Coolant

[kirst_ie]

Hiya

I don't mean to be a numpty , but i went to fill up my rad to day and i was confussed to which one it supposed to go in, the actual rad, or the coolant one.

So i left it as i didn't want to put it in the wrong one.

Can anyone tell me which one is the right one?

Cheers, Kirst :o.)

[mikeb]

Both, depending on how low it is!

If the expansion tank has run empty, then take off the rad cap (with the engine cold, obviously), and top up the rad. Then fill up the expansion tank (there are min and max marks, but they can be difficult to see).

If your expansion tank has any coolant in it, then you should find the rad is full already.

[Evilsean]

also an idea after filling to move the car on to a fresh dry bit of road...run it for a bit till it warms up and check for drips...wet spots on the rad ( check underneath too for runners ).... quick run round the coolant hose clips to check possible loose fits etc

oh...if theres any fluid in the expansion tank and the rads low then you may have a blockage...amazing the gunk that can get in that wee pipe

and be sure to do it on a cold engine ...nasty things scalds

on a side note ... dont just bung tap water in there .... corrosion retardent anti freeze...the anti freeze bit`s not that much bother ..."corrosion retardant" ... 2 of my favourite words

blagged this treatise on coolants from vw

what on earth is he on about?

[sotal]

I may be wrong but I thought you pretty much needed to use the Toyota 4life coolant???

[TheNissanMan]

Not essential to use 4life but highly recommended and defo not recommended t mix the coolant... If whats in there is red already stick with it :D

[sotal]

yeah I guess that's what I meant - not to mix anything else with it.

Just out of interest when should you check the level? cold or hot? I'm guessing it will raise when hot?? Due to expansion? Should it then stay below the max mark, or should it be below the max mark when cold??? Hopefully you can see my confusion!!

[mikeb]

I strongly recommend Toyota 4life. It's more expensive to buy than regular antifreeze, but it lasts for years, and works out cheaper in the long term.

Check the level when cold. You shouldn't remove the rad cap when hot. Apart from the risk of burning yourself, it lets air into the rad, reducing it's ability to suck back as it cools down next time.

The coolant level isn't too critical as long as there is always some in the expansion tank to suck back as everything cools down. If you overfill it the worst that can happen is the excess will overflow, and you will waste it.

[sotal]

Cheers Mike,

just checking to make sure

I can't actually tell what the level is when warm in the expansion bottle (plastic is too thick to see through!) and I didn't like to open it when warm! When cold I can see plenty of coolant in the bottom of the expansion bottle so there should be plenty.

It's looking a little dark now so would it be worth doing a full change?? I've never changed it and looking through the history I have got - I can't see anything to indicate it ever being changed - Is it a service item at any service???

Don't like to mess if not needed though! - The car doesn't get too hot so maybe I should just leave it alone?? ;)