Radiator Coolant Level

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lagman - 06 Dec 2007 14:31 GMT

All,

I have a '02 Hyundai Elantra and recently had a new head gasket put in
after an engine overheat.

Today I checked my coolant level. The reservoir is full, but when I
look in the radiator, I don't see any coolant. All I see is a metal
pan with slits in it about a couple inches deep in the radiator. I
should mention I checked this after it had been sitting in a 30 degree
garage all night.

The radiator can't be empty.. I drove the car to work today and the
temp gauge went about half way up the way it always does and the
heater worked fine. Is there coolant under the metal pan that I can't
see?

Thanks,
Dan

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Mike Romain - 06 Dec 2007 15:04 GMT

> All,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Thanks,
> Dan

Wow and you didn't blow your engine.....

Running with the engine head full of air is a really fast way to
literally cook the valve seals and warp heads.

The rad is supposed to be full. The fact the overflow is full and the
rad isn't means you have a leak allowing air to suck back in when it
cools down rather than sucking coolant back in from the overflow bottle.

This could be from a bad head gasket job or even something as simple as
a bad rad cap or a pinhole in the suction line from the overflow bottle.

You only fixed the 'symptoms' of the overheat from the sounds of it, not
the cause, which is still there.

Or the person that did the head gasket job was incompetent and just
didn't fill the rad after....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip Photos:
http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

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