Toping Up Coolant

[Chief_XR6T]

Long time reader 1st time poster.

I’m needing a little help with my BA im a n00b at cars and the coolant is below min when warm ive had ford service install a new radiator with in first 12 months of owning her.

So im wanting to know what radiator coolant I can use mixed with the stock one since im lazy and when to do it while cold or hot and any other r warnings I should know about.

[loopism]

Read thine handbook ... and then use whatever you like Best to do it when the coolant is cool though, just to be on the uber-safe side

Seriously, it shouldn't matter what brand of coolant you use - I added a bottle of Redline Water Wetter to my header tank just before summer.

Edited 05/04/07 04:28 AM by loopism

[Paranormal]

Dude just top it up with water, but FYI here is what Ford use -

(Motorcraft R1-52) MES-MN121-C 33% additive 67% water last 3 Years 100,000klm

freeze to minimum temp of -16°C or 50% additive 50% water last 4yr 120,000klm freeze to minimum temp of -37°C

[benmwhite]

Personally I'm not a fan of mixing coolants - I'd agree with Paranormal - in topping it up with water - I use distilled just to be on the safe side.

The only problem with continually doing this is that it dilutes the coolant - reducing the effective % of glycol in the mix - Most good mechanics have a refractometer which will indicate the % glycol in your cooling system - if it gets low - (I use 25% as a benchmark), its probably not a bad time to flush and replace.

[ColinT]

Firstly why is the car loosing coolant. I have only ever topped up my old Statesman after 12 year of service. Regular changes of coolant and it never ran low until very late in life.

Same with my T, I have never had to top up.

Top up with the same as in the system, A higher concentrate % is better than not enough.

A wrong mix of coolant types I was told can turn to a jelly.

[Chief_XR6T]

Ok cheers.

I will buy a bottle of pricey disttled water.

Do I do it when its cold and then let it run with out the cap or just put cap back on and drive.

[45T-XR]

Do it when the is cold, if you open the reservior quickly when its hot coolant blast out and gives you a nasty scald, When I was working for ford, it was a glycol concentration of 33-50%, We never used to charge for a coolant concentration test so hopefully your dealer is as friendly as ours.

cheers

[Corzza]

My coolant Reservoir is going a brownish colour.

Is this normal? The colour of my coolant used to be a bright green and now its going dull and brownish