So Friday I leave the office, on the way home I stop (to get a case of Alaskan Smoked Porter), then head back on the road. Look down, check engine light on. That's weird, look up and the temp gauge is pegged. Take the next exit a quarter mile away pull over. Open the hood I can smell coolant and there is steam coming from the top right corner of the radiator around where the plastic top cap joins the metal body. (2000 Rav-4, about 90K on it.)
I get her towed home and wait until morning. I figure I had a catastrophic failure, maybe a hose leak.
I fill it up with the hose, initially splashing some, it starts and runs fine, some drips but really only what I would expect from the excess flow from the hose initially, that was splashing. I top it off. Check the oil. Hmm, about a quart low. I top off the oil and go inside. Lets try this again in an hour or so once the drips stop.
I start it up and there are small slow drips and the back top of the radiator is wet. I think that is the leak source. Now thinking back, I think had noticed a coolant smell, but I figured it was another vehicle, like when I parked at the office. Now, I think this has been slowly happening and I wasnt paying attention and have gotten lucky.
I topped it off and drove it in this morning. No issues, temp gauge just slightly below the middle the entire trip. I stopped at McDonalds to pick up some unhealthy breakfast, and when I came out there were 2 very small drip streams/patters on the concrete stop block/strip. No puddling, what you might expect from a couple dozen drops or so.
I will check it now, after 45 minutes. There are 3 dark spots under it, I checked one, but it feels oily. Hmm.
I did research here about radiator replacement. I figure OK, I have a minor leak. Lets see what radiator prices are. 369 dealer, 100-140 for 3rd party from Pep Boys/Advanced/Autozone. RockAuto has a Denso for 110, I also ordered a thermostat/seal a couple filters and a radiator cap. Just Denso was available for the radiator and filters.
So I will do a flush after I get the new one in.
Red Coolant. How much do I need for this? As I understand it, the red is concentrate, designed to be mixed 1:1 with water (distilled) then added. Is there a simple way to flush, aside from repeated fills? As I understand it that method will leaves some coolant in there. Maybe repeated flushes with distilled. Dont bother with a radiator cleaning additive? If I do a flush, and the residue is clear, is there X gallons I can assume are in the engine/system, so add X pure red then the rest 50-50?
Suggestions?
I get her towed home and wait until morning. I figure I had a catastrophic failure, maybe a hose leak.
I fill it up with the hose, initially splashing some, it starts and runs fine, some drips but really only what I would expect from the excess flow from the hose initially, that was splashing. I top it off. Check the oil. Hmm, about a quart low. I top off the oil and go inside. Lets try this again in an hour or so once the drips stop.
I start it up and there are small slow drips and the back top of the radiator is wet. I think that is the leak source. Now thinking back, I think had noticed a coolant smell, but I figured it was another vehicle, like when I parked at the office. Now, I think this has been slowly happening and I wasnt paying attention and have gotten lucky.
I topped it off and drove it in this morning. No issues, temp gauge just slightly below the middle the entire trip. I stopped at McDonalds to pick up some unhealthy breakfast, and when I came out there were 2 very small drip streams/patters on the concrete stop block/strip. No puddling, what you might expect from a couple dozen drops or so.
I will check it now, after 45 minutes. There are 3 dark spots under it, I checked one, but it feels oily. Hmm.
I did research here about radiator replacement. I figure OK, I have a minor leak. Lets see what radiator prices are. 369 dealer, 100-140 for 3rd party from Pep Boys/Advanced/Autozone. RockAuto has a Denso for 110, I also ordered a thermostat/seal a couple filters and a radiator cap. Just Denso was available for the radiator and filters.
So I will do a flush after I get the new one in.
Red Coolant. How much do I need for this? As I understand it, the red is concentrate, designed to be mixed 1:1 with water (distilled) then added. Is there a simple way to flush, aside from repeated fills? As I understand it that method will leaves some coolant in there. Maybe repeated flushes with distilled. Dont bother with a radiator cleaning additive? If I do a flush, and the residue is clear, is there X gallons I can assume are in the engine/system, so add X pure red then the rest 50-50?
Suggestions?