where did my coolant go?

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:30 pm

i just noticed today that my coolant level is below the add mark on the bottle, and it looks really brown. Where did the coolant go? and why is it brown?

jT · Post by jT » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:33 pm

time to flush

Post by **Diablo0** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:38 pm

When was the last time you flushed and does your if you've changed your oil recently, does it look a little like chocolate milk?

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:45 pm

i've never flushed it and it sat for over a year, and no my oil is pretty dark but i need to change it... does anyone have a pic of where the drain plug is on the radiator??

jT · Post by jT » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:06 pm

when i flushed mine the drain plug was a royal pain in the ass to reach. mainly because of the bar that was down there and a hose was in the way i could barely get my fingers in there to turn it.. dont know if yours would be the same troubles

anyways if you are looking into your engine bay its on the left side of the rad at the bottom.... if you jack up the front end and lay down its on your right side (obviously)

you should probably be able to see it from the top too, but you cant reach it from the top

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:30 am

i couldn't find the plug, so it's up under that bar? and i've never filled it with coolant and have no clue of what to do...

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:38 am

danielc24 wrote:i couldn't find the plug, so it's up under that bar? and i've never filled it with coolant and have no clue of what to do...

Then stop, buy a haynes manual, and start there first. OR take it to a mechanic who can do it.

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:10 pm

not to be a dick, but if you don't know how to add coolant (i hope i'm misunderstanding your last post, and apologize in advance if i did), you really shouldn't be driving a car. hang up the keys till you learn basic maintenance like checking/topping off fluids and stuff.

as for where it went, if it's actually low, you have a leak. there's nothing else it could have been. cooling system is a closed loop. once it goes in it stays till something breaks or you have it drained/refilled. whether that's something as complicated as the block/head cracking allowing it to mix with oil, or as simple as your radiator or overflow cap being loose/off allowing it to overflow or boil off, we can't determine that w/o going under the hood or having alot of detailed pics.

danielc24 · Post by **danielc24** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:24 pm

sorry i meant i dont know what to use, what coolant do i need?

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:19 pm

i misunderstood, ok. i don't know what it's called but it's the piss-yellow stuff made for chryslers.

Panhead · Post by **Panhead** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:48 pm

kc2002acr wrote:
danielc24 wrote:i couldn't find the plug, so it's up under that bar? and i've never filled it with coolant and have no clue of what to do...
Then stop, buy a haynes manual, and start there first. OR take it to a mechanic who can do it.

+1

since anyone couldnt really explain where it is. get a haynes manual. its like the bible of your car.

mike9fore · Post by **mike9fore** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:33 pm

03neonSE wrote:
kc2002acr wrote:
danielc24 wrote:i couldn't find the plug, so it's up under that bar? and i've never filled it with coolant and have no clue of what to do...
Then stop, buy a haynes manual, and start there first. OR take it to a mechanic who can do it.
+1

since anyone couldnt really explain where it is. get a haynes manual. its like the bible of your car.

Most Def.!!!!

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:50 pm

03neonSE wrote:
kc2002acr wrote:
danielc24 wrote:i couldn't find the plug, so it's up under that bar? and i've never filled it with coolant and have no clue of what to do...
Then stop, buy a haynes manual, and start there first. OR take it to a mechanic who can do it.
+1

since anyone couldnt really explain where it is. get a haynes manual. its like the bible of your car.

or, use logical troubleshooting, and look for the only fitting on the bottom of the radiator with a plug or valve on it.

but still get a haynes manual or FSM for other problems that aren't as easy to figure out.

fixitmattman · Post by **fixitmattman** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:00 pm

There is no logical trouble shooting on forums. Some replies to tech threads I see make me wonder how half the people replying can even sucessfully install their pants in the morning.

Get a haynes manual, download the FSM, or find a friend who's done it before and bribe them with some beer.

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:59 am

did you just say "install thier pants"?

That's freaking hilarious!

WykedHellFire · Post by **WykedHellFire** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:03 am

kc2002acr wrote:did you just say "install thier pants"? That's freaking hilarious!

QFT

Chibits12 · Post by **Chibits12** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:15 pm

I wonder if you had some overheating issues especially now that it's summer?

Definitely get it flushed but don't overfill it.

When I started smelling maple syrup, that's when you know have a problem with a coolant.