coolant refill help

[koolaider]

Hi, I have an 05 s2k. It has about 34k miles on it. I just drove from Houston to Anaheim California (23 hours) non stop and when I went to replace the windshield fluid I noticed my coolant/antifreeze level in the reservoir is down to min or a lil less. Im about to make the drive back home from Cali to Texas and Im wondering what type of coolant does the 05 s2k use and can I just refill it to the max level or do I have to take it to the dealership in Anaheim and have it flushed then fill again? Im not sure what to do, but I need to take care of it before I hit another 1600 mile journey. I bought this car brand new and had it for 4 years so im pretty sure its using the OEM fluid so I can just top it off right? Cause I don't wanna pay the dealer $150 for doing something simply as pouring coolant into the reservoir. Thanks guys.

[gomarlins3]

Was the engine still warm or cool when you checked the fluid?

[koolaider]

Well it was warm cause I had to drive to autozone to buy some windshield washer fluid, and now I just checked since you asked cause I haven't drove the car for about 7-8 hours and it's still at the same level. Should I go to Honda dealership and buy some coolant to put into the reservoir tank or do I need to have them flush it?

[My_yella_s2k]

05 is the blue type 2 coolant. Only avail at the dealer. Whenb the car is cold, it will and should be lower than when warm. Mine is also slightly low.
Just top it off between the low/high lines and recheck after getting the next fuel top off.

[koolaider]

So all I need is to buy some fluid from the dealer and top it off? Damn dealership they recommended that I do a flush and that they'll put in new coolant/antifreeze for me :nono:. I was about to pay $200 to have someone do 5 second worth of work :waa:

[My_yella_s2k]

you dont need coolant to be flushed until 105 / 110 k miles...

save yourself the $180, send me a check for $40 and I'll make you a member for a year :D :D

[repiv]

Some dealers ................ Gotta love 'em.

Get the smallest jug of Honda Type II coolant and pour it in WITHOUT dilution. If the engine is cold, fill it to just above the MIN mark. If the engine is hot, fill it to the MAX mark. All cars will use a bit of coolant over time. It's normal. Heck if it only needs a little bit, I would even suggest you get some distilled water and do a ONE TIME add. You don't live in a freezing climate, so no worries. Even if you did, a few hundred cc of water won't alter the freeze point or boiling point any.

[SpitfireS]

Do this only on a COLD engine! : remove the radiator cap.
If there is coolant at the top of the radiator, IOW the radiator is completely full there is no problem.
Gently squeeze the big hose that goes to the top of the radiator and you should see a rise in level (with no bubbles).

Can the OP confirm the coolant level in the reservoir changes when the engine goes from cold to warm?
(like My_yella_s2k said)

The heater also works ok?

If this all checks out I would just get some original coolant and add a bit.

:hi:

[gomarlins3]

Do this only on a COLD engine! : remove the radiator cap.
If there is coolant at the top of the radiator, IOW the radiator is completely full there is no problem.
Gently squeeze the big hose that goes to the top of the radiator and you should see a rise in level (with no bubbles).

That's why I was asking about the engine temp. As mentioned above, I check the fluid IN the radiator when the engine is cold, not in the over flow bottle. If the fluid is at the top of the radiator, it has enough fluid.

[koolaider]

That's why I was asking about the engine temp. As mentioned above, I check the fluid IN the radiator when the engine is cold, not in the over flow bottle. If the fluid is at the top of the radiator, it has enough fluid.

enough for a 1500 mile trip from cali to houston? Maybe Im just paranoid?? :nervous:

[repiv]

enough for a 1500 mile trip from cali to houston? Maybe Im just paranoid?? :nervous:

To help you understand how a cooling system works, I'll jot down a few points.
On the most part, the cooling system is a closed system, with a spring loaded valve at one point. This would be the rad cap. If the system is in good running order and in a good state of repair (ie, no leaks or loose clamps anywhere), as the engine heats up to coolant, the coolant expands and pushes past the spring seal of the cap. This fluid then goes into the coolant reservoir by entering it at the bottom. An equilibrium in pressure and temp is reached and the rad cap keeps the system closed. When you shut the engine off and it begins to cool, the coolant contracts. This creates a vacuum that pulls fluid back past the spring loaded seal in the cap. So long as the fluid covers the bottom entry point in the reservoir, no air can get in (air is a bad thing). The level in the reservoir will go up and down as much as a liter from cold to hot to cold. Over time (may takes months to years), this hot coolant in the reservoir will evaporate away and that's when you will detect less fluid than it once had. That's when adding more is required.
Now, if you have leaks somewhere in the system, fluid can be lost much quicker. However, coolant is designed to stain things green where it leaks out. This helps you to find where the leak is.
So yes, as long as the system is not leaking and it's top up, you can drive for 10's of thousands of miles and many years before needing to add anything. When a car is brand new, this is the more likely time to need to add coolant as it takes some driving cycles to "burp" all the air out of the system from when it was filled in the first place. Then, as the car gets older and develops leaks, you will need to add more. This would be a sign to look closer at where the leak may be.

[gomarlins3]

^There you go.