[FIXED] Engine Coolant overflow...?

[Skanob]

Fixed with replacing the Radiator Cap.



Credits to:
Magna_Lad
barryb
Madmagna
jimbo
TW2005
flyboy

Thanks to all that helped!


Orignal post:

Hi,

I would need you guys' professional opinion about this.

Short story:

Drove my wife to an event, 10mins drive, went straight back to home after dropping her off. Parked the car, upon getting off the car I heard a noise that seems that someone is having a piss. Went to take a look at the front of the car and looked below and saw water/fluid coming out from the front of the passenger wheel. And you can barely make sense out of the sound that it's making (pissing sound) that there is real pressure on it. Popped the bonnet and tried to find where it's coming from (currently thinking that it could be an animal whose taking a piss while inside the engine compartment, cat maybe?). From the angle and side of where I can see its coming from, from looking below the car, two assumption came to mind, either the Battery Fluid or the Engine Coolant. Had a visual look on both, Battery is all clean. Took a look on the engine coolant tube, the white tube pointing up, and tell tale signs of water/fluid can be seen, also on the surround area of it. And I do think the engine coolant has been depleted. Looking at the manual, it says that this is a reserve engine coolant?

My question is how did this happen? and probably why?

I'm more worried that the car won't start tomorrow or will give me problems while driving, I'm hoping someone is still awake at this time (11:33pm Perth time). I might not use the car tomorrow, wouldn't take the risk having incurring more damage on the car without enough coolant. Dang.

Also, are engine coolants car specific?

Crossing fingers and hoping that there is no leak on it, and its not a massive problem (money wise).

Thanks guys, appreciate it.

[Magna_Lad]

Yeap thats the coolant overflow on the battery side. Engine coolant goes white when it dries. Pop the hood in the morning and take a good look at the spray patterns (if any). They can help you pinpoint the problem area, although it appears its from the passenger side... Check all the hoses on the passenger side for signs of leakage, id suggest filling the radiator and top up the overflow with coolant and turning the engine on, thatll be a quick way to find your problem...

Use green coolant, different engine types use different colours but third gens take the green stuff. To be honest id top it up with cheap pre-mix from the supermarket until find out where its coming from... dont use tap water unless you plan to completely flush the system after. 4L of cheap pre-mix will set you back about $7, buy 2... OR even just 4 x 2L bottles of demineralised water from the supermarket, whatevers cheapest... you'll want to atleast drain the radiator after fixing anyway. Then you can put the good stuff back in. Make sure you have 8L of whatever, in case your system is completely drained already...

Def dont drive while loosing coolant at this rate... how many Ks has your car done? Over 200k on original water pump? Symptoms dont suggest the pump, but check it anyway...

Goodluck mate, hope you get it sorted

[barryb]

Could be a simple fix like a radiator cap.

[Magna_Lad]

Just read your signature, you have a 3L engine? Same as my old TS. Still green coolant but water pump every 100K... not 200K like the 3.5L...

Major cooling component of coolant is the water, the "green stuff" is the anti corrosion formula... so its OK to just add demineralised water (not tap water) while you find the problem, just drain it out after problem fixed to put the proper coolant in. I wouldnt suggest pre-mixed once fixed though as Ive heard the ratio of water to coolant formula is very very low... its basically just demineralised water...

[Madmagna]

3.0 water pump every 200k, why does the engine size change the water pump frequency. Even the 12v motors get them every 200k with us.

You could have a cap issue but also could have a blocked overflow bottle, the hose goes in from the radiator to the bottom of the bottle, inside the plastic of the bottle there is a brass sleeve which can get blocked. Only way to clean properly is take out the bottle and flush it out, check the cap and go from there.

Issue with bottle is it will allow coolant to flow into the bottle but will block when the cooling system goes to draw coolant back, have seen this many times

[Skanob]

Thanks for all the help.

It's a shame I couldn't fix it now. Got work to do. (and posting this while on the bus).

I really had no time to pop the bonnet this morning. But definitely will coming from work.

So as of the moment, we may have three culprits. Either radiation cap, blocked radiator tube to the bottom connector of coolant bottle, and/or leak.

Funny when I was looking around the forums, I read the same problem and got fixed by radiator cap..? (was really sleepy then) (sorry couldn't link, using mobile)

AFAIK, the car has ran 136k now. Got it from 126k almost a year ago.

I really do appreciate all the help guys. Will post back see what is going on. Thanks so much.

Edit: i remembered that upon ourchase of the car (weeks after), I had the car taken a look from our friend mechanic. Replaced a couple of things: spark plugs, seal for it, brake fluid, Engine coolant fluid, amongst other things.

Now what I can't remember is that if he just refilled the engine coolant, or completely flushed it then refill. Will that have any effect on it?

And yeah. Its the green stuff. ��

[Skanob]

I hope I've bought the right one



Edit:
$8 from K-Mart (nearest from where I work).

I'm thinking it's more of a pin-pointing the problem so might not get fixed in one go if its gonna leak again, so go for cheap first. then if fixed, get the "best" one.

[jimbo]

That $8 coolant only has 6% gylcol. You'd be better off buying demineralised water to top it up with untill you fix it. Then find out what coolant your mechanic friend put in and use that. Mixing different brands/types of coolant could cause you more problems.

[Skanob]

UPDATE........

So. Was able to fiddle around a bit earlier tonight.

I've lifted the car up and have taken a look on the bottom of the bottle first to see if there is any hole/leak on it, and also to check the connection of the tube from the bottle to the radiator:



Seems connection is still ok and is sealed. No signs that fluid came from this side. I'm looking of signs like the picture below. You can see definitely that fluid found its way out here.





So, I then have taken a look on the top part of the bottle:



Seems that it has found its way from this hole that is on the bottle. you can see just below the bottle where the fluid came to be and probably because of the forward force of the car that the fluid drifted to the hole then down to the car.

Is this hole meant to be? If it did found its(fluid) way to this hole then that could probably mean that there is a force/pressure coming from the radiator that pushed the fluid all the way up to this hole.

The only other place for me to have a look is the radiator and radiator cap:



Seems there is a bit of build up on the left hand side but I don't think it'll affect or incur the problem. Wont it?

Finally radiator cap:



Now honestly, I don't feel good about the radiator cap. And honestly, I don't know if it still is good or not. I don't have any other radiator cap to compare it to.


Now, after all these. I literally wasn't able to do anything but to refill the radiator and bottle. So I filled the coolant bottle almost to the brim, and also the radiator itself.

Ran the engine, and bottle spit a few of the coolant. I think that was just about the excess of what I filled, then stopped spitting it and car was just running idle without no coolant overflowing. Then I took an almost 10mins drive to an almost consistent 70mph run hoping that I might heat up the engine. But I didn't think I've done well with that, could be because its a bit cold here now. Parked the car and waited about 2 to 3 mins if coolant will overflow, nothing.

I don't really know what's going on anymore. Wouldn't like to drive the car for a long one then suddenly car overheats without coolant.

That $8 coolant only has 6% gylcol. You'd be better off buying demineralised water to top it up with untill you fix it. Then find out what coolant your mechanic friend put in and use that. Mixing different brands/types of coolant could cause you more problems.

I'll take that into consideration. I am actually thinking once fixed, I'll drain the coolant then put a different, probably better, one.


Thank you so much for all the help guys. I really appreciate you guys helping a noob.

[TW2005]

That cap is knackered, looks OEM and falling apart. this is OEM brand new spare i keep in the glovebox. definitely invest some $$ and get decent coolant. Your motor deserves it.