Coolant Change, 2020 Niro EV

In a lot of ways I know Tesla has ironed out some of their issues and don't have much in the way of maintenance (and things like coolant are much cheaper to replace than they are with Kia)- but I worry about other issues with them, like the control arm issues that seemingly are a problem with the Model 3 (and Model Y).... so I think the grass is not always greener on the other side.

 

Actually, I got a brand new '23 Tesla Model 3 back in January as a second EV. Looks like the control arm issue happen with the early M3 models and should be resolved now. The only "real" maintenance items in the book are brakes fluid moisture check every two years and tire rotation every 5K miles...

 

Oh, thanks for sharing! I have actually been so curious to hear from anyone who has had both a Niro and a Model 3 to see what the differences are.

Glad to hear the control arm issue seems to have been resolved. How are you liking the '23? And is it the base, RWD model?
The other gripes are of course fit and finish issues, the interior feeling cheap or being loose or squeaky... any of those issues on yours? Overall, quality-wise- what is your take compared to the Niro?

 

It’s base RWD. I inspected the car meticulously on the delivery day and it was flawless. No squeaks and rattles yet. The interior is good for $37K (after federal tax credit and state rebate), no complaints here.

I prefer a car with buttons and switches to control things, but I have learned and adapted to the minimalist cockpit.

Overall Model 3 is much more fun to drive, the phone app to control the car is excellent, the car itself got 4 software updates since I got it. It added new features and improvements.

Tesla Charging network is plug and play vs. CCS that is plug and pray…

The base model comes with LFP battery that can be charged daily to 100% (271 miles range) so no worries about 80% charging.

I was looking into getting a ’23 Niro EV Wind, but $47K with dealer mark ups, no tax credit and slow (70 kWH) and unreliable DCFC network, got me into a Tesla.

 

Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear it's been such a positive experience.
Are you able to actually get the full advertised range (or more) if you drive it modestly on trips?

 

On a warm day, at 60 MPH, the computer show consumption of around 4.8 miles per kW, so with the 60kW battery the range should be 288 miles.

 

That's fantastic!

Any other issues at all with fit and finish, odd noises, any of the problems that we hear about in some of the discussion channels?

 

Interestingly, out of curiosity I called the Kia dealer where I bought mine, asking what they charge for the coolant flush/replacement. Keep in mind that they sell and service a lot of EV's- but he had no pricing on that, said this is not work they have ever done there.

That seems odd considering the fact that this is recommended on a pretty frequent basis at 37,500 miles!

At some point I guess I'll call one of the other major Kia dealers in my metro area to ask them- but it's not a pressing matter for me since mine is only a year old with just under 6,000 miles so far.

 

Has anyone tried doing this on their own?

 

This apparently is the machine issued to dealers to carry out this procedure.

 

Hmm... Looks like any fluid exchanger with a pump. Wonder where the plugin the lines.

 

The full photo:

 

I’ve just brought my 2019 eNiro into my local shop for the 25k service. The service manager said there is a recall for swapping out the pink coolant for a reformulated blue coolant. This, apparently, is the second or third reformulation. The shop manager said they think they have this problem figured out. Apparently the pink and older blue coolant was crystalizing and the pump wouldn’t/couldn’t pass the fluid through the piping. I’ll see what happens and post an update in the next week or so.

 

They are replacing the pink coolant with the BSC2 fluid. I didn’t have any alerts so I’m hoping that this won’t create a problems. I’ll update in a couple of weeks.

 

In Hyundai's world the "pink" coolant is a conventional type. Early Kona EVs made up to May 7 2019 had green conventional coolant while later production up to May 17 2021 used the BSC1 blue low-conductivity coolant. Further production used the BSC2 coolant. All Kona up to May 17, 2021 with BSC1 are being changed to BSC2.

Early Konas (like mine) that got the traction battery replaced under the recall were topped up with pink coolant which was the updated conventional type replacing the green. With a mix, mine now looks red.

I'm not familiar with Kia's application in the Niro but I find it unexpected that one with pink coolant would be considered part of this campaign, nor has it been mentioned in other forums.

Another point of interest is that the 2023+ Niro EV has a conventional pink coolant. That's due to the battery cooling panel being moved to the outside (underside) of the housing so that it's not possible for leaking coolant to 'wet' the cells.

 

This is all definitely frustrating.... not so much the fact that the issue exists (though that is frustrating as well, when other EV's don't have these issues), but the fact that Hyundai/Kia can't seem to even get clarity on what's going on and what the true permanent fix needs to be.

I have a 2022 Niro that only has 7,000 miles on it- so I suspect I am still quite a ways from experiencing any issues with this, and of course am a long ways off from needing my first scheduled coolant flush- I am hoping they have all of this sorted by the point that I need any of this work done.

I can only imagine what a mess this all might be if it persists and gets worse after the warranty expires.