Coolant level going down

[Bezbee]

Thanks, I did a 50-50mix and top up ard 700ml, it still did not cover the marker, I will monitor the engine temp, if necessary, will top up with water only. 

[Yeobh]

The coolant mixture will be further diluted if you keep on adding water.

50/50 mixture - the coolant will boil at 107 deg C (228deg F) and freeze at -37deg C (-34deg F)

70/30 mixture - the coolant will boil at 135 deg C (276deg F) and freeze at -64deg C (-84deg F)

Solution with more than 70% antifreeze will give less protection.

Pure antifreeze will freeze at -21C (-6 F)

Note! Distilled or deionized water should be used for Ethylene glycol solutions.

City water is often treated with chlorine, which is corrosive, and should be avoided.

One of the best method to determine if the coolant is properly mixed is to measure the strength or concentration of the antifreeze with a hydrometer.

After checking then you can safely decide to add more antifreeze or distilled water

[Gnahp]

On 3/5/2025 at 10:04 AM, Bezbee said:

Thank you everyone for your valuable advice, appreciate your time & effort in response to my issue.    I am sure adding water as temporary measure will work, but the manufacturer won't recommend use of coolant for no reason, in any case, all roads lead to Rome.  The alert message has been cleared, hopefully good until I handover the car.  

the recommendations by the old birds here are based on educated guess (that's what doctors do) and many years of real world experiences

the car is yours, you make your choice from the information gathered 😁

 

the low coolant message will come back again

in a day - this is emergency, go workshop

in a week - critical, go workshop

in a month - top up coolant, monitor to see if it get worse

 

[Kklee]

On 3/4/2025 at 9:29 PM, Gnahp said:

following factory recommendations is the right thing to do

if I first time doing this

for $13, I confirm trust the owner's manual rather than some random old farts online 😁

bro Bezbee, I support you 

IMHO.
Years back, got 1 car,  I added a bottle of coolant,  the next thing,  one of the pipe leaked. 🤣

[Kklee]

On 3/4/2025 at 7:25 PM, Bezbee said:

I open up the tank just now, coolant level looks very low, can almost see the base of the white plastic tank. I was monitoring temperature during the drive home it stays quite stable between 80-100. 

I don’t think is a good idea to just add water, I seriously worry that engine may overheat.  I think top up a bottle of coolant at $13 is better than the risk of serious damage, after all, the car has another 6 months to go. 
 

IMHO.
Coolant milky is coolant mixed with EO.   Check your EO too,  make sure can survive till hand to dealer. 

[Gnahp]

On 3/6/2025 at 8:53 AM, Kklee said:

IMHO.
Years back, got 1 car,  I added a bottle of coolant,  the next thing,  one of the pipe leaked. 🤣

pipe leak is the best scenario already

worst is you cannot see any traces of leakage externally

then you need to worry about internal leakage i.e. head gasket, cracked cylinder head etc

[Gnahp]

On 3/6/2025 at 8:55 AM, Kklee said:

IMHO.
Coolant milky is coolant mixed with EO.   Check your EO too,  make sure can survive till hand to dealer. 

that's the colour of the white plastic coolant tank lah... 🤣

[Kklee]

On 3/6/2025 at 8:58 AM, Gnahp said:

pipe leak is the best scenario already

worst is you cannot see any traces of leakage externally

then you need to worry about internal leakage i.e. head gasket, cracked cylinder head etc

IMHO.
Actually major servicing need to pay attention.  Some workshop like to use tap water.  May end up the radiator have microscopic leaks as some design, the fins and radiator top is different material.

Some useful information.

Sunday, 17 February 2013

Corrosion in bolts, wires caused MRT disruptions in March 2012, August 2012 and January 2013

Excerpt
...

Mr Lui said that in the two later incidents, the bolts were corroded by chloramine - a combination of ammonia and chlorine. He noted that these incidents took place in areas where there was no water seepage.
...

Source : https://ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.com/2013/02/corrosion-in-bolts-wires-caused-mrt.html

 

 

[Gnahp]

On 3/6/2025 at 9:07 AM, Kklee said:

IMHO.
Actually major servicing need to pay attention.  Some workshop like to use tap water.  May end up the radiator have microscopic leaks as some design, the fins and radiator top is different material.

Some useful information.

Sunday, 17 February 2013

Corrosion in bolts, wires caused MRT disruptions in March 2012, August 2012 and January 2013

Excerpt
...

Mr Lui said that in the two later incidents, the bolts were corroded by chloramine - a combination of ammonia and chlorine. He noted that these incidents took place in areas where there was no water seepage.
...

Source : https://ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.com/2013/02/corrosion-in-bolts-wires-caused-mrt.html

 

 

👍👍👍

my wife actually raised this point to me when we discussed about coolant getting lesser but couldn't find traces of leakage

she said maybe got tiny leaks that the coolant shoot out somewhere as fine mist and vaporised

 

anyways, Bezbee tank got reserve one

it is not totally empty, even when you can see the bottom of the tank from the cap opening 

 

[Kklee]

On 3/6/2025 at 9:27 AM, Gnahp said:

👍👍👍

my wife actually raised this point to me when we discussed about coolant getting lesser but couldn't find traces of leakage

she said maybe got tiny leaks that the coolant shoot out somewhere as fine mist and vaporised

 

anyways, Bezbee tank got reserve one

it is not totally empty, even when you can see the bottom of the tank from the cap opening 

 

IMHO.
You can also check for the microscopic leaks at the radiator -  the seams between the radiator top and the radiator fins. 
Eh... coolant anyhow shoot is no good one...corrosive. 

[Bezbee]

you guys' comments are making me more "worried".... 🤣  

In any case, my coolant was really at very low level as seen in pic.  I changed this tank 2 years ago, and now the coolant is at this level, perhaps it is not normal? I check through my past 9years of service record, there is no top up of coolant, is checking and top up included in the major servicing package ?

Edited March 6 by Bezbee

[inlinesix]

On 3/6/2025 at 11:16 AM, Bezbee said:

you guys' comments are making me more "worried".... 🤣  

In any case, my coolant was really at very low level as seen in pic.  I changed this tank 2 years ago, and now the coolant is at this level, perhaps it is normal? I check through my past 9years of service record, there is no top up of coolant, is checking and top up included in the major servicing package ?

Just top up until max can liao since you gonna handover the car.

After that, not your problem anymore.

I don't know why you scare got problem after handover.

[Bezbee]

On 3/6/2025 at 11:19 AM, inlinesix said:

Just top up until max can liao since you gonna handover the car.

After that, not your problem anymore.

I don't know why you scare got problem after handover.

I scare the problem before I handover... not after

[Bezbee]

Hi Guys, the top up coolant message appear again this morning. I look at coolant tank, it is still full... could it be sensor faulty ?  

[Beregond]

On 3/7/2025 at 9:22 AM, Bezbee said:

Hi Guys, the top up coolant message appear again this morning. I look at coolant tank, it is still full... could it be sensor faulty ?  

The most important thing is. Must keep looking at the temperature.  Make sure it dun go up.

Not even by 2 mm. Even if it go up abit. Mean something is wrong

[Gnahp]

to say the sensor is faulty

you got to be 100% sure that the coolant level is full in the tank

if you are very confident that the sensor is faulty, you can ignore it and continue to drive for the coming 6 months

but have to open the bonnet everyday to check coolant level visually, depending on how kiasi you are 😁

 

I'll check with the simple thing first

i.e check if the sensor connector is unplugged, unplug and plug the connector to see if that make a difference

caution:- almost everything is made of plastic there, 9.5 years old plastic parts in hot engine bay is as brittle as biscuit

be very very gentle

 

 

 

 

[Bezbee]

Thank you for the valuable advice, I quite kiasi so I drove to my workshop yesterday,  the taokay said likely there a small leak, but since I’m going to handover the car, he told me to just top up with water until I handover .. 

[mersaylee]

Many ws instead of troubleshoot...will hint you to shoot shoot...when they know you're going to change car soon...waste their time and effort since won't have follow up business after that...especially if it's gonna be either a new car or used one with dealer warranty etc...they will simply ask you to monitor like wat our garment likes to do...

A different story when one brings a newly bought used car to say...the same ws...suddenly becum sibeh attentive with loads of advise...maybe even with some newton laws...😁