Add coolant light? please help - clueless noob
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Aspiring Neophyte
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 199
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From: SF BA, CA
Add coolant light? please help - clueless noob
What's up people. I'm an aspiring noob, to the forums and to these beautiful machines. At the instant I've got my eyes on a 91 red convertible for sale with only 43 grand on the odometer. He's selling it for 6 grand, which I know is kind of a high price, but also possible kind of worth it, considering how hard it's been for me to find something so 'unused'
I know I might be asking about a subject that's already on the forum, but i admit i don't have much time other than to type this post.
So i'm taking a look at the car and it's beautiful, i was creaming my pants the whole time. Ran perfect, drove perfect, looked perfect... except:
The "add coolant" light intermittently popped on, along with the annoying buzzer.
The guy said he'd taken it to Mazda, who said it was a 'short' - also said the coolant level is fine. I do understand these beaut's can be prone to electric problems...
ok, so i looked at the overflow, coolant looked like brake fluid, smelled like rat ****.
Yeah.
Does anyone have any advice or knowledge they feel like sharing with me about this?
Like a dumbass i didn't look at the oil.
Is this a sign of a blown seal? Could it just be really old coolant? somethin else i'm clueless about?
Any help or ideas, please.
I know I might be asking about a subject that's already on the forum, but i admit i don't have much time other than to type this post.
So i'm taking a look at the car and it's beautiful, i was creaming my pants the whole time. Ran perfect, drove perfect, looked perfect... except:
The "add coolant" light intermittently popped on, along with the annoying buzzer.
The guy said he'd taken it to Mazda, who said it was a 'short' - also said the coolant level is fine. I do understand these beaut's can be prone to electric problems...
ok, so i looked at the overflow, coolant looked like brake fluid, smelled like rat ****.
Yeah.
Does anyone have any advice or knowledge they feel like sharing with me about this?
Like a dumbass i didn't look at the oil.
Is this a sign of a blown seal? Could it just be really old coolant? somethin else i'm clueless about?
Any help or ideas, please.
Check the coolant level in the radiator, not the overflow bottle. Could be that the overflow bottle has never been cleaned out and that could account for the color and smell of the liquid inside. Note: I say--could be.
Remove the radiator cap and top off if low, then start the car. Rev the engine a bit and see if you get air bubbles, not just turbulence, coming up in the coolant. That would strongly suggest failed coolant seal(s). Also check the oil level as that could be the cause of the buzzer.
Since this car is in such good shape generally, if you verify that the problem is coolant seals, offer the owner $2,500-$3,000 less than he's asking and then have a rebuilt engine installed. Chances are if he knows that's the problem you will get a good car with a new engine for his asking price.
Remove the radiator cap and top off if low, then start the car. Rev the engine a bit and see if you get air bubbles, not just turbulence, coming up in the coolant. That would strongly suggest failed coolant seal(s). Also check the oil level as that could be the cause of the buzzer.
Since this car is in such good shape generally, if you verify that the problem is coolant seals, offer the owner $2,500-$3,000 less than he's asking and then have a rebuilt engine installed. Chances are if he knows that's the problem you will get a good car with a new engine for his asking price.
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RPOdesign
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Aug 27, 2015 11:42 PM