Very noob question

[deftsound]

Do you check the coolant level when your car is cool or hot? Obviously i know not to take the cap off when its hot but you can check the level by looking in the side and when teh car is hot the coolant level is normal but when its cold its bone dry...Im hesitant to add coolant until i find a concrete answer, the manuel doesnt say anything about when to check it

 

[Winters98GT]

its fine, just be careful. I always do it when its hot. Use a towel, twist the cap, let the pressure slowly bleed out, then open it.

 

[02nightmaregt]

I check mine when its hot also. Just be careful when doing so. I had a buddy whose rad. cap blew off in his face and burnt the hell out of him. Of course it was on a garbage chevy.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

what you're opening is the overflow tank, not the direct rad like in the old days - it's not as treacherous.

 

[flstang65]

Doesn't the coolant tank say "HOT" and "COLD" with marker lines at each level? I never really paid attention to it now that I think about it.

 

[Mustang5L5]

It usually says hot fill or cold fill on the bottle

 

[bhuff30]

As others said, there should be hot and cold markers on the tank. At least there are on my 97'. The cold marker is pretty low and sometimes difficult to see. It is probably easier just to top off the overflow when the engine is hot just because it is easier to see that marker.

 

[deftsound]

yea you guys are right, my tank is just decrepit and hard to read

 

[blkhorse]

you should NEVER remove a radiator cap when it's hot,also fill to the line on tank to the line when cold. since it is see through you can see level without removing cap

it even states this on the rad cap... very dangerous...DON'T do it

 

[myponyrocks]

If you can't see the markings, spit on it.

We have to do this with heavymachinery all the time for the hydrualic sites.. they get couded and a little spit will temp. allow you to see the line.

 

[deftsound]

There is no cold fill line on my resevoir, just the add coolant line at the very top with a vertical arrow...

Im going to assume that the level is fine based on the fact that its full when its hot...it just bothers me thats its bone dry when cold...

 

[spederman]

how often does everybody change out their coolant?