyday no issues.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

jayru234 said:


> I’m having a heat/cooling issue since 12/24/22 made an apt for 1/6/23 not sure if I’m missing coolant but I’ve been driving it 125 miles everyday no issues.


The warning light went off, but I know I'm low on coolant because I checked the reservoir. Just trying to take it easy until my service appointment tomorrow.


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## crtrgaddis (30 d ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> I have read in the forums about blue liquid under the car. I have found several drops of blue liquid. The responses in the forum said it was coolant if slippery like oil and not slippery if it were washer fluid.
> 
> Would this liquid evaporate if it were only washer fluid and not if it were coolant?
> 
> ...


When Tesla came out to upgrade my computer, it is liquid cooled and the coolant is blue.


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## barbsimoesvt (16 d ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> I have just checked and the coolant reservoir is dry. Plenty of coolant on the garage floor however.
> 
> Question: There is a coolant sold at the local auto store - Zerez G48, which says that it approved for BMW and Tesla. Will this work until I can get Tesla to fix the problem?
> 
> ...


I dealt with this a couple of years ago. I believe that there was something wrong with the hose. Anyway, can mobile service come so you won't have to drive it? I did have to drive, and I met a tow truck an hour south of where I live so that I could drive a rental back home. It was the closest car rental place nearby. I did the same on the return of the car. The weather was cool because I believe it was in early spring, so coolant wasn't really needed...or so I was told by the person on the phone, although she didn't really seem to know much!


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## crtrgaddis (30 d ago)

Further information on the blue coolant-
When Tesla came out to upgrade my computer on my Model 3, I noticed a blue coolant. When I asked the technician he told me the computer is liquid cooled and that is the coolant.


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## android04 (Sep 20, 2017)

crtrgaddis said:


> Further information on the blue coolant-
> When Tesla came out to upgrade my computer on my Model 3, I noticed a blue coolant. When I asked the technician he told me the computer is liquid cooled and that is the coolant.


Yes, the same blue coolant is used to cool the battery pack, motor, inverter, charger/voltage converter, and infotainment + Autopilot computers.

AC refrigerant (sometimes mistakenly called "coolant") is a separate thing. It is a gas at most temperatures and is used for the heat pump, condenser, and evaporator coils.

Both coolant and refrigerant can be used to heat or cool through a complex series of pumps and valves (Pentabottle or Octovalve, depending on if your car has a heat pump or not). They are kept separate, but can transfer heat between them though a heat exchanger. The rear drive unit also has another heat exchanger to transfer heat between the oil in it and the coolant.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

android04 said:


> Yes, the same blue coolant is used to cool the battery pack, motor, inverter, charger/voltage converter, and infotainment + Autopilot computers.
> 
> AC refrigerant (sometimes mistakenly called "coolant") is a separate thing. It is a gas at most temperatures and is used for the heat pump, condenser, and evaporator coils.
> 
> Both coolant and refrigerant can be used to heat or cool through a complex series of pumps and valves (Pentabottle or Octovalve, depending on if your car has a heat pump or not). They are kept separate, but can transfer heat between them though a heat exchanger. The rear drive unit also has another heat exchanger to transfer heat between the oil in it and the coolant.


Is the same coolant reservoir for all of these areas? The one under the hood near the front window is empty on my M3.


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## android04 (Sep 20, 2017)

KYVolsFan said:


> Is the same coolant reservoir for all of these areas? The one under the hood near the front window is empty on my M3.


Yes, the coolant reservoir in front of your cabin air intake is what is used for all components that require the blue liquid coolant.


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## JMc (9 mo ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> Is the same coolant reservoir for all of these areas? The one under the hood near the front window is empty on my M3.


It may NOT be empty. The max fill line on the passenger side of the bottle is near the very bottom. There is a lot of empty space in the coolant bottle. If you have a problem, you will be alerted on your main screen (meaning not the service menu, just your regular operations screen).


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## Rub"Y" (4 mo ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> Is the same coolant reservoir for all of these areas? The one under the hood near the front window is empty on my M3.


The one near the window or windshield is for windshield washer.


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## KYVolsFan (14 d ago)

I took my M3 to the Tesla service center in Knoxville and they discovered that the octovalve was leaking coolant. They were able to replace it that day and now everything is working great. The team at the service center was amazing!


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## vern6685 (3 mo ago)

KYVolsFan said:


> I have read in the forums about blue liquid under the car. I have found several drops of blue liquid. The responses in the forum said it was coolant if slippery like oil and not slippery if it were washer fluid.
> 
> Would this liquid evaporate if it were only washer fluid and not if it were coolant?
> 
> ...


Contact your local Service Center


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## Rub"Y" (4 mo ago)

Here's a picture of the coolant reservoir beside the battery.










Since I'm here, here's a picture of the power brake fluid reservoir if you guys were wondering where it was hiding.


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