Question about coolant

[ryoma]

I have a jug of distilled water sitting in my garage to top off with. I have gone through about 2/3 of that jug (bought it roughly a year ago lol). I usually notice the coolant evaporating on hot days/track days. I usually just fill it in the middle of the high and low lines.

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by jarnojvv

Tnx, but in practice this is shown to be negligibly little in a healthy system?


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Too many variables. No one has tried to really test and measure it.

I live in NYC and I'm pretty sure I need to top mine off, 9k miles on the car.

[jarnojvv]

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

Too many variables. No one has tried to really test and measure it.



I live in NYC and I'm pretty sure I need to top mine off, 9k miles on the car.

Ok, interesting. Done a couple of track days and skidpan events in 110degree weather, no usage over 15k miles.


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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by jarnojvv

Tnx, but in practice this is shown to be negligibly little in a healthy system?


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100K miles and I had to add my first cup of distilled water last week.

[jarnojvv]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

100K miles and I had to add my first cup of distilled water last week.

Interestingly, my service schedule shows coolant replacement at 195 k km.


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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by jarnojvv

Interestingly, my service schedule shows coolant replacement at 195 k km.


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Yep. I am getting to the big service. Also still have the original tranny and diff oil in it. No issues with anything though.

[jarnojvv]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Yep. I am getting to the big service. Also still have the original tranny and diff oil in it. No issues with anything though.

Over here we do the diff oil every 30k km according to the schedule.


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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by jarnojvv

Over here we do the diff oil every 30k km according to the schedule.


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I have never found a Canadian schedule that even says it needs to be changed at any certain interval. It just shows inspect.


Every 30K seems way excessive.

[jarnojvv]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I have never found a Canadian schedule that even says it needs to be changed at any certain interval. It just shows inspect.


Every 30K seems way excessive.

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[Spartarus]

So, I don't know if this is definitive but here goes.

I lived in NY and AK, never used a drop.

Moved to Miami, leave town for several weeks for work, car parked outside in the sun. Return to find the coolant bottle a little lower every time... And it's not like I'm driving it when I'm gone.

The water is evaporating, because the bottle isn't sealed.

I take the thing apart on a regular basis. Never found any coolant residue anywhere it doesn't belong.

I've used a few cups of distilled water in a year, both turbo and not.

[SlammedSilly]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, now, my 2013 hasn't "used" any significant amount of coolant in the last 3 years.

Your car may have a slow coolant leak ......


humfrz

funny thing, i checked it yesterday... and its all there idk. this car is strange

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by SlammedSilly

funny thing, i checked it yesterday... and its all there idk. this car is strange

Maybe the engine was warmer .. ??

Maybe your eyeballs are playing tricks on you .. ??

Maybe the crickets pissed in the overflow tank .. ??

Maybe the cooling system burped ... ??




humfrz

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by SlammedSilly

funny thing, i checked it yesterday... and its all there idk. this car is strange

Like Hum said.
My usual spiel on this:


The coolant reservoir is an expansion tank not a storage container. When hot the coolent expands and gets held in the tank. When the engine cools it get's sucked back into the system. A low expansion tank is NOT an indication of a low cooling system but still should be between the lines when hot. Don't fill it to the top when cool or it will spill. The tank just makes it easier to add water/coolant and being filled is not a critical aspect of the system.


Back in the day car's just dealt with the expanding coolant by pissing it out on the ground until the level was equalized between hot and cold but for some reason they frown on that now.

[Doctorjobj]

So I know that you are supposed to fill your coolant by starting the engine and letting the air work itself out of the system. My question is that with the engine running should there be coolant flowing into the overlow tank? If so is it all the time or only when the thermostat is open?