Coolant questions

[gray1978]

In nearly 20 years of motoring I've managed to avoid having anything to do with engine coolant. However I spotted the other day that it had dropped below the Min line on the expansion tank so I decided to top it up.

Bought the correct stuff from Halfords, mixed roughly 50/50 with water and topped it up.

Question 1: I filled right up to the Max line which I've since read is the Max when the engine is hot. Sure enough, after my 30 minute drive to work this morning I checked the level and it was now maybe 1cm above the Max line. Anything to worry about?

Question 2: I'm a bit worried that the level was low in the first place, I can't remember when I last checked it but I do check occasionally. I had the cambelt done about 6 months ago, would the garage have flushed the system when they did the cambelt and is it possible they just didn't fill it all the way up? Or could the cambelt change have caused a leak somewhere? Obviously I'm going to monitor it over the next few weeks to see if it's leaking.

Question 3: Why doesn't the Ibiza have a temp gauge?

 

[RUM4MO]

Question (1) don't worry about the level now being maybe too high, any excess will get forced out the expansion valve bit.

Question (2) that is a possibility, ie they might have handed it back with an airlock in it (ie a small space with air instead of fluid) - and now the airlock was "gone"

Question (3) cost, every penny counts! SEAT would back this up by claiming that if they polled a thousand customers, only 20 would say they "liked" a temperature gauge.

I'd always prefer to have a coolant temperature gauge, your car will have the ability to warn you of a high temperature issue.

Just keep an eye the level - like you know you should! It will be high when the engine is hot and lower when the engine is cold, but should not vary that much over two extremes.

Edit:- personally I check oil level, coolant level and tyres weekly, stops thinks getting out of hand suddenly.

 

[The Captain]

Coolant level will rise as the liquid expands when hot. I run with mine at the min level.

 

[nightflight]

Odd. My coolant level is always lower when the engine is running and increases when the engine is left off for a bit.
It also has a slow coolant leak from the radiator.
Are the two connected?

 

[The Captain]

Yes they are connected and there may be air in the system.

The cooling system is designed to be a closed circuit which significantly raises the boiling point of the coolant. If you have a leak from the radiator then the pressure will be lowered as will the boiling point so the fan will run longer.

Apart from having to top up regularly there is the risk that your slow leak may become a sudden failure leaving you stranded at the roadside. Change the radiator! EuroCarParts have them for less than £60.

 

[Big-Pete]

In nearly 20 years of motoring I've managed to avoid having anything to do with engine coolant. However I spotted the other day that it had dropped below the Min line on the expansion tank so I decided to top it up.

Bought the correct stuff from Halfords, mixed roughly 50/50 with water and topped it up.

Question 1: I filled right up to the Max line which I've since read is the Max when the engine is hot. Sure enough, after my 30 minute drive to work this morning I checked the level and it was now maybe 1cm above the Max line. Anything to worry about?

Question 2: I'm a bit worried that the level was low in the first place, I can't remember when I last checked it but I do check occasionally. I had the cambelt done about 6 months ago, would the garage have flushed the system when they did the cambelt and is it possible they just didn't fill it all the way up? Or could the cambelt change have caused a leak somewhere? Obviously I'm going to monitor it over the next few weeks to see if it's leaking.

Question 3: Why doesn't the Ibiza have a temp gauge?

u sure? id personally go to VW/TPS and get the right coolant, and then get some De-ironized/deminroalised water and use that.