Coolant level question

[TRDFurgesson]

Should my coolant level show full when cold or hot? I may have over serviced it slightly.

Cold:

Hot:

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[Emilbadal]

 

[Kabayo]

Should my coolant level show full when cold or hot? I may have over serviced it slightly.

Cold:

Hot:

It looks like it’s at the cold line. That’s where it should be when you first start your car. As it warms up the heated coolant will expand and the level will go above the cold line.

 

[TRDFurgesson]

I appreciate your responses. Thank you!

 

[GTP]

IMO, pretty much all cars show the coolant level as low when cold. If you top it up to minimum, then it just goes out the overflow and ends up back where it started.

It's best to check it only when fully warmed up. I would put it at the minimum line.
Even then, so long as some coolant is in that expansion tank you're probably okay.

 

[BluePonyGT]

This might help: the aftermarket expansion tanks often only use a cold line, so that is what matters. If there is no air in the system and at cold fluid is at the cold line then it is at the right level, but it will move when the car heats up or is just shut off after running to operating temp. Once the car cools down it should go back to cold.

 

[krishelnino]

I noticed that my coolant has been below the min line when cold. Should I add the 50/50 prediluted mix or distilled water? I read somwhere that Ford made a change from orange to yellow for the coolant in recent years so not sure if I have to drain and refill or topping off would be fine ? car is 2018 GT with 47k miles

 

[GTP]

I think your photo is proving my point in post #5 above. In that you may add some coolant, only to find it back at this level anyway.

Again, any coolant in the expansion tank tells me that the radiator has all it needs. An empty expansion tank would start me to investigate further.

BTW, this is why I will never install an aftermarket thank that is not see-through.

 

[krishelnino]

I think your photo is proving my point in post #5 above. In that you may add some coolant, only to find it back at this level anyway.

Again, any coolant in the expansion tank tells me that the radiator has all it needs. An empty expansion tank would start me to investigate further.

BTW, this is why I will never install an aftermarket thank that is not see-through.

Thanks, I never really paid attention to coolant level much as long as there was visible coolant in the expansion tank. I'll keep an eye out to check when engine is fully warmed up. Can i get away with adding distilled water to top up ?

 

[K4fxd]

The cold fill line is marked MIN
The hot fill line is marked MAX.

Being slightly above it hot will not hurt anything. Many shops fill it to the top and drive the car. What the car doesn't want goes out the over flow.

We call it "finding it's own level"

 

[GTP]

Thanks, I never really paid attention to coolant level much as long as there was visible coolant in the expansion tank. I'll keep an eye out to check when engine is fully warmed up. Can i get away with adding distilled water to top up ?

Yes, I would use distilled. It is cheap at the grocery store. Just me, but I'd check with other cars to see if there coolant level was about the same as mine. (My car is in storage for another week or I'd post my own photo.)

Another related question is "When should I replace my coolant?" I just ordered an anti-freeze tester from eBay, but have yet to try it out. At the track it is better if the ratio is not 50/50 but biased more towards water than anti-freeze. That's why I ordered the tester.

 

[tdstuart]

I noticed that my coolant has been below the min line when cold. Should I add the 50/50 prediluted mix or distilled water? I read somwhere that Ford made a change from orange to yellow for the coolant in recent years so not sure if I have to drain and refill or topping off would be fine ? car is 2018 GT with 47k miles

You can just add distilled water especially if you aren't expecting 20 below 0.

If you want to add the prediluted you can use orange (only aftermarket) or yellow. Yes Ford switched from orange to yellow but the yellow is backwards compatible and you can mix the two so you can use yellow to top it off if you want.

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