"Add Coolant" and smoking
 

hey guys, i just picked up an 87 turbo II last night. It started and drove home fine, pulled good and didnt smoke much if any. I got it home and went to start it up and got the add coolant light, so naturally i checked the resevoir. It was low so i filled it just past the full line and tried again. The light stayed on and would not go off, and i didnt wanna ad more coolant since that would be way too much. I opened the rad cap (the one up by the motor, not the one on the res , or next to it). There didnt look to be much there so it looks like the coolant isnt really getting to the motor. I also heard a lil click and the car seemed to smoke a bit, looked like it also had a lil leak under the car (its on dry pavement so ill check it tommmorow). I think i might need a new water pump. This is MY first rx (my dad had a 1st gen once). Any help woould be great. Also note that the car starts and sounds to idle fine...its just weird.

After I drained my coolant to take off the UIM on my car I had to add coolant to the radiator...just top the radiator off..you'll be good

Watch for the white smoke at startup If it is present then you're looking at major motor rebuild. The coolant could (I am just letting you know the worst first) be going into the motor via the Coolant seals.

You need to read the thread in the Archives titled "refilling the coolant after a rebuild" I know that your is not a rebuild but the refilling technique is the same. You need to bleed the air out of your coolant system.

^^ haha...oops..I guess i should get on that then :S I just dumped the coolant into the radiator to top it off.