Topping up coolant?

movingforward2010

My coolant appears to be well below the 'cold' line, should i just get some antifreeze and top it up? if i do does it matter that my current coolant is pink if i top up with blue??

anewman

What car and age is it? Are there any marking indicating the type of coolant in there? Has it been changed at any point in the last few years?

There were some issues with certain types of pink coolant reacting badly with the blue one. Think it was with something like VAG G11 but that they ironed out the problems with a later version, G12+ (which also mixes fine with G11 etc). If your car's a VW, Audi, Skoda of recent years then this stuff is available at a dealer or GSF.

Chippy_Minton_2

Just remember the golden rule.

Pink for girls and blue for boys

movingforward2010

level has been that low since i had cambelt and water pump change in june.
Car is Y reg (2001) Astra SRi 52,000 miles, had major service in june (has FVSH)


the coolant has actually been changed twice this year first being when the thermostat was changed and second mentioned above.

No overheating problems, has gone to feel a little less responsive in the past few weeks tho.

LandyAndy

You've been driving with below the recommended level of coolant since June?

Top it up and see if it loses any over the next week.

If it doesn't then it was just not quite refilled completely when it was last drained.

movingforward2010

LandyAndy wrote: »

You've been driving with below the recommended level of coolant since June?

Top it up and see if it loses any over the next week.

If it doesn't then it was just not quite refilled completely when it was last drained.

Well i asked Vauxhall and they said it was fine at the time (june)

I would top it up but after the comments above im worried.

LandyAndy

wxmlad wrote: »

Well i asked Vauxhall and they said it was fine at the time (june)

I would top it up but after the comments above im worried.

What's to worry about? Just buy some anti freeze and chuck it in. I have always topped up from the 'bottle nearest the door' and never had any trouble.

anewman

I think anything should be fine then if it's been done recently. If you are worried pay extra for the stuff at a vauxhall dealers

LandyAndy

It just sounds like an air lock that has worked its way out after the car has been driven for a bit. It can happen when a cooling system is drained and refilled and sometimes doesn't come to light for a day or so.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

You don't need to top up with antifreeze. Coolant is a mixture of antifreeze and water.

Unless we're talking about more than a few pints, just top it up with water.

Rolandtheroadie

Assuming the mixture was right in the first place. Winters acomin!

When lidl/aldi were doing their cheap tools, they done a thing to tell you the antifreeze mix in your cooling system for £3-£4.