Radiator Fill?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2003
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Radiator Fill?
My wife's '03 Navi has been regularly serviced, or so we thought as we found the radiator appears to be dry. Just a little coolant in the overflow reservoir. The engine was smelling hot, but not hot enough to go into "limp" mode. I squeezed both the top and bottom hoses, and all I heard was air.
I then took off the plastic shield above the radiator to find the fill cap and there is none. The capacity is over 6 gallons of coolant, so how do I put that much in without going though the overflow container? And if I have to do that, what is the procedure. The manual is useless about this.
Thank You
I then took off the plastic shield above the radiator to find the fill cap and there is none. The capacity is over 6 gallons of coolant, so how do I put that much in without going though the overflow container? And if I have to do that, what is the procedure. The manual is useless about this.
Thank You
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 551
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I think the capacity is closer to five gallons. You add the coolant directly to the reservoir. Make sure you use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water. Add fluid until the level reaches the "cold" mark located on the side of the reservoir. Squeeze the upper and lower radiator hoses until you've worked out as much air as you can. Then refill until you've reached the "cold" level. Start the engine and let it come up to normal operating temperature with the heaters (front and rear) set to maximum heat and fan. Check the coolant level and add coolant until it reaches the "hot" level. Carefully squeeze the upper radiator hose again working out the air. The heater hoses should also feel hot. Check for leaks. Check the coolant level over the next couple of weeks to allow trapped air to work itself out of the system. This may be a good time to do a flush of the system.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2003
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I took the top hose off, and there is coolant there, so the radiator is ok. Now I need to find out why the front of the engine smells so hot. It is not a coolant smell, and not electrical, but it is very acrid. You can smell it though the grill. Any ideas?
Thank You
Thank You
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 551
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Check to see if you have leaking oil or coolant dripping on the exhaust manifold. Also look in the valley between the valve covers and under the intake manifold for signs of coolant. Look to see if any wiring or hoses are making contact with the exhaust manifold.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: 0,0,1
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be a very small leak in the radiator tank seam. It was at the bottom of the radiator and was very hard to see. You might want to inspect closely along the bottom of your radiator for signs of coolant.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: st.louis, missouri
You might want to check those factory hose clamps as well. I found the lower factory hose clamp had rusted through while still in place on the hose and had broken into 3 pieces.
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