[Joey2022]

Well, so far I have had multiple flushes, a pump / foil update done, a new HV battery and last week they replaced the radiator. Picked up the car on Friday evening, didn't put it on charge that night and the next morning the light came on again.
They also are refusing to give me documentation of what they actually did.

Hi Sarah
I too have had a new battery, new coolant pumps, new battery, 8 (I think) flushes and a new radiator fitted. This procedure with a flush and new coolant lasted a week before the "Refill coolant" warning returned. I see no other option but to contact Fair Trading Australia as I live in Brisbane and initiate proceedings to retrieve the original purchase price of the vehicle as it is clearly not fit for purpose. It would be unethical to sell the vehicle to an unsuspecting buyer and I can't imagine anyone would knowingly take on a vehicle with such a world-wide recurring problem. If there is anyone in Australia and in particular Queensland who has the same problem I'd be happy to communicate with you to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Cheers Joey2022

 

[kayan]

Do any of the informed contributors to this thread know what temperature the cooling pump kicks in? I have a theory that the crystallisation and hence fluid shrinkage results from the fluids exposure to higher temps. There seems to be some correlation between the coolant alarm occurances and milage and higher ambient temps ie Australia, US and Europe. I have noticed that the alarm in my car only comes on after a period of rapid charging and that the fan becomes audible when the charge rate climbs to 40KW. I've also noted that the sweet spot of 40KW charging has shrunk from 30 - 70% to 40 - 60% which I presume is a related effect. My car 3 years old 26K miles and operating in a relatively cool climate

It would not surprise me if this was the case. I live in one of the hottest places in the US, so Hyundai EVs in my area were some of the first affected, and my dealership worked closely with Hyundai to get the actual procedure they use to fix it now. However, adding to the next commenter @devore, once the problem starts, it doesn't stop no matter the temp. The pump is always running, so once you start up the car, the pump can immediately notice that it is drawing more amps than it should be and instantly throws the alarm.

 

[kayan]

Hi Sarah
I too have had a new battery, new coolant pumps, new battery, 8 (I think) flushes and a new radiator fitted. This procedure with a flush and new coolant lasted a week before the "Refill coolant" warning returned. I see no other option but to contact Fair Trading Australia as I live in Brisbane and initiate proceedings to retrieve the original purchase price of the vehicle as it is clearly not fit for purpose. It would be unethical to sell the vehicle to an unsuspecting buyer and I can't imagine anyone would knowingly take on a vehicle with such a world-wide recurring problem. If there is anyone in Australia and in particular Queensland who has the same problem I'd be happy to communicate with you to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Cheers Joey2022

If you'd like to get rid of the vehicle, contact Hyundai Motor Company (in USA it's called Hyundai Motor America). However, after dealing with this problem for 2 years, I can say that the latest coolant replacement with "low-conductivity" fluid did the trick and I have not had problems since the replacement. It's a fairly extensive procedure, requiring about 8 full system flushes before filling with the new coolant, but I can say that no other treatment has been as successful yet. So I decided to keep my Ioniq and take the cash settlement instead of selling the vehicle back. The main reason for this was that they deducted about $10K off my offer due to the mileage depreciation, which made it so I wouldn't end up with much more than the cash settlement, plus I'd be out a car.

 

[kayan]

Well, so far I have had multiple flushes, a pump / foil update done, a new HV battery and last week they replaced the radiator. Picked up the car on Friday evening, didn't put it on charge that night and the next morning the light came on again.
They also are refusing to give me documentation of what they actually did.

In the US, I don't think it's legal to refuse the owner the documentation. You should contact Hyundai Motor Company to at least complain about that dealership, plus they can probably get you the documentation from those guys. I'd recommend going to another dealership if you can.

 

[vanctour]

I can say that the latest coolant replacement with "low-conductivity" fluid did the trick and I have not had problems since the replacement.

Hi Kayan, what colour is this newer "low-conductivity" fluid? The original fluid was blue and was considered "low-conductivity". If they are infact putting in a different type of fluid, this may be the answer to all of our issues. Please provide any info you have; fluid color, name or even part number on the invoice/work order. Thanks.

 

[kayan]

Hi Kayan, what colour is this newer "low-conductivity" fluid? The original fluid was blue and was considered "low-conductivity". If they are infact putting in a different type of fluid, this may be the answer to all of our issues. Please provide any info you have; fluid color, name or even part number on the invoice/work order. Thanks.

It is blue. According to the service doc, it is called BSC-2 low conductivity coolant, and was installed using procedure TSB 22-HC-002H. The procedure has been done many times by the Palm Springs Hyundai dealership in California.

Here's a screenshot of the record, hard to read I know.

 

[sarahbower1]

Hi Sarah
I too have had a new battery, new coolant pumps, new battery, 8 (I think) flushes and a new radiator fitted. This procedure with a flush and new coolant lasted a week before the "Refill coolant" warning returned. I see no other option but to contact Fair Trading Australia as I live in Brisbane and initiate proceedings to retrieve the original purchase price of the vehicle as it is clearly not fit for purpose. It would be unethical to sell the vehicle to an unsuspecting buyer and I can't imagine anyone would knowingly take on a vehicle with such a world-wide recurring problem. If there is anyone in Australia and in particular Queensland who has the same problem I'd be happy to communicate with you to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Cheers Joey2022

Hyundai just laughed at fair trading, I am now struggling with the tribunal which is a huge amount of work and time. Hyundai are finding all sorts of ways to stall the proses. It might be quicker and easier to to just go to a lawers.

 

[HandyAndy]

@kayan, great post! I've just had a load of "refill Coolant" warnings this w/e on my travels, so not sure if it's my genuinely-a-bit-low fluid, or the crystals problem starting. My 38 was made in 2019, so one of the earliest, has 25k miles on it.

I'm going to visit the dealer today to chat with the service manager in Southampton UK, they're a large dealership, & see what they say. I just did some digging, very interesting findings!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EARLY History:
here's a post showing the original Blue coolant as used in my 2019 Ioniq & other BEVs, this is the BSC-1 P/N 00232-19091. Blue Coolant

... and here's the August 2020 process to swap the HV battery, & refill using BSC-1. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10179247-0001.pdf
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRESENT Situation:
September 2022, here's a Kia Sorrento guy mentions Crystals forming, and the service guys deny knowing about this, but simply swap the coolant swap the coolant for a new one. To me, this says Kia & Hyundai both have this problem, and clearly know all about it by now. It also suggests to me that every car using the BSC-1 original coolant probably needs it swapping out. 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid Coolant Refill Warning
But they don't want us all at once, so will doubtless wait until we complain! After all, some of these cars will get written off before any problem shows, so updating these would have been a wasted effort. Can't argue with that...

I've found the TSB 22-HC-002H you revealed, here's a link to it.
22-HC-002H Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin
and refers to "certain Tucson & Santa Fe hybrids" ! Crucially, it mentions "flush debris" and BSC-2 Coolant to be used.

This fits perfectly your post where it states ...TSB 22-HC-002H It's for a different vehicle but follow the same procedure.

You've given me great ammo to have a friendly chat with my local service manager - thanks again!

Edit later same day: BSC-2 Blue Low Conductivity Coolant is Hyundai P/N 00232-19111 acc to the TSB 22-HC-002H

 

[Technical Chap]

Just a little update on my 2020 38KWh car, it went in for the 5th time for a flush last week, but I was told to come and pick it up only after the first day, they did say it would take 4 days. According to the technician Hyundai UK have pulled the flush fix and is looking to find another solution, I will be contacted when it is ready.
We will wait and see. I might get the pink stuff...

 

[kayan]

Just a little update on my 2020 38KWh car, it went in for the 5th time for a flush last week, but I was told to come and pick it up only after the first day, they did say it would take 4 days. According to the technician Hyundai UK have pulled the flush fix and is looking to find another solution, I will be contacted when it is ready.
We will wait and see. I might get the pink stuff...

You should tell them to do the flush according to the procedure that I posted about above. All the other flushes that I did (probably 4 times over the course of 2 years) never resolved the error.

 

[kayan]

@kayan, great post! I've just had a load of "refill Coolant" warnings this w/e on my travels, so not sure if it's my genuinely-a-bit-low fluid, or the crystals problem starting. My 38 was made in 2019, so one of the earliest, has 25k miles on it.

I'm going to visit the dealer today to chat with the service manager in Southampton UK, they're a large dealership, & see what they say. I just did some digging, very interesting findings!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EARLY History:
here's a post showing the original Blue coolant as used in my 2019 Ioniq & other BEVs, this is the BSC-1 P/N 00232-19091. Blue Coolant

... and here's the August 2020 process to swap the HV battery, & refill using BSC-1. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10179247-0001.pdf
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PRESENT Situation:
September 2022, here's a Kia Sorrento guy mentions Crystals forming, and the service guys deny knowing about this, but simply swap the coolant swap the coolant for a new one. To me, this says Kia & Hyundai both have this problem, and clearly know all about it by now. It also suggests to me that every car using the BSC-1 original coolant probably needs it swapping out. 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid Coolant Refill Warning
But they don't want us all at once, so will doubtless wait until we complain! After all, some of these cars will get written off before any problem shows, so updating these would have been a wasted effort. Can't argue with that...

I've found the TSB 22-HC-002H you revealed, here's a link to it.
22-HC-002H Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin
and refers to "certain Tucson & Santa Fe hybrids" ! Crucially, it mentions "flush debris" and BSC-2 Coolant to be used.

This fits perfectly your post where it states ...TSB 22-HC-002H It's for a different vehicle but follow the same procedure.

You've given me great ammo to have a friendly chat with my local service manager - thanks again!

Make sure to emphasize the importance of the flushing portion. The dealership had to do more extensive flushing than normal to make sure every drop of the old coolant was pushed out of each section before fill with the new coolant. It takes at least a day.

 

[catstevecam]

It is blue. According to the service doc, it is called BSC-2 low conductivity coolant, and was installed using procedure TSB 22-HC-002H. The procedure has been done many times by the Palm Springs Hyundai dealership in California.

Here's a screenshot of the record, hard to read I know.
View attachment 47756

Is it fair to 'assume' that after test driving for 10 miles - the comment 'confirmed the low inverter light did not come on' - is a typo for 'low coolant'?

 

[kayan]

Is it fair to 'assume' that after test driving for 10 miles - the comment 'confirmed the low inverter light did not come on' - is a typo for 'low coolant'?

I believe you're correct. The service rep typing wasn't very careful with typing.

 

[HandyAndy]

FWIW I called in to my dealer in Southampton, very helpful & friendly lady on the desk, and arranged my Ioniq 38 to go for new battery fitting at Tillbury on Feb 6th or a day or so after. I've alerted her to the "Refill Coolant" message I've just started to get a lot, they've topped up the coolant as was a couple of cm below the min so may fix it, but this can also be a sign of the original blue coolant BSC-1, Hyundai P/N 00232-19091, starting to form crystals in the pipework & radiators & generally gumming up the pump. She's adding instructions for the Tillbury guys to do the TSB 22-HC-002H & clean it all out thoroughly for the new coolant BSC-2 Blue Low Conductivity Coolant, Hyundai P/N 00232-19111 to be used.

The lady said that this TSB isn't a "campaign", so it's only being done when the customer complains about the "Refill Coolant" warnings & the Coolant level is actually fine.

FWIW I also asked if they'd applied the 12V Battery Topup fix to this car (1/day topup changed to 6/day like the Kona's had for ages) when it was serviced end of last year - appears this didn't get done automatically! So again, maybe Hyundai simply don't try to keep our cars at the latest level of software, rather they wait until we complain, and then apply the fix.
So this fix, and latest satnav updates, will be done on Feb 6th. I was wondering why my BM2 battery monitor hasn't been showing any 6/day topups or anything looking like this.

So I strongly suggest anyone here with an old HV battery due to be replaced, check their dealer's aware of the need to get the latest coolant used, or they're risking the old one starting to crystallise at some stage in the future if Tillbury decide to put the old BSC-1 stuff in.

 

[tova]

Hello all, just checking in after having a chat on goingelectric.de about this issue. My Ioniq electric from 12/2022 (no battery replacement needed under the recall) has just been serviced after 45000km, had shortly after an issue with the eCall system (still not fixed due to missing parts) and now one month after the service, the coolant level caution appears like mentioned several times here. I will get in contact with my dealer asap and keep you updated.

Quick update from Switzerland: Still struggling with my dealer as they have to check if it is covered by warranty. According to my garage, there is no other known case so far nor a TSB in place from Hyundai Switzerland. I told him to read ioniqforum
Will see next week if they have an update as they are checking with Hyundai Switzerland. Otherwise I consider changing the service garage.

 

[HandyAndy]

Quick update from Switzerland: Still struggling with my dealer as they have to check if it is covered by warranty. According to my garage, there is no other known case so far nor a TSB in place from Hyundai Switzerland. I told him to read ioniqforum
Will see next week if they have an update as they are checking with Hyundai Switzerland. Otherwise I consider changing the service garage.

Strictly speaking I think they are correct. Your Ioniq post-dates the battery-swap stuff, that problem had been fixed by then.

The TSB 22-HC-002H shown above does not mention Ioniq at all, just Tucson & Santa Fe. Ioniq 28 & 38 is a pretty rare car here in UK, and I suspect also in Switzerland? So it's quite possible they haven't come across this crystallisation problem, if that is what you're suffering from. Could be a sensor fault, who knows.

We saw in a post above that Hyundai expert had told a dealer to use this TSB method an the Ioniq with flushing problems, so it looks to be "newish" to Ioniqs, even if quite a lot of Tucsons & Santa Fes have hit this snag hence the TSB. There certainly isn't any "recall" procedure or similar in place for this "Refill Coolant" problem.

 

[fagerlund80]

I got a message from my dealer that there's a new campaign to flush the coolant system and that they are changing to a new fluid. I suspect that it's the TSB 22-HC-002H. I have an 2019 Ioniq with 49000 miles and has flushed the system two times before. My problems started after the batteryreplacement.

 

[HandyAndy]

"Campaign" I think just means the dealers have probably been told to do this flush-and-swap if the customer comes in with this "Refill Coolant" problem. They certainly aren't recalling their customers to do this pro-actively!
And this makes sense from their point of view, why should H incur the costs if a particular car doesn't show the problem?

Surely at the 4-year services when the battery coolant gets swapped & we pay for the new fluid, they'll swap to the new flavour (!) as part of their "campaign".

 

[fagerlund80]

"Campaign" I think just means the dealers have probably been told to do this flush-and-swap if the customer comes in with this "Refill Coolant" problem. They certainly recalling their customers to do this pro-actively!
And this makes sense from their point of view, why should H incur the costs if a particular car doesn't show the problem?

Surely at the 4-year services when the battery collant gets swapped & we pay for the new fluid, they'll swap to the new flavour (!) as part of their "campaign".

My car doesn't have the warning since the last flush so I haven't contacted them about it now. They had missed something with the brakes earlier and I contacted them about that. Then they told me about the new campaign to flush and replace the coolant and wondered if I wanted them to do that at the same time.

 

[HandyAndy]

Well, if they're offering to do it for free, under warranty, why not go for it? Can't make anything worse, can it?