coolant issue! help
07-25-2017, 02:11 PM
#1
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coolant issue! help
I am new to the c4 platform. Just recently bought it. I noticed the low coolant light was on intermittently. The guy I bought the car off of says its the sensor. I checked the reservoir and it looked low so I topped it off to about half way.
Today I drive the car about 5 miles park it when i get to my destination I noticed about a quart of coolant on the ground coming from somewhere in the middle of the car towards the back of the engine bay.
The car seems to hover around 190 degrees. Didn't over heat in that small 5 mile drive. The coolant level is low in the reservoir. Right near where it was before I topped it off.
Did I just over fill it?
Today I drive the car about 5 miles park it when i get to my destination I noticed about a quart of coolant on the ground coming from somewhere in the middle of the car towards the back of the engine bay.
The car seems to hover around 190 degrees. Didn't over heat in that small 5 mile drive. The coolant level is low in the reservoir. Right near where it was before I topped it off.
Did I just over fill it?
07-25-2017, 03:30 PM
#2
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Do the easy thing and remove the reserve tank (the black one, at the passenger-side near the corner of the hood) and inspect the connections to it and the heater core.
Auto Zone will lend you a coolant pressure test kit. With it you might find a leak somewhere too.
Auto Zone will lend you a coolant pressure test kit. With it you might find a leak somewhere too.
Last edited by Paul Workman; 07-25-2017 at 03:32 PM.
07-27-2017, 03:23 PM
#4
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The drain line on the reservoir likely. If the radiator expands enough, the drain prevents excess from flooding compartment. Check if the reservoir and drain hose are wet after the leak is noticed. Watch out for hot, let it cool first!
I'd check the radiator, see if you've got some air in there. Hot air would change the expansion volume. Might go ahead and burp just to be sure all the air is out, hard to do for us early folk.
Make sure you do it with radiator cold!! I learned that lesson the hard way.
07-27-2017, 04:42 PM
#5
Safety Car
There are dye kits you can get for looking for coolant leaks. If you happen to use something like Prestone antifreeze, try a black light. It fluoresces under black like and makes it a lot easier to find where it's leaking from.
Back of the block, could be along the china wall. You'd have to pull the intake to fix that. I had one but it was on the front, the hose behind the water pump going to the TPI had a crack in it.
Good luck.
Back of the block, could be along the china wall. You'd have to pull the intake to fix that. I had one but it was on the front, the hose behind the water pump going to the TPI had a crack in it.
Good luck.
07-27-2017, 04:46 PM
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I am new to the c4 platform. Just recently bought it. I noticed the low coolant light was on intermittently. Today I drive the car about 5 miles park it when i get to my destination I noticed about a quart of coolant on the ground coming from somewhere in the middle of the car towards the back of the engine bay.