QuestionQUESTION: I have a 2001 Chrysler 300. I checked the coolant level yesterday before leaving home, was full and at the cap.
I drove 65 miles with the a/c on and about 30 to 40 mph.Temp gauge was right on half way mark. Stopped for about 10 minutes the cranked it up again. Drove about 2 miles and the temp gauge went up to the red. Stopped and let it cool and noted some coolant on ground. Got home and when I stopped there was coolant running out on the drive past the front end of the car. After the car cooled off I checked the coolant and it was down.
In the past 3 months I have had a new radiator, water pump, thermostat and cooling system flushed out. I drove it again today with the a/c on full blast about 30 miles and it never got over the half way point. Mixed driving of 30 to 40 MPH.
Could the coolant been to full?
Help
ANSWER: Hi Norma,
The pressure bottle has two parts (chambers), a pressurized side (with the cap on it) and an overflow chamber which normally is empty until you drive for a while and then when the coolant expands and the excess flows by a hose at the neck (where the cap is located) over into that overflow chamber. Check to make sure that there is no clamp or other obstruction that would prevent the expanded fluid from the pressurized chamber from going through that hose to the expansion chamber. When the engine cools the excess fluid in the overflow chamber is automatically drawn out of that chamber back into the pressurized chamber.
If the pressure chamber was filled to the cap when you began, and the overflow chamber was empty, then that is the way it should be. If both were filled, then that is why you lost coolant. You can remove excess fluid from the overflow chamber by disconnecting the hose at the neck and lowering so as it will drain from the overflow chamber into a container as necessary. Collect the fluid for reuse.
So see where the fluid levels are now with everything cool.
Roland
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QUESTION: I will check this out tomorrow and let you know. Where is the overflow chamber located? I know where the pressurized chamber and the hose from the pressurized chamber but I cannot tell where the hose goes.
Thanks for all your help.
ANSWER: Hi Norma,
The overflow chamber is the larger section of the single bottle which I described, There is a septum that separates the two parts which you may be able to see if you look closely. The hose goes into the overflow chamber my means of a nipple on the under side of the bottle to which the hose is attached. When ever you fill the pressurized chamber you would want to pinch off that hose so that the coolant doesn't all fill up the pressurized chamber. There is a funnel that you can get at a dealer or a specialty auto parts supply which has a clamp to pinch off the hose, and also there is a divider in the funnel so that when you fill the pressure side any air in that chamber can escape while you are filling it. It isn't crucial to have this device, however, just be aware of the need to pinch the how and to allow the air to escape from the pressure side. It is made by Miller Tool Co. and it is part number 8195.
Roland
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QUESTION: Roland,
Sorry I haven't got back to you before now. I did the above and then filled up the coolant again. Drove it another 30 + miles under the same conditions and it again started running hot.
I went back to where I bought it and after checking they found the wiring that controls the 2 cooling fans had a short in it. It seems that one fan was not coming on. They fixed the wiring and let it run with the A/C going full blast for approx 30 minutes. So far so good. Temp gauge stayed just below the half way mark.
I just wanted to let you know what was going on.
Norma
AnswerHi Norma,
Thanks for the update. Yes, I should have asked you whether both fans were working properly, but in any case that has no doubt solved the problem. Now you should have no problems with the fans fixed up and the bottle properly filled on one side/empty on the other.
Roland
