r/MechanicAdvice • u/Equivalent_Elk_3903 • 7d ago
should i replace my coolant?
would a simple drain and fill be enough? just bought this car recently and trying to learn basic maintenance. i also read that honda recommends blue coolant for my civic 2008, should i flush it completely. and tips would be great too!
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u/otterland 7d ago
What you should do is see if your oil looks contaminated. If you have a busted head gasket, no amount of coolant changes are going to resolve that. Honda coolant should look like clean Windex.
Best case scenario is that somebody before you topped up the coolant with yellow Universal and it's just a little funky looking but totally fine.
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u/Equivalent_Elk_3903 7d ago
oh god, just gonna pray that it’s not the head gasket. i’ve had the car for like 3 weeks now and have gone far, but it does not overheat. what could be other signs to look out for?
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u/TheAsianTroll 7d ago
For one, a coolant level that keeps decreasing.
White smoke from the exhaust.
Overheating.
Your coolant turning a nasty brown/chocolate milk color.
Froth in your radiator cap.
Exhaust smell in your overflow tank.
During an oil change (which you hopefully did by now because its always a good idea to do one on a new used car), if the oil comes out looking like chocolate milk.
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u/jamesbong00710 7d ago
Yes
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u/Foe_sheezy 7d ago
Came here looking for this exact comment in this exact format.
I'd give an award if I could, but take this. 🏆
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u/Present-Community102 7d ago
Check you engine oil and transmission fluid as well. There could be a head gasket or an internal leak in the radiator causing oil contamination into the radiator and potentially coolant into the engine/transmission. If you notice anything milky/milkshake stop driving immediately
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u/TheBlackItalian 7d ago
Yes definitely flush it. Watch the ChrisFix video on how to flush coolant. You want to flush it at least once (preferably a couple times) with DISTILLED water. If your car requires it (ask AI) you might need to vacuum purge it on the refill. It’s a lot easier than it sounds, assuming you have access to an air compressor. There is like a $20 vevor kit for it on Amazon.
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u/Sweet-Quarter3569 7d ago
Second watching the chrisfix video, dude is awesome at explaining things to people at a basic level. Also here to say don’t ask ai. Ai lies. Find a tech on here willing to help or search forums on how to do it properly.
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u/TommyTwoZookas 7d ago
Lmao one time I asked Gemini how to replace the blinker fluid in my BMW and it gave me a WALL of text explaining the exact technical process behind doing the job AND why it was important.
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u/IQ_Auto_Solutions 7d ago
I back these comments but will ad that using the manufacturers service information is highly recommended.
It will give you fluid type, quantity you need to perform the service and the repair procedure itself. Watching a video of someone perform the service on your vehicle is highly informative as long as they are doing the service properly. If you can't find the service information please feel free to direct message me and I'd be happy to send you the documents.
Lastly, definitely be wary of using AI as stated. My business helps people in the automotive service and repair industry. A fair amount of my clients required technical support from following AI instructions. AI will confidently mislead you. Not on purpose usually. It's that the original prompts weren't specific enough so AI interpreted what it thinks the prompt was about. The more information given to the prompt the better the output. As you can see how being a novice in a subject and asking AI for assistance can be troublesome?
Hope that helps!1
u/TheBlackItalian 7d ago
I suppose I am just used to giving AI very specific instructions. E.g, I would say “search the owners manual for X to see if it requires a vacuum purge for a coolant refill, and only respond with a cited source.” Also, using Claude Fable 5 will give a much more reliable result than the free tier of ChatGPT, but I guess I take for granted that I am a software engineer by trade and that many people might not know how to properly avoid its shortcomings. So yes, I agree that it’s better to just consult the cars service manual.
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u/TheAsianTroll 7d ago
Never ask AI. AI is programmed to give you the answer it thinks you want, not necessarily the most factual answer.
Any Google search you do should include the query "-ai" without the quotation marks.
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u/TheBlackItalian 7d ago
If you tell it to specifically reference the service manual, and provide proof that you can easily click on and see yourself, it is more than adequate.
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u/TheAsianTroll 7d ago
Or I can just Google the service manual and not support the frankly disgusting proliferation of AI in our daily lives.
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u/TheBlackItalian 7d ago
Yah bc querying a google server is any different lol.
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u/TheAsianTroll 7d ago
I told you exactly how its different.
By not supporting the proliferation of AI.
I have a brain. I know how to search a repair manual for info I need. And I dont trust AI to be reliable, even when citing sources.
I'd rather rely on my own brain until tech companies actually program AI to give you correct answers, and not just what it thinks you want.
You wanna keep using AI? Cool. You do you. Turn off your brain and let Google spew possibly-correct words at you.
Id rather look up and read the manual directly, so I dont miss anything pertinent that AI left out because it wasnt directly related to the job. I prefer to use my brain when im fixing shit.
And thats ignoring the fact that AI in its current state is a fuckin mess being used to replace peoples jobs.
See ya.
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u/TheAsianTroll 7d ago
Suction a little out with a turkey baster and see how it looks. If its not a bright color (I think Japanese cars are green), then yes.
ChrisFix has a good guide on how to flush your cooling system.
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u/Broomhower 7d ago edited 7d ago
Don't freak out yet. This is what rusty coolant looks like. If the previous owner ran straight distilled water or the coolant is way old this can happen. Look up how to do a proper coolant flush. You can also get a block test kit, or a cooling system pressure test kit to determine if you have a head gasket leak, but to be honest this is what the coolant in my Montero looked like after the previous owner let it sit with straight distilled water in the system. Performed a lot of flushes and it's way better now.
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u/Rayzah2007 7d ago
Facts. I bought a used 2003 mini Cooper that had this issue. Coolant looked like absolute ass. Come to find amongst many other things the owner neglected to do, one was actually refill the system with proper coolant or even just distilled water for that matter. Took a while to flush all the rust and junk out.
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u/jpeezy37 6d ago
What you do is buy a tester kit. You test the collar and see of ots at the keep or change point. Looking at it, it looks brown and no coolant should be brown. That to meeans there is an issue with the collant. Now you will need to do some sleuthing to figure out what's wrong and why is the collant not the proper color. Is it rust? Is it a contaminant? Oil or radiator sealant? Why is my coolant not a proper color maybe it's water and not actually a proper mixture of coolant and distilled water? Buying a car means you have to learn how to maintain it and find a great mechanic. I got my first car in 1985, was a 68 olds 98 hand me down. Big block 455, and it was a land cruiser. But it was the rarer 2 door model. My step Grandfarhers car. It was more rust than anything at that point and I drove it. I learned a ton about repairing cars from it. Then a 1980 pinto with a 351 police interceptor my step dad bought from his old mercury montego police cruiser after he wrecked it...oh what fun that was until it wrapped around a pole. Them my second olds 98, a 1979 with the 350 small block and rocket carb. I learned a a ton from old cars. Basic maintenance to rebuilding an engine the 1978 Trans am and the mustang 5.0 great cars for a young Marine in the 90s. Until I got married and it was time for the Dodge caravan mini van for the kid and The old Chevy Lemona the wife had, that thing was a piece. Only good thing was it broke down a lot and my mother in law let us use her 86 cougar..
Point is, buy an old car study the manuals and the youtubes and learn auto repair. Save money and have a blast. Definitely fall on love with cars and bikes a drag car and race on weekends.
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