ebooher Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 I just bought a 91 Cutlass Supreme 4-Dr. (Yesterday actually) The Low Coolant light on the dash has come on a time or two. Now, with other cars I've just added coolant to the bottle and been on my way, but my Olds says that you can't just add coolant, that I have to read the owner's manual because there is supposedly some super ultra secret masonesque way to add coolant. Is this true? The car didn't come with an owner's manual, so I can't even be a good newbie and read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkorinko Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 I have always just added coolant to mine, i have used any special way. Just waited long enough for the car to cool down so that the cap doesnt blow off and nail me in the face...or you can just add some water to the overflow tank, if u dont have time for it to cool down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Yeah, you can just add coolant to the bottle, wont hurt a thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkorinko Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 I wonder why GM would decide to put that sticker on there??? As anyone actually read the owners manual and found out what this damn special secret is about the coolant filling procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99RegalGS Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 My car has it and the owners manual tells you to have the car running and open a bleader screw (to let any air in the system out). Mine it on the thermoustat Sp? housing. IIRC I think the 3.1 has 2 bleader screws, at least on a 93 3.1. I'll look in my manual to double check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudefyet Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 yeah...if you don't get all the air out the first time you'll have to keep filling it up...and the low coolant sensor is in the very top of the radiator so if it's the slightest bit not full the light will come on...it took me 3 or 4 days to get all the air out of mine...filling it up...driving it...filling it up...driving it, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 I know of the special way but my owners manual doesn't say shit about it. I just filled it up and called it a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99RegalGS Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Ok, Got my owner's manual and found it. The 3.1 has 2 bleader screws. Here's a picture of the page. EDIT: Just incase you can't read the book it says. "3.1L V6 (Vin Code T or M): There are two bleed valves. One is located on the thermostat housing. The other is located on the thermostat bypass tube." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 My Z34 doesn't have ne of that info in the owners manual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99RegalGS Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 My Z34 doesn't have ne of that info in the owners manual! It took me a while to find it. For some reason they desided to put it in the Engine Overheating section, instead of the Service section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSMonteZ34 Posted January 19, 2004 Report Share Posted January 19, 2004 There's actually good reason for this procedure: Â The coolant must flow higher than the radiator, filling to the top of the rad will only fill something like 3/4 of the system. As I have been told by numerous victims, to leave air in the system could mean an airlock in your waterpump causing no circulation, causing no cooling, causing your engine to become a legless horse. By opening the bleed screws as you fill, the air has somewhere to escape. As a better manual might suggest, keep filling until you see coolant come out of the bleeder screws. This way you know the system is full. Â Adding coolant to an already low system will not remove the air. If your reservoir bottle is out of fluid, it's a good idea to add new fluid to the radiator with the bleed screws removed, then add to the bottle. So long as the bottle has fluid in it, you can always just add to it knowing the system is purged of air. Â Of course, this is all just friendly-mama's advice too. But, if GM designed it to prevent their engines from grenading, I'm doing it; because Lord knows these engines don't need much to make them unreliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 I always thought that the "special fill procedure" was to put the coolant in the overflow instead of the radiator. Ghey to call that special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSMonteZ34 Posted January 20, 2004 Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 Well, I suppose that wouldn't really be called a "special" procedure if the majority of cars are normally topped up through the reservoir bottle. It's just that if the bottle is bone-dry, one would want to fill the radiator first. The air-bleed should be done at that time because there's a good chance the plenum and lower intake manifold may be dry as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 So no matter what if you fill through the bottle or radiator, you should open the bleeders? Well, heres my question I added coolant to the radiator and the overflow bottle, and now I'm getting a low coolant light is there ne way to get the air out of there now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSMonteZ34 Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Here's what I would do: Â Open the bleed screws and begin filling the rad. At some point, one bleed screw will start to leak coolant. Tighten the bleed screw and, if you have a second bleed screw, continue filling until the same happens to that one as well. Get the coolant to the neck of the radiator and cap it. Now fill the coolant reservoir bottle to the appropriate level...the lower line if the engine is cold, the upper line if the engine is warm. A bit extra won't hurt any - especially if you have a minor leak somewhere, but it's not necessary. Â You should run the engine a bit to cycle the coolant, then check the radiator again to make sure it's still full to the top. From there you can unscrew the bleeder again and continue topping up. There's a good chance the coolant will leak as soon as you unscrew the bleeder, so from there, you should just have to top up the radiator and you're good to go. Â This whole procedure is easier to do if the engine is cool. When ever you just need to get the reservoir bottle to it's appropriate level, you just fill it as needed. The bleeder screws only need to be dealt with if filling the radiator; but remember, if the reservoir bottle is bone-dry, there's a good chance the radiator could use some filling as well. Just keep an eye on the reservoir bottle level. So long as there's always coolant in it when it's cold, the system should be full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Well, what if my coolant is filled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSMonteZ34 Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 If you're pretty sure it's full, then chances are the sensor is on the fritz. Last summer I was driving a four hour trip and 3/4's into it my low coolant light came on. I pulled over and looked and it was full to the warm level in my bottle...so I figured it was just my sensor buggering up. I pulled onto the road and the light went away soon after. These things happen. Personally, I'd rather have a shot sensor than assume my coolant is just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Yeah, well when I filled it up, I didn't open the bleeders. Should I just wait till its cold and open the bleeders and top it off until coolant comes out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSMonteZ34 Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Yeah, that would do fine. It's not as if the engine has to be stone-cold, but just so that it's cool enough to touch the pipes and such is the point. Cap pressure can be high...you don't want to get an imprint in your forehead or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebooher Posted January 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 Sure, I understand that the radiator cap is under high pressure when the engine is hot, but what about when it's cold?? Â I took the cap off this morning, with snow falling to the ground and the car having sat all night, and the system was under enough pressure to spray antifreeze. Â Anyone ever see anything like that before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaPaPooh Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 that usually mean it never cooled down or it was on the verge of freezing im not sure though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSMonteZ34 Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 Frozen fluids was my thought as well. If the coolant-to-water mix ratio isn't normal - depending upon the hi/low temps in your area, too much water could mean disaster for your engine. Basically, if the fluids freeze, ice expands, and you'll see high pressure in the cold. That would be cause for attention to your cooling system. If this is the case for you, to fix it, drain/flush the system and replace the coolant with a proper mix. Considering how inexpensive this is anyway, unless you're wishing to use the Dexcool (orange long-life coolant), it beats the alternative of a cracked block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamcneely Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 CPSMonteZ34 is right, in lamen's terms the thermostat housing is higher then the Radiator cap. The air in the system floats to the highest point in the system. which is the thermostat housing, therfore they placed a bleeder at that location. It isn't advisable to open this bleeder when the engine is hot. In fact this procedure of filling the cooling system is mostly done after a cooling system flush, or after the cooling system has been extreamly low on coolant. If you just need to "top off" the system adding it to the expansion tank would be just fine. If you think you have air trapped in the system, wait until the engine has cooled, take the cap off the radiator and fill it, open the bleeder screws, turn on the engine and add coolant in to the radiator until coolant comes out of the bleeder screws. Then close the bleeder screws. Fill the radiator more if needed, put cap back on, and then add then fill the expansion tank a little past the cold line, and your done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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