Radiator coolant

Hi all,

I have a 1991 Honda Accord. I just checked the radiator coolant level. The
level inside the radiator seems to be okey, but the reserve tank is nearly
empty so that the connecting tube just touches the coolant surface. I had a
mechanic check the level, and he said it is okey. However the owner's manual
says that the level has to be kept between max and min. Do I need to add
some coolant to the reserve tank?

If yes, which brand should I use? I bought this car recently, and I do not
know which brand is already inside the radiator.

I saw a coolant from Prestone which claims that it can be added to any
coolant, any make, any model. Can their claims be trusted?

Thanks a lot
Fijoy

 

check tegger.com for the faq's on this subject for hondas. the biggest
thing is not to use ordinary water - only use distilled when diluting
the antifreeze.

 

Non-Honda brand coolants have a record of causing premature water pump
failures. Google records this pretty extensively.

If you don't want to mess with problems in the future, I suggest a drain,
flush, and fill, using strictly Honda OEM ("original equipment manufacturer)
coolant. It costs a few dollars more, but the peace of mind will be worth
it.

If you are even a little handy around cars, doing the drain and flush
yourself is pretty easy.

 

Yes, you absolutely need to keep the reserve tank at its required
level. Modern cooling systems are pressurized and depend upon keeping
air out of the system. You must keep the level high enough so that
the tube never sees air at the lowest level (when the engine cools and
draws fluid back into the radiator.)

 

If your only problem is that the level in the overflow tank is a little low,
just bring it up to the "min" line with distilled water. The level in the
radiator itself must be right up to the the cap or the system won't work
correctly. If it doesn't stay above "Min" in the overflow tank, you might
have some other problem. The first thing to check is whether the cap is
holding its rated pressure.

You can't tell what is in there by looking at it (unless its orange, then
it's Dexcool). Chances are it hasn't been changed anytime recently, so you
might consider changing the coolant and refilling with the Honda stuff, but
nothing you said here says it needs it.