Ignorant Question Concerning Coolant

[Calvin R.]

Please keep in mind, I know nothing about automobiles or engines; I'm an electronics geek.

I just noticed that the container for my engine coolant looks to be bare (Izuzu Hombre 97). Now I have half a bottle of antifreeze/coolant, do I just pour the whole thing in there? Or do I dilute it with H2O?

Thanks.

[curtis73]

For the amount you'll be replacing, just plain straight coolant will be fine. There is supposed to be a 50/50 mix, but adding a gallon of coolant might make it 60/40 which is fine. If you're anal, just add about half and half coolant and distilled water, then refill the coolant jug with the remaining water. That way you've added 50/50 and then the coolant you have left is pre-mixed for next time.

Don't forget to mark the jug that you mixed it already, and make sure that the existing coolant and the new coolant are the same color. Green or any shade thereof gets green coolant. Orange gets orange Dexcool. If there is no coolant in the recovery tank to compare, just loosen the draincock on the radiator and let a few drops come out.

[UncleBob]

its a sure sign you have a leak somewhere in the system. A system that is working properly, pretty much never loses any coolant. So don't just top it off, figure out where the leak is.

Also keep in mind, that the reservoir (also called the "overflow bottle") is only a small part of the system. When its completely empty, its important to open the radiator cap and check to see if its low there also. Just topping off the overflow bottle will not get the system back to full if the radiator is low.

This is assuming that it has a radiator cap seperate from the overflow tank....some systems, the cap is on the overflow tank....but thats probably too much info and will lead to confusion. The main point is, fix the leak!

[curtis73]

His Hombre most likely doesn't have a radiator cap. GM did all surge caps on those trucks at the tank.

[UncleBob]

well I know the Amigo's had radiator caps....

[curtis73]

Amigo is an Isuzu. Hombre is all GM. Its a rebadged S10 with different fenders.

[GreyGoose006]

just to throw this out there, isuzu engines made it into s-10s in the 80's.
i guess its all one big happy GM family

[UncleBob]

pretty much all of Isuzu engines are GM motors. I had forgotten about the Hombre though, curtis is right. Its just a rebadged chevy S10

[INF3RN0666]

I would first check to see if the bottle says DILUTED COOLANT or CONCENTRATED COOLANT. Just adding coolant to top off the reservoir won't change your ration by much if it was pure coolant. But it's a waste of coolant and having a high concentration of antifreeze is bad for the metal in your pipes. correct me if I'm wrong.