Need help quick! Antifreeze frozen!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 48
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From: columbus ohio
Need help quick! Antifreeze frozen!
it got down to 7 degrees here last night, so i thought i'd check on my 76 sitting in my carport,i opened radiator cap and found frozen coolant, kinda like a slushie, i wanted to see if the engine would crank so turned the key and it fired right up. it sounded fine and in no time the froze coolant melted, i had tested this coolant in the fall and tester said good to 20 below, well that was way off!! so i let it run, water pump sounds good and its not leaking anywhere, i left the cap off radi and the old coolant ran out of the radiator top, so i put a whole new jug of prestone in, engine is runnig fine but i'm not seeing any flow in radiator, coolant just siting there, also no heat in car, no leaks, so what do i do now? should i let it idle more? temps gauge around 175 or so, with more idle time should heater start working? any advise would sure be a big help, thanks!!!
Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Chesapeake Virginia
I would go get some polyethelyne sheeting from the home center and wrap it around the bottom of the car like a skirt, get it down on the ground to help cut the breeze out from under the car, then you can take a drop light and lay under the car, it will create enough warmth to hopefully help thaw things out some. the key is to try and trap some of that heat under the car and not let the wind take it away.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 48
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From: columbus ohio
thats a good idea, i'll keep it in mind. i just tapped on the t neck allitte, thought maybe the thermostat was stuck, sure enuff, it opened and now i got great heat/def now, no leaks, oil and coolant look good. man its scary to open your radiator cap and see it frozen!! but looks like everything good now. the old coolant was some of that 50/50 crap i put in last summer,not using that never again! i'll test this antifrezze here in a bit, hopefuly that'll be it.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
If you had to put a gallon of coolant in it, sounds like that could have been where your problem was.
Just the same, sounds like you got away lucky.
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
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From: Ontario
BTW, windchill here tonight is -36*F. So my daily driver (newish Impala) may be a treat in the morning.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: columbus ohio
well it now tests to a bit past 15 below, i did put a gallon of new prestone in, put before i did i removed about a gallon of the old coolant, so i think my level was ok, not sure what happened. i also tested with a new tester too. but now level looks good, blows great heat and no leaks
Burning Brakes
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From: Kiersteadville New Brunswick
Race Director
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well it now tests to a bit past 15 below, i did put a gallon of new prestone in, put before i did i removed about a gallon of the old coolant, so i think my level was ok, not sure what happened. i also tested with a new tester too. but now level looks good, blows great heat and no leaks
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
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From: Ontario
well it now tests to a bit past 15 below, i did put a gallon of new prestone in, put before i did i removed about a gallon of the old coolant, so i think my level was ok, not sure what happened. i also tested with a new tester too. but now level looks good, blows great heat and no leaks
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
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From: Ontario
Mike,
There is something very strange here. A quality 50/50 mix should show close to -40*F. I have seen -45*F and DexCool in my Impala become a slush puppy but it does melt down pretty quickly. His reading of -15*F is very unusual. That is not good enough in these temps.
There is something very strange here. A quality 50/50 mix should show close to -40*F. I have seen -45*F and DexCool in my Impala become a slush puppy but it does melt down pretty quickly. His reading of -15*F is very unusual. That is not good enough in these temps.
Last edited by Paul L; Jan 23, 2013 at 07:33 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
Do you have your oil changed at one of the 'quick stop' places? If so, you may have been losing coolant and they "helped you out" by filling it up with just water. After a few times, you have little other than water in your system. Check for coolant leaks.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: columbus ohio
well the tester i'm using is peak antifreeze tester that i bought new today.i'll check it again, but the arrow was between 15 to 20 below. the new antifreeze is much more green than what was in there before. it was around july that i put most of a gallon of 50/50 in. maybe all the was in there was water. and it ended up watering down the 50/50 mix even more. thanks for again the help, in over 35 years since my first car, i've never had this happen! so with a gallon of straight new prestone, i should be around 45 below reading?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 924
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From: Kearneysville West Virginia
An old trick that wokrs really well if you still have some concerns, is to put a drop light in the engine compartment, turn it on, and lower the hood. The warmth from that light will make all the difference until you can be sure you have the right mixture in there.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
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From: Ontario
well the tester i'm using is peak antifreeze tester that i bought new today.i'll check it again, but the arrow was between 15 to 20 below. the new antifreeze is much more green than what was in there before. it was around july that i put most of a gallon of 50/50 in. maybe all the was in there was water. and it ended up watering down the 50/50 mix even more. thanks for again the help, in over 35 years since my first car, i've never had this happen! so with a gallon of straight new prestone, i should be around 45 below reading?