Had the same thing happen 2 weeks ago. You should be able to safely use any standard coolent that is a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze/water. See page 341 of manual which states under Specifications: Coolant with corrosion inhibitor mixed with water (50/50 mix), see packaging.

 

Does anyone else find it concerning that two people with brand new S60s had low coolant?

 

Hi Everyone,

I recently had a couple of times where my car would flicker on and off with the "coolant low, stop immediately" message. what brand/type of coolant should I top off the car?

Thanks!

easy, just use water.

 

this ++

 

I recently had a couple of times where my car would flicker on and off with the "coolant low, stop immediately" message.

This type of grave warning for a coolant reservoir level that is a few cm's low

I could understand this message for low coolant and high temperature but since we have no temperature gauge I would have no choice but to pull over ASAP to check this out. :thumbdown: :thumbdown: Perhaps a simple "Check Coolant Level" is all that is needed with normal engine temperature. And please Volvo, once it triggers keep it on. There's no need for the bells to ding and messages flash on every turn. Our Lexus does this with the washer fluid low warning and it's damned annoying! Once per trip is enough!

 

The indicator light would come on only at cold start up first thing in morning, once the engine ran a minute, the heat expansion on the fluid then must have brought the perceived coolent level above the threshold, and the light would go away. It was only after the 3rd morning start up that I bothered to check the coolent level and saw that it was a few cm's below MIN level.

Don't panic people, the system is just doing its job reminding the driver to check.

 

Coolant Low

Reviving an old thread.

Totally new here. Have a new 2012 S60 T5. First really cold day in Massachusetts today and went out to start the car and was met with "coolant low" light. I have read this thread and it seems most of you aren't concerned with this sort of thing, but it seems strange to me. The car has less than 5000 miles and is literally 2 months old. I drove a VW Passat for 10 years and never had a coolant loss.

Opened the hood and coolant level is about 1/2 inch below "min" line.

I don't see any leak. How can it be normal for a car to lose even that much in only 2 months. That can't be right???

Please opinions, I'm afraid to move it.

As far as adding water, does it have to be distilled. That VW was very particular about it's coolant and what you could add without screwing it up (I've learned by reading).

 

Opened the hood and coolant level is about 1/2 inch below "min" line.

Please opinions, I'm afraid to move it.
QUOTE]

Don't worry. Don't be afraid.
Add a bit of deionized water to return it to the min level.

 

I've been met with the same warning on these cold mornings. I'm at 9 months and 11,000 miles. I just added about 10oz of filtered water. I think it's a bit strange for it to go down without a leak somewhere but honestly I don't know how high the level was originally. It could have been low from the get go and after all the bubbles escape from the new engine fill together with the cold weather could have been enough to trigger. I know where the level is now and will keep an eye on it from time to time. But from reading this thread seems to be a common occurrence.

 

Thanks for the responses.

Called the dealer service dept and they said add water, just regular water. So I added maybe a cup. Am bringing it in for the weekend. Service rep told me that this was a "known issue" and that they'd pressure test it to make sure.

Can't understand how a closed system that isn't leaking could be down coolant after only two months. Will report back for others.

 

Dealer mentioned a "known issue"?? Are they finding a problem or were the T5's simply underfilled from the factory?

BTW,
The owner's manual specifically mentions to NOT use chlorinated (TAP) water.

CAUTION
• If necessary, top up the cooling system
with Volvo Genuine Coolant/Antifreeze
only (a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze).
• Different types of antifreeze/coolant
may not be mixed.
• If the cooling system is drained, it
should be flushed with clean water or
premixed anti-freeze before it is refilled
with the correct mixture of water/antifreeze.
• The cooling system must always be
kept filled to the correct level, and the
level must be between the MIN and
MAX marks. If it is not kept filled, there
can be high local temperatures in the
engine which could result in damage.
Check coolant regularly!
• Do not top up with water only. This
reduces the rust-protective and antifreeze
qualities of the coolant and has a
lower boiling point. It can also cause
damage to the cooling system if it
should freeze.
• Do not use chlorinated tap water in the
vehicle's cooling system.

 

Lovely, I specifically asked that to the Service Rep. Guess I'm going to have to get the factory manual.

 

I don't see this as a problem. Almost all new vehicles will see this issue as filling a new system from the factory will have air pockets somewhere in the system. Until all the air bubles make their way out of the system, it will look like you are losing coolant.
My R had this same issue for the first few weeks. volvo should include a small bottle of coolant with every new purchase.

 

Same here with other new cars. Tiny bubbles.

 

You could also be noticing it more this time of year because of the cold.

Since the temps are dropping, the coolant contracts and the level drops a bit.

The opposite will true in the summer. So if you add coolant now, be sure to check it later to ensure that it's not overly full due to expansion.

 

How'd you find the low line? I didn't see it.

All I did was add in some pre-mixed coolant and I was good to go.

 

How'd you find the low line? I didn't see it.

I didn't think it was that complicated. Maybe I missed it? There's the word "MIN" stamped on the reservoir and a line just above it .

 

The reservoir has little warning pictures on it, which, indicate that if you open it hot you'll get a faceful of hot coolant.

 

Hi everyone-

I just purchased a 2012 S60 with 5k miles and have had it for 2 weeks. Today we had the first really cold morning, when I turned over my car, the "coolant low, stop immediately" message appeared. Since I don't know a whole lot about cars and am a new S60 owner, I have a few questions. 1) Once I read the message, I hit the "Read" button and the message went away. Would it re-appear the next time I turned the car on? Because it didn't - so I thought I was in the clear. After reading this thread I'm not so sure. 2) How bad is it to drive the car with low coolant? It's cold out - so it's not like the engine will get too hot - at least I don't think that it will. If I drive a bit with low coolant can I really do damage?

Any help/input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

You'll be fine. Believe auto parts stores have a 50/50 mix. Yes, the manual says to only use Volvo stuff but all automakers want us to buy their wares. Just make sure it meets the required specs and add only the minimum needed. If it's only a cup or two of distilled water, don't think that would seriously dilute the system which is what automakers are afraid of us doing. Just not a good habit to get into. If a bunch is replaced then we must add the mix or there could be issues (overheating or cracked engine block/hoses from freezing).

Consequently my 2005 S40 T5 never needed a drop in 7 years. Odd.

 

Since the weather has turned cooler, I had the "Coolant Low, Stop Engine Immediately" dire warning several times. Added some Prestone premixed coolant into the reservoir (not too much). No more warning light. Just add a little coolant into your reservoir and you should be OK...

 

Mine has been coming on again too. Came on last in January, I added about 10 oz of water that time. This time I'll have my dealer top it off at my upcoming scheduled visit. I am surprised to keep seeing the coolant level drop. I wonder where its going?? That dire "Stop Immediately" message is just silly!

 

Got another low coolant message today. Added tons of coolant. Maybe a bit too much already.... I find it quite stupid how you can't see where is the minimum and maximum line.

 

I find it quite stupid you don't know/can't find out on your own, where the proper place to put coolant is.

In the industry they call this sort of automotive malfunction a "loose nut behind the wheel."

 

 

BTW don't just simply "add water" when the low coolant light comes on. You screw up the mix ratio. Too much water can cause corrosion inside the engine. Buy a jug of Volvo coolant from the dealer or order it online, keep a gallon of deionized or distilled water on hand so that you can top if off with a proper 50/50 mix. If it's an emergency use the autoparts store 50/50 stuff.

The dealers use water from the hose out of laziness. Surprise! The dealers don't do everything right. I know, I used to work at one.

 

Yes, that's what I got too...

The coolant nanny got me yesterday morning on my way to the hospital to be with my daughter while she had her baby - freakin' great timing. Called the shop and they said 2 things. 1) Add one cup (8oz) of any type water. I asked about purified or distilled, etc. and they said don't worry about it. 8 oz in the midst of 7 quarts or so is not going to set off the balance ( I do believe this). Just can't do it more than once/repeatedly. And 2nd) Go ahead and drive it and if it goes out after warming, there's no issue.

So added a little less than a cup and no issues after multiple trips & few hundred miles. Been in service 15 mos with 10K miles.

 

Just remember, if you top it off with water and the next guy does that too (the lazy Volvo or other mechanic) and the cycle repeats it self enough you could run into corrosion or over heating issues in the long run. If you take your car anywhere for service this will happen. But hey it's only a 40K investment we're talking about here so why would anyone want to spend 25 bucks on a jug of coolant, 2 bucks on distilled water and 2 seconds to make a 50/50 mix. Yeah that's too much work, just pour some sink water in there.

 

Relax, there's no law that says 50/50 mixture only. 8oz of added water isn't gonna make a hill of beans difference. The original fill probably wasn't to the ounce. At worst he's protected to -34 degrees f instead of -35. I would recommend at least filtered water. $25 for a jug of coolant? It must have been a long time since I bought some!

 

Oh thanks I feel much better now.

It's not about that one time top up. Before you know it in a few years you'll have severely diluted coolant between your occasional top offs and your mechanic doing the same when you take it for service. But hey it's your ride so do what you want.

If you don't keep cars for a long time it will likely never be an issue for you.

Volvo coolant cost 20-25 bucks a gallon. But it's not diluted and its better to stick with factory fluids for coolant.