eggy790

iTrader: (20)

Hi Guys

took my car in for coolant and brake fluid today, and was told the coolant was way over the full mark.. anyway they drained it and filled it to the max marker, and told me to keep an eye on it and make sure its not going back up..

just driven 25 miles.. mixture of driving.. got out switched off and thought i'd check it..

seems to have done opposite and gone down by at least 3 or 4 cms..

what does this mean?

should i top it full again with some water?

ANy help would be appreciated..

hope its not headgasket

Cheers

dunx

iTrader: (3)

95 % probability of it clearing a small airlock on it's own......

IMHO

dunx

P.S. just look ONLY when it's cold, coolant expands when heated.

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

o right phew, lol i was just about to order a new turbo and some other bits..

think i'll wait a while now lol

we'll i'll go out again in about 1 hour and check it..

if its low should i top it up?

as for it being over initially , since ive only had the car a week or 2, i reckon it had just been topped up too much from previous owner, or maybe even my spaz of a brother..

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

just checked it again now, and its is on the low or min marker

going to top it up with some blue stuff , not water.. any ideas?

could it just be because it has just been changed? although they did run the car for like 10mins to check ..

also isnt it supposed to have the pink stuff in?

cheers

Splitpin

Eggy, just so's we know, which tank are you checking here - the expansion/overflow tank by the headlight (on a classic) or rad (on a newage), or the header tank bolted to the inlet manifold?

Moreover, did you literally check it within seconds of switching the engine off, or allow a few minutes for cooling first?

bigbarry04

iTrader: (2)

the easiest way for me to descirbe this?! when your head gasket goes, it sounds like there is a kettle of water boiling under the bonnet. bit lame a descirbtion but certainly the easiest way to say it!

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

nah it doesnt sound like a kettle boiling at all, everything seems normal/same

cant fault the way it is driving/sounding

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

hi, im checking the bottle circled in red in this pic..


http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/4979/bugeye15.jpg

when he was about to change the coolant he said it was above full..

anyway took it off and put it back on at the full marker.. told me to keep an eye on it.

did 25 miles of mixed driving.

checked immediately , and it was low - obviously this is incorrect ..

so left it and gone back out and checked again.. been about 90mins since car was switched off and it is directly on the min/low marker

should i top it up or not?

any ideas?

thanks

53

iTrader: (41)

That is the overflow, spits out and sucks in as required. Level in the header tank is the important one just bottom left of the I/c. It's pressurised when hot so only open when cold or you'll have a very hot face lol !

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

ahh right the one with the orange sticker..

so is everything ok?

do i need to worry or do anything? top up with water?

Splitpin

Yeah thought you might have been. As 53 has already said the one that's really important is the header tank on the side of the inlet manifold. Wait until the engine is cold and check the level on that one. If it's brimmed or within half an inch or so of the top, leave things as they are. If not, tell us how low it is.

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

ok pretty sure that is fine, but i will confirm after work at 9pm

so the level on the overflow doesnt matter? lol tbh just paranoid because the guy at richard henry motorsport said it was way over the full mark earlier and it could be a problem with headgasket.. and to keep an eye on it..

Splitpin

It's a problem if it's empty, or if there's air bubbling through it like a boiling kettle, but a little either side of the normal full level means bugger all as long as the header tank is normal.

It could be a problem with the headgasket, but is far more likely to simply be that the overflow tank was overfilled slightly in the past, so yes, keep an eye on it, but don't get paranoid.

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

ahh right ok thanks

and lol it clearly is no way near the full level.. definately at the marker right at the bottom.. dropped 4 cms or so under full

i'll have another look after work.

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

ok just checked it from cold 20 mins ago

and the overflow tank , if thats what you call it is about a finger space above low or minimum, should i worry or leave it?

bearing in mind full or max is like 4 or 5 finger spaces away.

cheers

Splitpin

Hang on a min, which tank are you looking at here, the one on the radiator or the one on the inlet manifold?

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

its the one ive circled in the pic..

white plastic bottle, yellow flip off cap..

saying coolant, please see manual or something along those lines.. has a long black tube going into it, that you can pull out i think.

tweaks

iTrader: (7)

you need to be checking the alloy header tank thats bolted to the inlet manifold with the orange sticker on the metal twist cap on the left of the picture youve taken,below the intercooler

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

ahh ok, so when cold, open that and check level? i assume its ok as its just been drained and filled fresh..

is the overflow level irrelevant then?

tweaks

iTrader: (7)

when it's flat cold both should be somewhere near max,if alot lower then fill to the required level

Tim

Splitpin

Yes, as you were told further up the thread.

Don't assume anything, take the lid off and check.

Bejeezers, this question has already been answered a couple of times, do you suffer ADHD or something?

The overflow tank is exactly that, an overflow. If yours has dropped after a coolant change, it is probably because the main coolant system wasn't quite filled properly and some has been taken back in from the overflow.

As per earlier, as long as the header tank (the one on the inlet manifold) is full when the engine is cold, it doesn't matter if the overflow is a little below the normal mark (as long as there's some in it). Tim - if it reads at max when the engine is cold, it's going to be overflowing entirely when the engine is warm.

If you need to fill, rather than use water, you'd be better off going back to the garage that changed your coolant and getting some of the same stuff in the correct mixture put into a bottle so you've got it there to top up if and when needed.

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

thanks guys
and thanks plitpin, sorry for the repetitive questions, makes sense now, i'll see them in the morning

thanks again

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

hi just checked it as you said, and the tank to the left of the intercooler, is full,

however the overflow has now gone below the low mark..

i guess i top the overflow up? any reason why this is happening?

eggy790

iTrader: (20)

took it back to the garage, they just topped it up with water, saying there was plenty of coolant in there, reckons it was just an airlock, should be fine

happydude303

iTrader: (1)

as long as it full or nealry full in the header tank then its fine dont worry about the over flow