Coolant Levels And Topping Up

[Memphis]

I did some googling on this and came up with ambiguous results. Here's what I was researching on..

I have come across some cars, which require topping up the coolant more frequently than others. Sometimes once or twice a week. Some of these cars use water and others a chemical (i.e; Worth, Abro etc..) coolant.

Then there are others, who claim they do coolant checkups and top ups only during services (say once every 6 months).

Given that these cooling systems are leak tested and look leak-free, My questions are;

a.) What is the normal scenario in a tropical country like ours based on your experience?

b.) What are the remedies, if coolant loss is more frequent as in the first instance?

Over to you ....

PS: The bottom line, How often do you top up your coolant?

Edited March 26, 2007 by Memphis

[Memphis]

Any input guys ???

[Devinda_Z]

I'll be honest and confess to be one of those who checks the coolant level only checked at service intervals

and as such can't quite contribute...

[Memphis]

  Devinda_Z said:

I'll be honest and confess to be one of those who checks the coolant level only checked at service intervals

and as such can't quite contribute...

Perfectly ok. As I said, I'm doing a bit of research on this. Most of the time, especially in older cars the levels are pretty unpredictable. For example in my fathers Lancer Box, sometimes the level remains the same and in other times it goes down considerably after a trip.

What's the type of coolant you are using ?

[gunat]

I'd fall under "periodic" coolant checking, which is usually at service time.

Having said that, I found this great BP coolant- no water needs to be added, and its kept my engine nicely below the half way mark for the last 2-3 years (i just renewed the coolant about 3 months ago). I'd recommend.

To answer the questions:

a ) Typically, the older cars which have engines that are...errrgh..."seasoned" tend to loose water after a run. Having said that, i've seen some classic cars that never drop their levels! In the end, it depends on the condition of the engine.

The newer cars are far better- however i've noticed that those cars that have had radiator replacements *may* have fluid level drops in daily running. I discovered when searching for a used radiator for my car in Delkanda, 85% of the units had leaks. Unless you go check yourself, there's a chance to end up with a lousy replacement.

b ) Remedies- Replacement radiator is the easiest, although not the most cheapest or convienient. I've seen this "Stop leak" bottles which you can apparently add to the radiator, and will 'plug' the leaks...although i'm not convinced. Also, check on all your hoses...if cracked/hardened, replace. Water pumps too, can be culprits, but not too often. If you've still got more water loss than usual, it might be good to take a precautionary measure of emptying your sump to see if water is entering the lubrication line- a clear indication that your engine is in need of rebuild.

Edited March 26, 2007 by gunat

[Memphis]

@gunat

Thanks for the info.

Well we got the car leak tested and the radiator looked ok. The radiator cap was replaced and coolant refilled. However there still is a drop in coolant level and it has to be topped up once a week or so.

I even checked the dipstick to make sure they don't have a busted head gasket mixing oil and water. All the checks point ok, I wonder what's making the coolant disappear.

Another thing I noticed is the increase in coolant drop. once we top up with water and the coolant level gets diluted.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Memphis

[Bugatti]

  Memphis said:

I did some googling on this and came up with ambiguous results. Here's what I was researching on..

I have come across some cars, which require topping up the coolant more frequently than others. Sometimes once or twice a week. Some of these cars use water and others a chemical (i.e; Worth, Abro etc..) coolant.

Then there are others, who claim they do coolant checkups and top ups only during services (say once every 6 months).

Given that these cooling systems are leak tested and look leak-free, My questions are;

a.) What is the normal scenario in a tropical country like ours based on your experience?

b.) What are the remedies, if coolant loss is more frequent as in the first instance?

Over to you ....

PS: The bottom line, How often do you top up your coolant?

I check it may be, twice a week. Reason.... I use my wind shield washer quite often and need to fill it up and usually do a check on the coolant levels too..

[Memphis]

  Bugatti said:

I check it may be, twice a week. Reason.... I use my wind shield washer quite often and need to fill it up and usually do a check on the coolant levels too..

Do you have to top up coolant? or does the level stay the same?

[nira74]

Actually if the car is in good order it gets checked only when servicing.....

Otherwise I usually pop the hood and have a look at the coolant level if I feel the heat is a bit too high..

But on older cars you should do at least a weekly check of not only coolant, but other fluid levels such as Engine Oil, Brake Oil etc....

  Memphis said:

Do you have to top up coolant? or does the level stay the same?

If the coolant level drops regularly and you can't find any sort of leak, you should check your radiator cap to ensure the seal is OK - otherwise your coolant may boil if it is not providing the required pressure.

Another possibility is a faulty engine gasket.

[Bugatti]

  Memphis said:

Do you have to top up coolant? or does the level stay the same?

It stays the same for about 2 months, but there after I notice that it dips below the "full" mark. Then I top up. But this could vary in each car, depending on how much it runs, right?

[neXGen]

I am not quite familiar with the inner workings of the radiator so cant contribute much sorry .. I recently had me car serviced and the attendant said that their is no coolant in the radiator... I had been doing some runs here and there and the temp stays below half mark so did not give it much thought..

though occassionally the level drops a bit.. and not much... might be for the evaporation me think..

what is the purpose of the coolant if water alone does a good job? does it contribute to a cooler engien?

Zz

[Memphis]

  Bugatti said:

It stays the same for about 2 months, but there after I notice that it dips below the "full" mark. Then I top up. But this could vary in each car, depending on how much it runs, right?

Yeah. It has to be and also on things such as the usage of AC.

I wonder whether this situation is due to the fact that they use water instead of coolant.

[TurboSeavy]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but the way I have heard, if you are using coolant, then there should be no coolant level dropping in the short term. If coolant topups are required so often then there could be a coolant leak somewhere in the coolant system. Again, this is what I have heard... not sure.

  neXGen said:

I am not quite familiar with the inner workings of the radiator so cant contribute much sorry .. I recently had me car serviced and the attendant said that their is no coolant in the radiator... I had been doing some runs here and there and the temp stays below half mark so did not give it much thought..

though occassionally the level drops a bit.. and not much... might be for the evaporation me think..

what is the purpose of the coolant if water alone does a good job? does it contribute to a cooler engien?

Zz

I think the main reason for using coolant instead of water is to avoid corrosion in your cooling system. Coolant is non water based, so you can avoid cooling system blocks, etc. And the colour of coolant helps detecting any coolant leaks if there are any.

[Memphis]

  neXGen said:

what is the purpose of the coolant if water alone does a good job? does it contribute to a cooler engien?

Zz

That is the whole point of my research bro. You see most old folks swear by water. However, there is a rust factor involved with it. Apart from that, they say it's fine.

But most of the newer guys say coolant is the best. What I personally noticed is that when using coolant, one does not have to top up as often. But water on the other hand, seems to disappear without a reason. I hope my observations are correct.

[ash]

I check the Coolent level every weekend, since I do the 2 hour wash for the car. During that, check all the levels as well. never had to topped the coolent.

[neXGen]

I found a very interesting site with quite a lot of descripto relating to coolant and engine cooling.. think it would help you out memphis.. the linko :-

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/service/a...89/article.html

Zz

I found a very interesting site with quite a lot of descripto relating to coolant and engine cooling.. think it would help you out memphis.. the linko :-

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/service/a...89/article.html

Zz

[Memphis]

  neXGen said:

I found a very interesting site with quite a lot of descripto relating to coolant and engine cooling.. think it would help you out memphis.. the linko :-

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/service/a...89/article.html

Zz

Thanks. That was very descriptive ..

[Elvis_Pil]

Water is indeed the best 'cooler' for your engine. And in the short run you will not have any issues using it. However it will corrode your radiator and will also be a problem in winter conditions.

I recommend the BP coolant mentioned by Gunat. Used is for years with out a n issue. However most stores dont stock it much any more. So I started using Esso which needs to be diluted (but I dont do that I check the level every weekend during the car wash. If you're radiator hoses are all good and your coolant level toped your heat meter should remain static even after long trips.

[Memphis]

  Pilawoos said:

Water is indeed the best 'cooler' for your engine. And in the short run you will not have any issues using it. However it will corrode your radiator and will also be a problem in winter conditions.

I recommend the BP coolant mentioned by Gunat. Used is for years with out a n issue. However most stores dont stock it much any more. So I started using Esso which needs to be diluted (but I dont do that I check the level every weekend during the car wash. If you're radiator hoses are all good and your coolant level toped your heat meter should remain static even after long trips.

Yes indeed. Even in my cases, there is no heating/boiling problem. It's this weekly topping up business that I'm trying to get rid of. How often do you have to top up Pila ?

Edited March 26, 2007 by Memphis

[Elvis_Pil]

Once a month maybe and that too would be just a little bit to fill the bottle up. Oh I got a bit of Caltex mixed in as well. I've changed the hoses though. No issues even after rev'n all the way to the red.

Nothing wrong with using Caltex- good product for the price

PS- call me 'Pila

[fuzzo]

i have to do occasional top ups on my car but it's not routine. like someone else said, the drop is unpredicatable.

fluid levels in my car are usually checked only at services but as of late i've been checking before i take long trips. At other times i just keep an eye on the temp meter

[Devinda_Z]

i too will second the opinion put forward by both Pilawoos and Gunat regarding the BP coolant

its worked well with the ZX and some of the others as well

A*W stock it - can't remeber the price though...

[Memphis]

  Devinda_Z said:

i too will second the opinion put forward by both Pilawoos and Gunat regarding the BP coolant

its worked well with the ZX and some of the others as well

A*W stock it - can't remeber the price though...

Ok BP it is then

Great if I can get the price too. I currently use Abro in my car and my radiator guy recommends Worth. Any ideas about these ?

[Hola]

Guys, how many from you have changed the radiator water? Becuase some change it as they do it on engine oil atleast once in 2 years. How about you? We had to change the water in our diesel hiace some years back as it was alll rusty colored.

[Devinda_Z]

  Memphis said:

Ok BP it is then

Great if I can get the price too. I currently use Abro in my car and my radiator guy recommends Worth. Any ideas about these ?

i can't quite remeber but it was something around 1,400 odd i think...

[Hola]

  Devinda_Z said:

i can't quite remeber but it was something around 1,400 odd i think...

machang, coolent? just use caltex . cheap