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Running out of Coolant

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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:17 PM
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Running out of Coolant

It seems that Im running out of coolant. What should I use to add more?
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:21 PM
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Fix the leak! Check to make sure the coolant seals are not blown.

Then use a 35/65 ratio of gyclo and watter. If I did not spell gyclo right it is antafreez.

I run 30/68 ratio with royal purple's purple ice or watter wetter.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:23 PM
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EH? if i understand right, use a funnel and do you have a leak or something? or is it internal?

-Andrew
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:26 PM
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I believe it's internal, I see no leaks anywhere and does anyone recommend Prestone?
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:26 PM
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Yes the green stuff, and distilled water.

-Andrew
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:29 PM
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green stuff?



Would this be fine?(sorry I hate asking dumb questions)
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:31 PM
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No. Close that is a 50/50 mix. Get a 100% coolant not premixed.

If it is leaking through the coolant seals internaly forget about it. You need to buy a new motor. It is blown and probably very little useable parts.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:32 PM
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I really dought it my car runs extremely smooth, I just want to max the coolant I mean theres still alot in there.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:50 PM
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Wats the difference between 50/50 and mixing it yourself???
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:53 PM
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^ Well I think that is best self exsplanitory.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 08:57 PM
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You get half the coolant with the premixed 50/50. If you have a gallon of pure coolant which costs the same as the premix, then you can mix 2 gal instead of one. Before you go out and buy all that stuff, check your oil and if it's like a chocolate colored watery mix, then your coolant seals are blown and you need a new motor.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 09:00 PM
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i would suppose it depends on the environment and wat your doing with your car! I think i know wat to do thank you.

Do u use synthetic oil?
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 09:05 PM
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if your car isnt burning the coolant, check under your water pump, it's probably leaking
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 09:07 PM
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Yes I run synthetic.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 09:19 PM
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Can anyone explain whats wrong using 50/50?
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 09:36 PM
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Little less cooling capabilitys. If you go to low on gyclo then you wont be able to cool enough and over heat and if you go to high you wont have as much capacity at hand.
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 09:51 PM
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why can't u use 50/50 and just add some distilled water to make it 35/65 or whatever?

Also doesn't the manual say to use different mixes for different weather?
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Old Aug 7, 2005 | 10:21 PM
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^ you can do that. You just get more product for your money.

Yup.
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Old Aug 8, 2005 | 12:48 AM
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Wow, talk about a bunch of bad advice.

1) There is nothing wrong with using pre-mixed coolant, I use it because I like to know what I put in my car is measured out perfectly with a machine vs. the ol' eye method...water has better heat properties but coolant lubes the water pump...yadadada

2) If the coolant seals are done for you don't need to go out and buy a new one, most likely the internals will be fine just rebuild it and it'll be fine.

3) Synthetic oil wouldn’t have anything to do with this, it happens from overheating…

4) Not always will the oil be milky, my SE had bad seals (got to the point where you could do a 007 smoke screen in the mornings on start up and it wouldn’t even think about starting up hot). I had no symptoms besides the smoke, no chalky oil, no blowing the cap off the resv...

If you're not getting a lot of smoke on start up, then start looking for leaks, they can be anywhere and out of site.

Get some UV Coolant Additive and put it in there and look for the leak with a black light or some other type of light like that or simply turn the engine on, hold the revs and start looking for coolant spraying anywhere.

- Tech
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Old Aug 8, 2005 | 01:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
Wow, talk about a bunch of bad advice.
If you say so dood.

Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
1) There is nothing wrong with using pre-mixed coolant, I use it because I like to know what I put in my car is measured out perfectly with a machine vs. the ol' eye method...water has better heat properties but coolant lubes the water pump...yadadada
Never said there was. Read the FSM it will give you the exact coolant amount. Try measuring it out now. Glycol raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point not to lube the water pump. Yes water has bettor dissipation properties but will turn to steam if used on its own and no longer cool. An additive like water wetter is good. It works by displacing the water for bettor cooling capabilities.

Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
2) If the coolant seals are done for you don't need to go out and buy a new one, most likely the internals will be fine just rebuild it and it'll be fine.
Odds are you will need to buy a new one. When seals go they are generally due to over heating. In this case your housings are probably warped and gears are burned and unusable

Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
3) Synthetic oil wouldn’t have anything to do with this, it happens from overheating…
Who said synthetic causes this?

Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
4) Not always will the oil be milky, my SE had bad seals (got to the point where you could do a 007 smoke screen in the mornings on start up and it wouldn’t even think about starting up hot). I had no symptoms besides the smoke, no chalky oil, no blowing the cap off the resv...
Sounds like you had bad side seals.

Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
If you're not getting a lot of smoke on start up, then start looking for leaks, they can be anywhere and out of site.
It may be small enough leak to not get smoke.

Originally Posted by Tech_Greek
Get some UV Coolant Additive and put it in there and look for the leak with a black light or some other type of light like that or simply turn the engine on, hold the revs and start looking for coolant spraying anywhere.
Good advice. Flush your system vigorously after this.

Last edited by iceblue; Aug 8, 2005 at 01:29 AM.
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Old Aug 8, 2005 | 07:38 PM
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Might be your radiator. thats what happened to me. but the radiator was 14 years old running in virginia heat. Glad i got that thing replaced with a new radiator
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Old Aug 8, 2005 | 08:27 PM
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No Iceblue, wasn't trying to go back on you.

It was white smoke in the morning indicating that coolant was getting into the combustion process, not oil smoke.

'Good advice. Flush your system vigorously after this.' - Why? There's nothing wrong with the additive, it doesnt kill your cooling, lots of shop use this plus a pressure tester to see if they can find a leak and it usually works, no after effects of using it.

My leak got bigger and bigger and bigger until the point where the car wouldnt start without having mucho battery power and lots of time then it left a little something like this;
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Old Aug 9, 2005 | 02:07 AM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by iceblue
If you go to low on glyco then you wont be able to cool enough and over heat and if you go to high you wont have as much capacity at hand.
You've just contradicted yourself. Coolant lowers water's heat transfer capability, so going "low on glyco" will not cause overheating, it will actually provide better cooling.

Originally Posted by iceblue
Glycol raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point not to lube the water pump.
Actually it does lubricate the water pump bearings. It's specifically designed to do just that.
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Old Aug 9, 2005 | 02:21 AM
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Ok yea it does have a lubricant in it. To lube the valves and so on. As far as lubricating the water pump yea ok maybe. I am wrong.

I did not just contradict myself. Lets look at this again. Yes water does offer the best cooling properties. But water turns to steam and evaporates, this is bad. This will cause pressure rise. In return the cap will vent to the puke tank all the steam will vent away and leave the system forever. STEAM DOES NOT COOL! This reaction will quickly dissipate the cooling system resulting in over heating.
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Old Aug 9, 2005 | 07:57 AM
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Thanks for the physics lesson, but that doesn't change the fact that your statement that "If you go to low on glyco then you wont be able to cool enough and over heat" is complete BS. You can quite safely run on pure water.
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