soldier_boi

as you can see, i have been having trouble with my rx7 since i bought it from a 18 year old little wigga. anyways i took the car to a mechanic near post to get a coolant flush since the previous kid was using water as coolant. anyways, i got my flush and then this morning, the coolant reservoir was frozen. i was like, wtf, coolant freezes? then i notice it was still water. so i have to wait for it to thaw out. i called but its new years.

Hazard15301

iTrader: (5)

My guess is they just didn't drain the overflow tank, and it froze. Just thaw it and suck out the water with a turkey baster (or similar high priced product).

*edit

I don't think it will hurt anything to drive it. Top off your engine with coolant and let it warm up. Once the engine is hot it will push hot coolant into the tank and melt the ice. Then you can suck it out. Or if you have one of those little fish tank heaters you can put that in there to melt it. That's what I'd do anyway.

fastboy2468

Start the car and let it idle until the water thaws and drain it. Obviously your coolant to water mixture is off. You have to get that stuff out of there or you can crack your block - rotary or whatever the mazda engine calls it. Then go to the auto store and put the right mix in there. They obviously did depleat the whole system of water otherwise it would not have froze.

fastboy2468

Exactly!

But I would get it all out because he's not sure whats in there at this point.

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

+1 to they didnt drain the overflow tank

Just park your car inside some garage, wait for it to thaw then take the bottle out, drain it, add 50/50 back and you should be fine.

Or just pour some 100% Anti-freeze into the overflow tank, it will "melt" the water in there pretty quickly, then just pour it out and add proper 50/50 mix

oh btw, when the shop drain your coolant, did they drain the engine too? or did they just drain the radiator's coolant?

There is an engine coolant drain plug located right next to the spark plug area. if you left that one out and just drain the radiator, there will be about a gallon something "liquid" left inside your engine, in your case, its dirty water.

soldier_boi

its like slush inside my radiator cap, should i start it now with slush because its 30F and not getting warmer. i have an appointment tomorrow with my friend to put in the alt. belt, pwr steering belt, air pump belt, a/c belt. i need a new flush!

fastboy2468

Thus: Drain the whole system and refill with 50/50....

Be safe not sorry

Hazard15301

iTrader: (5)

Yea. Obviously the kid had no idea what he was doing if he ran straight water in a rotary, where overheating is the enemy. I think the boiling point of 70/30 antifreeze/water under pressure is like 270 degrees, while water is much lower than that. Plus it's just a good rule of thumb.

The 100% antifreeze thing is a good idea too.

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

well, like I said, buy 1 bottle of 100% anti-freeze, pour it into your overflow tank, it will melt the water, then just pour it and add some 50/50 Anti-freeze back.

soldier_boi

i dont have a garage guys, i live on post. on an army post there is no garages to park but open parking lots! i have no jack.

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

Tap water is very bad for any automotive cooling system, the minerals are good for humans, but not good for the car.

I always use distilled water, not like its hard to find. or just get some 50/50 premix.

Prestone doing buy 1 get 1 free anyway. People spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the mods, but then they just want to be cheap about the coolant and use straight water. sad.

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

Do you have access to 100% anti-freeze then?

if so just listen to me, pour some into your overflow tank. it will melt it in an hour or so, then just pour it.

For your "I dont have a jack" question, just use the scissor jack came with your car, raise it to proper level, then put a few piece of brick to support the car's weight, take the jack out and start working on your car.

NEVER depend on your a jack to support your car.

soldier_boi

what do you mean just pour it? i understand pour it into the reservoir but you mean pour it into the coolant cap. there are no bricks here. thanks guys i will give a try.

fastboy2468

You are taking two bolts out, letting the garbage drain, then putting them back in and refilling the system with 50/50.

Thats it!

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

pour 100% anti-freeze into whatever thats freezing.

Its just your overflow tank right? so yeah, pour some anti-freeze into the bottle, wait a while, then take the bottle out and "drain/pour" the contents back out.

satch

iTrader: (1)

If you're a guy with a slender build you don't really need to have the car jacked up to drain the coolant.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Holy Crap!
get a 10 mm socket and take the bottle INSIDE,it will thaw out under hot water.
DO NOT START the car until you have checked to see if the coolant Inside the Hoses,and rad are OK,and not Frozen.Otherwise youi may just kill the waterpump too.
IF they ARE then you should get a Heater and thaw the car out Under a Tarp.
I read "slush"..that is on the verge of Freezing,and at 30 Degrees it isn't a good thing..get as much crap out of that cooling system as you can and fill with Straight antifreeze.,.after all the 'rest of it" is gonna be iCE right?..and that is water.

incubuseva

iTrader: (13)

BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD!!!!!!! NOOOO!

You are 100% wrong on this one my friend. Water itself would be better than 100% antifreeze in the areas of boiling/freezing point. If water didn't freeze, had lubricating properties + didn't corrode, then it would be much better to run straight than 100% coolant.

Don't run 100% antifreeze. It will overheat quicker than the proper mix of water/coolant.

Use distilled water or premix.



Did the OP ever get his cooling problems solved?