I didn't notice till today but my coolant went from 1 inch above minimum line to below the line since I got the car. Only been 4 months. So how do I go about this? Take it to the dealer? is it under warranty? do it myself? get special honda coolant? i thought coolant supposed to last like 5 to 10 years and mines already below minimum and its been hot as hell in my area.

 

about a month ago i realized mine was bone dry lol. so i went straight to pep boys. ironically my CEL showed up on the way there. good timing eh. i bought a gallon of Prestone 50/50 Collant for about 11-12 bucks. poured it in and lived happily ever after.

the manual recommends honda coolant from the dealership, but im cool with what i got.

 

i work at a honda dealership and i see some wierd things with coolants...the coolant level in the bottle was between the low and full marks on the NEW car when it comes off the truck for PDI but when it comes in for its 1st oil change, it's either bone dry or below the low mark..

btw honda coolant is blue instead of the neon green/yellow color

 

So should I go to honda dealership for the refill? is it covered under warranty?

 

its a new car and if u took it to honda, they will just top it off pretty much...they wont do anything until the customer(you) start complaning about burning coolant or over heating problems...you can either go buy honda coolant or the Prestone 50/50 mix will work..just dont mix the red stuff with it

 

Where's your Owner's Manual? Pull that puppy out and look up "Coolant" in the Index. When you turn to the proper page, you'll find a specific section on "Adding Engine Coolant." There's even a picture showing you how to fill the coolant <U>reserve tank</U>. There's also a warning telling you not to open the radiator cap when the engine is hot.

Yes, you can take your car to your friendly Honda dealer, and they will probably add anti-freeze/coolant without charging you for the service. And it is a service, not a warranty item. (So, if they do it without charge, thank them.) Then, on your way out of the store, stop by the the Parts Dept and pick up a gallon of Honda All Season Antifreeze/Coolant. It comes pre-mixed and it will cost you about $10. In this regard, <U>I strongly recommend you use only Honda antifreeze</U>. The cheap stuff you can buy elsewhere may or may not have silicone. Honda's antifreeze doesn't. (Silicone, even in minor amounts, causes wear on the water pump, and the silicone and wear particals eventually clog up the passages in the radiator.)

 

my 2nd oil change the coolant was low... they added some no charge, i asked them why it would go down on a new engine... he said it evaporated (hendrick honda on south blvd). i dont know much about coolant systems but always thought it was a closed system so it couldnt evaporate..... but yes it has been extreamly hot the past 2 months so im sure that had somthing to do with it.

 

Good morning. First, I have a special fondness for Hendrick's Honda stores. I bought my first Si (I've owned all of them except the current model) from a Hendrick's store in Charleston SC, and several from their store in N. Va.

Getting back to your q's: Yes, the cooling system is a "closed system" in the sense that it has an expansion tank, and coolant expands into and from that tank. But it's not a "sealed system" in the sense that you are using the term, and minor evaporation will occur over time. That's why the owner's manual reminds you to check the coolant and oil levels when you get gas. No one does that, of course, but it's a good habit to get into nonetheless. Finally, you're correct: the original coolant is good for at least 100k (120k actually), which I find utterly amazing.

 

Good to know thanks for the info.... yeah so far so good with hendrick, my whole family has bought cars from his lots... never had problem

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nighthawk R18 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">about a month ago i realized mine was bone dry lol. so i went straight to pep boys. ironically my CEL showed up on the way there. good timing eh. i bought a gallon of Prestone 50/50 Collant for about 11-12 bucks. poured it in and lived happily ever after.

the manual recommends honda coolant from the dealership, but im cool with what i got. </TD></TR></TABLE>

sucks for you that it poped the cel, on the other hand ha you paid same amount for non honda generic coollant then a honda coollant would cost.....

a generic brand is ok for temporarly! so dont keep that stuff in the car buy geninue honda liquid, its blue and its not like it cost x2 or x3 times more so be safe then sorry, that being said just get honda coollant

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gus738 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

sucks for you that it poped the cel, on the other hand ha you paid same amount for non honda generic coollant then a honda coollant would cost.....

a generic brand is ok for temporarly! so dont keep that stuff in the car buy geninue honda liquid, its blue and its not like it cost x2 or x3 times more so be safe then sorry, that being said just get honda coollant</TD></TR></TABLE>

dope thanks for the info. i would have went striaght to the dealer but it was too far and i already had the cel next time though for sure.

 

I think this is normal. My level dropped as well. Stevens Creek Honda has topped it off (along with the wiper fluid and brake fluid if needed) everytime I take it in for an oil change.

As suggested above, I picked up a gallon of the Honda fluid. In my opinion, your always safe using factory fluids. Same for transmission fluid. I know many people swapped in Royal Purple or Amsol, but I changed mine to the new Honda HB MTF and the trannies been shifting smooth ever since.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hellzcivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Creek Honda has topped it off (along with the wiper fluid and brake fluid if needed</TD></TR></TABLE>

hold on there !!! FYI if your brake fluid is low dont just top it off and call it a day it could be more then that you may have a leak some where or your pads could be low

 

i personally prefer honda coolant to other coolants... i read that it helps lubricates all the gaskets throughout the system so the system seals and last longer.