Coolant issue - please read!

[jesus]

I found out my car has had a bump in it's last ownership and damage was done to the radiator. All the bits have been replaced and rebuilt and coolant flushed and topped up.

I took it home and now the coolant is just above minimum, phoned the garage and he just said it needs topping up, although it's gone the murky brown colour again.

Do you think this is because it's had time to go through the system and that's where it's gone from the bottle, and a simple top up will sort it? I'm hoping so!

 

[mantis946]

Hmm, normally after you empty the system and fill up the tank most of it will drain out into the system and radiator ect so the tank needs refilling. If that has already been done and you have drove home and its empty again it might be leaking.

 

[jesus]

I'm hoping they've done that and then left it and waited for me to pick it up. I'll top it up and see how it goes!

 

[A.J]

I cant see why a garage who's replaced your cooling system would leave it on minimum (unless they're a bunch of monkey's).

Unless they've flushed the whole system out a few times you're going to get a bit of the sludgy brown stuff left in the system and it will come up into the reservoir.

 

[Andyrg@ ClioTurbo]

the bottle will always find its own level, dont worry top it up and keep a eye on it,

 

[Budgie]

Unless the coolant level carries on dropping, don't worry.

 

[jesus]

I've topped it up with water and am checking levels with that to save wasting coolant. It's gone down a tiny bit and seems to have settled at that level, but is bubbling ever so slightly so my mate thinks it could be air getting in from a slight hole in a pipe, or is this normal?

I'll be flushing it out and filling up with coolant when I start driving it obviously!

 

[jesus]

Had it pressure tested and it's holding it fine, it's quite high though and I'm not sure what Clios run, can anyone shed any light? It's about 15psi when being ragged, dropping to 10 at idle.

There seems to be no leaks in any pipes, but the coolant is still bubbling a bit. Valve on cap perhaps, or something more serious?

All help appreciated!

 

[f0xy]

Did they bleed the system when they fitted the new rad/filled up with coolant first time?

 

[jesus]

Yeah they bled it all through and filled it back up to max.

 

[mat-nos]

try changing the header tank cap... seal may be perished!!

 

[jesus]

I'm hoping it'll just be that!

 

[saltyhair81]

after it's been bled and refilled you'll prolly have to drive it for awhile and top it up - it's when it goes down again after that when you worry

 

[jesus]

Is it supposed to bubble a bit? When at high revs, the coolant shoots upwards a bit to the top of the bottle too and settles when the revs are stopped. Could it just be the cap? Garage man mentioned something about the headgasket too, but is unsure at this stage.