|
XC90 '02'15 General Forum for the P2-platform XC90 model |
Information |
|
Urgent Coolant QuestionViews : 14465 Replies : 7Users Viewing This Thread : |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
Feb 18th, 2011, 09:16 | #1 |
Junior Member
Last Online: Sep 12th, 2012 21:23
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cheshire
|
Urgent Coolant Question
The 'Coolant Low Stop Safely' warning keeps coming up but its intermittent.
But anyway, hubby bought some Anti Freeze concentrated coolant for me to put in. Firstly, is this right? Secondly, it says to drain and flush the current coolant and it is not advised to mix fluids, does this really need doing, and if so, how do I go about doing it? I don't really want to drive the car until its done and need to get to an appointment today! |
Feb 18th, 2011, 09:45 | #2 | |
Premier Member
Last Online: May 31st, 2022 11:32
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: south
|
Quote:
Last edited by bobdabuilda; Feb 18th, 2011 at 10:00. |
|
The Following User Says Thank You to bobdabuilda For This Useful Post: |
Feb 18th, 2011, 10:16 | #3 |
Member
Last Online: Oct 26th, 2022 09:12
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Spalding
|
Good advice!
__________________
Current: S60 D5 SE geartronic 2004 161K Current: C70 T5 GT automatic 2000 192K Past: S60 D5 SE geartronic 2004 48K last seen upside down in a field Past: V40 2.0T Sport Lux Auto 2003 171K Past: 340DL |
Feb 18th, 2011, 13:20 | #4 |
Premier Member
Last Online: Nov 20th, 2018 01:45
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Dallas, Texas
|
You do not have an emergency situation! This message means the coolant level is low but assuredly not so low that the cooling is affected at the present time.
You should be able to locate the coolant reservoir, and you can look through the side of it and see the level. Probably it is below minimum but you probably still have coolant showing in the reservoir. Is this correct? What year and model is this vehicle? If it is low I would add a little water to the reservoir to get the level above minimum so the warning message goes away. If your husband has gotten the correct product for a Volvo, then you could add antifreeze, but be careful you don't mistakenly put antifreeze in the windscreen washer fluid reservoir. What is the label on the antifreeze your husband bought? Based on my my reading, Volvo uses the type compatible with Zerex G-05. Zerex and the other antifreeze manufacturers offer 4 or 5 different types and you should't mix them. It's much better to just add water (deionized or distilled) than to add the wrong antifreeze. |
Feb 18th, 2011, 14:42 | #5 |
Junior Member
Last Online: Sep 12th, 2012 21:23
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cheshire
|
He's bought one that says its ok for all, but after going on the website of the coolant company, they state they have 'manufacturer specific' ones, so I've sent him off to Halfords for one of these.
But, as we only got the car a couple of weeks ago, I don't know what's in there already. Perhaps we should just drain it tomorrow - how do you go about doing this? |
Feb 19th, 2011, 14:06 | #6 | |
Premier Member
Last Online: Nov 20th, 2018 01:45
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Dallas, Texas
|
Quote:
Antifreeze containing ethylene glycol is very toxic to people, pets, and wildlife. It should not get into the surface drainage nor be put into the sanitary sewer. This is why I don't do coolant drain and refill myself anymore. Professionals are required to collect and recycle used coolant or send it to hazardous waste disposal. What year is this vehicle? Modern coolants are formulated to meet a warrantee of 5 years or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. Ethylene glycol (the compound which protects against freezing) lasts much longer than that, but the anticorrosion chemicals degrade and become ineffective after 5 or 6 years. Loss of effectiveness can lead to corrosion of the heater matrix, the ATF cooler (if it has an automatic transmission), or the engine oil cooler. The heater matrix is not cheap, but if you let the ATF cooler corrode through then engine coolant will mix with the ATF and ruin the auto transmission in short order. Likewise if the engine oil cooler corrodes through then coolant will get into the engine oil. If your vehicle is over 5 years in service and you don't have service records showing that the coolant has been changed, then you should get it done professionally before the end of the 6th year of service. Whoever does it should use the Volvo labelled antifreeze or equivalent. It does not need any special flush unless the heater matrix is plugged. (Does the heater work properly?) Just drain, rinse with a little water not under pressure, then refill to give the proper approximately 50-50 antifreeze-water mixture. Antifreeze is sold in auto factors both as the neat product so that you add it and an approx equal vol of water to the coolant system, and as a premixed product usually 50-50. In the latter case you do not add an equal vol of water. If you do not have the money to get the coolant changed professionally, then you could consider just adding a bottle (usually ~ 12 fl oz) of cooling system anticorrosive product. You would jsut add this to the coolant reservoir. Some of these products claim they are compatible with all anti corrosion chemistries, but I personally don't do this in my Volvos. I get the coolant changed by the dealer before the end of the 6th year of service. Last edited by Jim314; Feb 19th, 2011 at 14:16. |
|
Dec 22nd, 2023, 21:46 | #7 |
New Member
Last Online: Jan 5th, 2024 20:59
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Livingston
|
I have same warning message, but is more like an electrical fault as it flashes on and off. Go over a bump and it will go or come on!
Had the indicator stack switch changed recently but dont believe it is related or am I wrong. So annoying! |
Dec 23rd, 2023, 00:28 | #8 |
Volvo Driver
Last Online: Today 00:31
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Basingstoke
|
How much coolant have you got in the reservoir? i.e. is it on the low side?
BTW - congrats on a thread resurrection from 2011 Is this a record? Cheers Dave |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|