cortneyofeden

I've changed my hoses, flushed out the system, and now I'm trying to get the new coolant in.

I ran the engine until the thermostat opened and the level dropped, filled with coolant. My Haygens says that I should next put the cap on, and run the engine. I've done that a bunch of times, turning it off and filling with coolant every time the "ADD COOLANT" light comes on and that annoying buzz comes on. Each time, it had sucked in a bit more coolant, and I added to fill, put the cap back on, etc.

This last time, I the coolant was still full to the top, but the "ADD COOLANT" light came on anyway. Is there something I'm doing wrong? What am I supposed to do now that it's full, but the light's still coming on?

It started raining hard enough and was getting dark, so I decided to call it for the night. Hopefully it's OK, and I can resume in the morning, once I get the engine warm.

The coolant was bubbling slightly when I took the cap of, and things were finally actually warm. Is this how it's supposed to be? What determines that the light comes on?

I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. I'm trying to FIX the car, not break it. I don't have experience doing this sort of thing, and I want to do it right.

Thanks in advance!

-Cortney

cortneyofeden

Figures. I did a search before my post, but couldn't find any answers (maybe I didn't look hard enough?). Post this, then the one below mine explains that it could be air in the system.

So I run the car until the engine gets warm (have had the heater on), let it cool off, then take off the cap? Then later, rinse, repeat?

Just not sure how many cycles of this I should be going through, and want to make sure all's well.

nik

There is an air-bleed plastic screw on the passenger side of the rad near the top. When you drain the system, you have to bleed the air out from here when you refill. With the engine off and cool, just slowly unscrew it until fluid starts coming out, and then screw it back in again. It helps to have a rag under it to prevent coolant leaking all over.

Also, since you've changed your hoses, make sure that there are no leaks. Double check to make sure the clamps you used are tightened enough.

cortneyofeden

Ah. Thanks. The Haygens manual doesn't explain clearly how to do that.

So once I get the air out, the buzzer shouldn't go off at all? Or does it go off until things warm up?

Yup, as soon as it's to the point where the buzzer isn't going off like mad, I'll be checking for leaks.

Thanks!

kmags

I may be wrong here, but don't you have to have your coolant resevoir bottle about half full as well?

Wankels-Revenge

Ya pretty much fill up the coolant from the coolant filler neck while the oil bleed screw is out. Do this until u see coolant trickling out of the bleed screw. Close the bleed screw and the filler cap...start the car, etc. Then turn off and repeat until its all filled up.

If u keep getting the add coolant buzzer do the geyser test.

cortneyofeden

The reservoir is just above the "low" line.

I filled with the bleed screw out until that started to overflow, then closed it, and filled it.

That's why I'm confused. So what's this "geyser test"?

Should I ignore the idiot light/buzzer for a minute and see if it goes away? Or am I right to be shutting off the car as soon as that starts?

DigitalSynthesis

The geyser test is a test to see if your coolant seals are busted. You let the car run with the radiator cap off, and wait to see if there's a geyser of coolant coming out of the cap. If so, your coolant seals are busted ( = rebuild). If not, then look at the stream of water coming out, and its not foamy or bubbly, then you are ok. You added the water to the radiator filler neck by the water pump with the bleed screw out slowly (so it doesn't run out the bleeder while its filling) until the bleeder started to overrun, and then capped it all up and filled the reservoir tank to full? If the add coolant light doesn't go off shortly after the thermostat opens up then I'd shut the car off immediately, but until the thermostat opens there isn't much danger because the engine hasn't heated to operating temps anyway. Just watch that temp gauge CAREFULLY. You have an S4, so your gauge will budge if the engine starts getting even the slightest bit hot. If it starts getting up to full operating temp and that buzzer hasn't gone off, yes, shut the car down ASAP. But it may be that you are just filling it quickly and its coming out the bleeder due to the volume you are putting in at the top. Fill it slowly until the bleeder starts dumping stuff, wait for it to settle, try again, when the bleeder consistently dumps water, then stop, plug it, and start the car up.

cortneyofeden

I filled the reservoir tank until just above the "low" level, which is what the Haygens manual said to do.

The car got warm enough that the thermostat opened up, and I then went and added small amounts of fluid with the bleeder screw IN, then turned the car back on. After about 10 seconds of running, the idiot light/buzzer went off. So I turned it off, filled to top again...rinse, lather, repeat. Until the point where the idiot light went off, and it was still full.

So it sounds like what you're saying is that perhaps I should be leaving the bleeder open when filling? I was putting in pretty low volumes at a time so as to not dump the coolant mixture all over.

I know this isn't super complicated, but I keep hearing slightly different suggestions, and am trying to understand exactly...

DigitalSynthesis

Right, leave the bleeder screw OUT when you are filling, that way the air can escape as you add more fluid. It can't easily get up the neck when you are pouring water down it. Add until it comes OUT the bleeder screw, then the internal cooling level should be good. At that point you cap the bleeder, cap the filler neck, fill the reservoir to above the LOW, and try it out. If necessary to get all the air out of the system, repeat, but you shouldn't need to but once MAX if it was done right.

Let us know if this works any better for you, and props for doing this yourself! You play a small part in defeating certain stereotypes that women have earned for themselves -- and defeating stereotypes can be a very good thing indeed.

Spraintz

iTrader: (1)

did you ever see steady bubbles coming out of the filler neck when trying to fill it up? if so, was it a lot of bubbles? I have owned 2 overheated FC's (bought em that way) and I fear seeing that out of a radiator in an RX7 for the possibility of coolant seal failure. also, those Water level sensors can and do fail and might just need to be replaced, the one Mazdatrix.com offers is pretty cheap I think.

good luck, and mad props for wrenchin on yer car yourself. I agree, that is awesome.

cortneyofeden

Everything was working fine before I started the flush and replaced the hoses. I just deicded that since they were still original hoses, they ought to be replaced.

I saw a tiny bit of bubbles, but only when it got hot, right after the idiot light/buzzer went off. I don't think it sounds like a coolant seal failure? God, I hope not!

I'm guessing it's probably that I have a bit of air in there still, and will try DigitalSynthesis' method tomorrow.

So to ask one more seemingly stupid question - I thought that the fluid should be full up to the bottom of the filler cap? Is this wrong?

Spraintz

iTrader: (1)

well, its prolly just a small air leak somewhere or its just being a pain to bleed the air out. still maybe that sensor. on my S5 i had an itty bitty hairline crack on the back of the plastic elbow goin to my water. nevcer oberheated but would alway get low fast. it was a pain cause it was really hard to find as the small bits of water just boiled away and you couldn't see how it was leaking. its suprising how its sometimes something small and cheesy.

good luck

hugues

If you have air in the system, you can tell pretty quickly since the temperature will be rising and rising and steam may come out of the pressurized cap. That's when it's a real good idea to shut off the engine.

http://www.geocities.com/huguesdc1/cooling.html

Hugues -

cortneyofeden

The thing is I didn't let it get to the point where it was rising and rising - as soon as the idiot light went off and it was still full, I stopped.

But I think it's just some air - I'll find out when I try again. If I'm wrong, you guys'll know.

cortneyofeden

Just thought I'd post an update for anyone who's curious. Got the air out of the system fine, and it's doing OK. The only problem is that I took it for a drive and it was steaming like mad. I'm 99% sure it was just steaming off the water I spilled (poured some water down to flush off the bit of coolant that was spilled before it) since I didn't see any leaks when I crawled under the hood beforehand.

I'll take it for a drive tomorrow to verify and will update again.

But thanks to all the folks who helped. Even if it's just basic questions, they're ones I needed answers to and now I know more.

Spraintz

iTrader: (1)

thats cool, glad it was nothing serious.

Man, I wish I had a cool chick that was into RX7's

Have fun

cortneyofeden

Well, I _think_ it's nothing serious. Not ruling that possibility out.

Not until I take it for a decent length drive and verify that my coolant level stays the same. Got my fingers crossed, though.

My positive thoughts come from the fact that I wasn't having any cooling problems whatsoever BEFORE, so I can't think that I am responsible for breaking it, right?