[elf]

Originally Posted by DRC

anyone please tell me what is this red/brown stuff in my car's coolant tank

Dude, as far as I know, if you got reddish/brown fluid in your radiator (yeah, that black metal thingie in the front with a cap), you need to get rid of it - it's rust & deposits from old water, junk, microscopic bits of metal, etc... esentially sh#t.

1. Go to a decent pump/garage, & have your radiator & reservoir (yeah, your white plastic box on the left) drained completely.

2. Then, have both flushed with "radiator flush". It's a product you can get at most places.

3. Then, have the radiator topped up with a good brand of coolant (that green / blue liquid).

For brands of radiator flush, coolant, garages/pumps, etc. please post a question so that others can answer.

Ciao!

[pramodkumar]

Dear team 123 its quit normal that the bottle on the left is filled with water. because the coolant is filled in the radiator. after running the engine for a few km you must ave noticed that the water in the bottle is also green now, If this is the case no need to flush the old coolent out and fill the new one. use it and notice the temprature guage rather than physically feeling the bonnet because it can be a perception issue also. I hope nothing wron happens since you have mentioned that it was a maruti guy so iam asuming it is an authorised service center and these people do not take any chance now as they are more concerned about customer service and if you face any issues then escallate this issue to maruti and they will take the maruti guy's happiness

[DRC]

thanks elf... I am not sure if it is really rust.

I think it was red by default..I don't remember exactly..

Anyway, I will get it checked. I guess/hope Psycho will assist me. Psycho, need an appointment boss!

And about the anti freeze thingy, Yes it is not of any significance in India atleast, where as in cold countries, the coolant may freeze in the radiator by overnight. Then there is a limited amount of coolant in engine coolant jacket, and the radiator is frozen, when you start the engine, the coolant in teh engine jacket will quickly get used up, and coolant in the radiator is not yet a liquid. soon you have a blown engine under the hood in a winter cold day.

[DRC]

Experts, My car's manual recomments a liquid called "paraflu"

Can any one tell me if it is green or orange?

What is the color of coolant in you palios and petras..?

[Rehaan]

Hey DRC and Fuelled,

You have misunderstood what i meant by

Originally Posted by Rehaan

maybe it is some kinda halfway-there "coolant". ie Prevents corosion but doesn not increase boiling point or vice versa etc.

I was saying that either it is rust and muck, or it is some adulterated/homemade/cheap coolant in DRCs radiator, with only half of the benefits of real coolant. IE does not increase the boiling point but does prevent corrosion or VICE VERSA.

And just like coolant increases the boiling point (like salt in water, in a pressure cooker in this case), anti-freeze decreases the freezing point for use in sub-zero climates. Not only will it save you from driving around with a slab of ice in the front of your car, but as DRC said, it will save you from a cracked/blown engine, since the cooling sleeves have coolant in them, and theres the small matter of anomalous expansion of h2o as we learnt in science class.

Originally Posted by fuelled

but as the % of EG rises its specific heat(the amount of heat reqd to raise its unit mass solution by 1 degree) decreases n hence its efficiency in cooling... So water is also added.

Good information there!

DRC, do a radiator flush. I did it once and i was unpleasantly suprised as to how much rust came out of my 19 year old radiator. You can do it yourself if you wish to, just make sure that you let the cleaner circulate by letting the engine warm up so that the thermostat opens and lets the cleaner circulate in the block. Im sure there will be instructions on the bottle.

cya
R

[Team123]

real high tech talk here guys ... impressed.

[DRC]

thanks rehaan,

Now that you have scared me I am rushing to the garage...

DRC

[arun_112]

Coolant is required in a car as an agent that remains in liquid state from minus 30 degree F to 275 degree F so that it can flow always and keep cooling the engine.
The coolant will only do its job if it is mixed with 50% water. Pure coolant will not do its job. Hence, it is important that you measure the coolant+ water mixture properly. You may have noticed that the road side garage people and even some service centres just pour full bottle in the radiator and then top up with water without measuring. This is the reason you end up with heating issues as the coolant would not be able to do its job unless mixed properly.
If you are using only water in the radiator without any coolant, you are doing a great damage to your engine and other parts. Water would cause rusting. This rust would eat away the head gasket and you will end up with a blown head gasket. Your savings of Rs 250 for a bottle of coolant would lead you to head gasket repairing cost of Rs 6,000.
So, if you have a doubt, just drain away your existing coolant and fill up with fresh 50% water and 50% coolant mixture for optimum performance in Indian weather conditions.
The coolant does not loose its property so easily and can stay in your radiator until it is contaminated. Means that it can serve you for years. But you must have noticed that the service centre guys are too eager to change the coolant as they make good commission on the sale of coolant. Don't get fooled.
Coolant can corrode your car parts and body very easily, so wash off the spilled coolant immediately with lot of water.