Topping up coolant

[bongodonkey]

Just been out to Olive to check her coolant level.......

Noticed it was about 7mm below the full line so carried out a top up. Being a bit heavy handed over filled by 5mm above fill line....

Is this going to cause a nause with the coolant system or drain away?

Not that savvy on even the basics and don't want to break Olive....rather look a plonker than that

[lazyb5]

I'm sure a little over the line will be fine mine is just over when cold

[mikeonb4c]

Just been out to Olive to check her coolant level.......

Noticed it was about 7mm below the full line so carried out a top up. Being a bit heavy handed over filled by 5mm above fill line....

Is this going to cause a nause with the coolant system or drain away?

Not that savvy on even the basics and don't want to break Olive....rather look a plonker than that

I can't see it being a problem. I'm sure I must have done that before now.

[Simon Jones]

If it's no higher then the join line on the header tank then it'll probably be ok. It needs room for the coolant to expand as it heats up and may force it out the overflow pipe.

[Driver+Passengers]

The higher the initial level, the higher the running pressure. The tank cap won't let the system go above 16psi and will vent air/coolant as necessary. As Simon said, the hotter you get the van, the more the coolant will expand and you might spit some out, but it should "find its level" over time.

You might be able to stamp on a pop bottle and wedge it down behind the battery with the overflow hose in it - then you'll know if/when/how much you end up spitting back out.

[bongodonkey]

Groovy.....

Cheers for the advice/replies dudes.....

[MountainGoat]

Being old school I just too the float out of an old coolant strength tester and used it as a pipette to suck out the excess. Simple - why do we get so many complicated solutions on the forum these days.

Tony

[Simon Jones]

Or crack open the cap on the top of the rad (when cold) which will cause it to overflow & drop the level in the tank.

[Driver+Passengers]

Being old school I just too the float out of an old coolant strength tester and used it as a pipette to suck out the excess. Simple - why do we get so many complicated solutions on the forum these days.

To drop the level by 10 mm, remove 235 ml of coolant.

[scanner]

More importantly, was it topped up with the same stuff as was known to be in there already, plain water or what?

Just "topping it up" has been known to be the "starter for 10" of many problems.

So far as I'm concerned and going by experience of many, many different cars, a few mm over the max mark is rarely a problem, but mixing wrong stuff with right stuff (or even plain water containing not enough stuff) can be.

[bongodonkey]

I topped up with anti freeze with a range from -17c to 105c. I reckon I put a max of 150/200mm.

Went on a shop run today and have been back home a shade over an hour. Will check Olive around 1530 to re check her level.......

Good tip about the radiator.....

[Driver+Passengers]

I reckon I put a max of 150/200mm.

ml?

[Poohbear]

There are people on here, quite well respected Bongo techies who advocate the slight overfilling to allow a margin of error in the level, however, only to just below the join line on the bottle

[scanner]

I topped up with anti freeze with a range from -17c to 105c. I reckon I put a max of 150/200mm.

Went on a shop run today and have been back home a shade over an hour. Will check Olive around 1530 to re check her level.......

Good tip about the radiator.....

Is that the same type of antifreeze as was already in the cooling system?

[bongodonkey]

Not the same, as in the original fill. I worked on the premiss that proper anti freeze at this time of year is better than topping up with water.

Sorry my bad is was 150/200ml not mm......

Olive came up to temp fine with no problems today. Can't see a little bit of top up making any significant change. I've spoken to Olives' mechanic and he is fine with the small amount used to top up!

I'm waiting for lidl on 26th to buy a gravity tester......that way ill know for sure. Weather is foul, but ambient temp isn't that cold so the LPG kicked in just over a mile from start up.