RZRX7TT

Guys I 'am still trying to get familiar with our cars cooling system. Now where do i inspect to add coolant if needed from? is it from the filler neck the overflow or the air seperator tank? Do you inspect the coolant level at operating temperature or when the car is cold? and from where do i inspect? I am guessing you add at the filler neck, and check the level when the car is cold, am i right or wrong? sorry guys i know its a stupid question.But I have a small coolant leak and i want to make sure my coolant levels are topped of until i can fix the leak, thanks.

JConn2299

Inspect coolant level at the overflow tank. That's the black cap on your extreme left as you face into the engine bay. Inspect when cold. The hardest part is trying to judge the fluid level from that stupid ladder stick. I usually lay it on a paper towel and the wetness on the towel is more "readable" than trying to judge the gaps in the ladder.

Add coolant at the filler neck, that's the cap in the center to the left of the AST cap as you face into the engine bay. Add coolant until it's just slightly above the little pinhole in the filler neck.

You say you have a leak. That's the worrisome part. Is there coolant on your garage floor? Is the coolant level dropping without a visible leak? Or do you think you're just misjudging the coolant level and not actually losing any?

RZRX7TT

Well this is what i found out, there isnt supposed to be any coolant in the overflow tank when the engine is cold because the radiotor sucks it all up and its all stored in the radiator. I checked my filler neck level and it the level is right up close to the top of the hole. I think the filler neck stores all the access coolant that the radiator doesnt need, so i think when the engine is cold the filler neck is where you read from. The way you check the coolant level i think is at operating temperature at the overflow tank, because the rad pushes all the coolant that it doesn't use in there, so i guess that how its works.

SoCalLove

I've got a question as well:


Had my car for 2 months. I check the coolant from time to time. Its stays dead on in the middle of the of the measuring stick. The manual says its ok. Do you guys think its ok?

Also I don't know what kind of coolant is in my car. What brand do you guys recommend if I were to add more coolant, just to be safe?

Thanks.

jdhuegel1

I use the coolant from the Mazda dealership. 30-40% coolant to 60-70% distilled water...

JConn2299

Do you have an owners manual?

I'll quote from portions of page 7-15:

"The coolant should be at full in the radiator and between the full and low marks on the dispstick when the engine is cool.

If it's near or at L, add enough coolant to the coolant reservoir to provide freezing and corrosion protection and to bring the level to F."


I'll add this on my own. If you suspect there is air in the cooling system, add coolant to the filler neck until it's just above the pinhole in the filler neck. If the coolant level in the overflow tank is low, then add coolant to the overflow tank.

jspecracer7

I fill it from the overflow, the AST and the filler neck

RZRX7TT

This is strange when my engine is cold, like i have it sitting over night, when i inspect the next day in the overflow tank there is nothing in it, I am pretty sure there isn't supposed to be coolant in the overflow tank when the engine has cooled because the radiator sucks it all up, anybody else agree? So I think the best time to check the coolant level at the overflow is when the car is running at operating temperature correct?

xchaos

Coolant expands when at operating temps. Therefore the manual as stated above is correct.

When cold, lvl should be between the L and F marks in the overflow tank. The coolant will contract as it cools and some will be pulled intot he system.

When hot, lvl should be about the F mark in the overflow tank. The coolant will expand and will elevate this lvl to F.

I fill at the filler neck and the overflow tank. However, I have never had to add coolant to mine now that I have gone to Evans coolant.