Antifreeze question

[ShadowsPapa]

Mines a 22 with 26000 miles it’s at the low mark, no visible leaks or anything in oil maybe evaporation??? My engine temp is usually under 190

I waited a few weeks after I first brought mine home, then put a dot right where the coolant level was at moderate outside temperatures after the truck had sat overnight.
It will look lower in the winter and a bit higher in the heat of summer, but as long as it hangs around that mark I don't worry.

You might have to add a little after a couple of years, depending on your use - some may evaporate since these are not sealed systems - they must vent pressure and each time it gets warmed up some pressure will vent and take a teeny bit of vapor with it. Enough heating and cooling cycles, especially it it gets warm under load and it can mean a bit more.
However, we don't know what you mean by needing to add a little - how much is a little?
I figure after over 2 years, adding 8 ounces is nothing.

I had to top off my coolant in 2021 and top off the powersteering fluid twice. The first time was right after I bought it and the second time was right after the dealer replaced the steering gear.

Sounds about right.

I’m going to keep an eye after I fill to the full line. I’ve heard the jeeps in production during Covid times where coming to dealerships with low fluid levels, trans and coolant

That can happen at any time - not just covid. And it's not uncommon to have to top fluids off after a few weeks. It's not really to do with covid per se, but purging out all air and so on after several heating/cooling cycles.

Personally, I'd get it where it belongs, and mark and monitor it.
You live in CT - is it COLD there at all? Sure it is. If you are looking after it's been sitting overnight and the temps are say in the 20s - it's going to look a bit lower than when you looked at it and it was 70 outside.


This is after 15 months of ownership, about 15,000 miles ->
(I get fluids where I want them, with the truck cooled off and temps in the 60s-70s and mark things.)

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[Lost1wing]

Did you top off the coolant after you bought it? Did you ever have to do it again or it seemed ok ?

Never had to top it off again. I still have over 3/4 gallon of 50/50.

 

[Brahmajoe]

I waited a few weeks after I first brought mine home, then put a dot right where the coolant level was at moderate outside temperatures after the truck had sat overnight.
It will look lower in the winter and a bit higher in the heat of summer, but as long as it hangs around that mark I don't worry.

You might have to add a little after a couple of years, depending on your use - some may evaporate since these are not sealed systems - they must vent pressure and each time it gets warmed up some pressure will vent and take a teeny bit of vapor with it. Enough heating and cooling cycles, especially it it gets warm under load and it can mean a bit more.
However, we don't know what you mean by needing to add a little - how much is a little?
I figure after over 2 years, adding 8 ounces is nothing.



Sounds about right.


That can happen at any time - not just covid. And it's not uncommon to have to top fluids off after a few weeks. It's not really to do with covid per se, but purging out all air and so on after several heating/cooling cycles.

Personally, I'd get it where it belongs, and mark and monitor it.
You live in CT - is it COLD there at all? Sure it is. If you are looking after it's been sitting overnight and the temps are say in the 20s - it's going to look a bit lower than when you looked at it and it was 70 outside.


This is after 15 months of ownership, about 15,000 miles ->
(I get fluids where I want them, with the truck cooled off and temps in the 60s-70s and mark things.)

Yea it’s freezing here lol but it’s been a smidge below the low level for about a year now

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yea it’s freezing here lol but it’s been a smidge below the low level for about a year now

if that's the case, then add until it's proper full for moderate temperatures and forget it.
Likely it's not leaking or losing anything.
Get it where it should be, then with the engine cold (cold meaning sitting for several hours) and put a small mark at the new level and watch from there.

I like to have 50/50 mix with me on long trips in case of a small problem, I can just add some and move on. For my older cars, I carry a gallon of pure and a gallon of distilled water in the trunk if on a long trip.
Antifreeze is also anti-BOIL, so I won't add pure water - it boils more easily than the proper mix. Also, studies done years ago show that the proper mix flows faster and resists cavitation better. There's more gallons per minute flow with a 50/50 mix than anything else. So it helps remove heat as well.
Do not go by color alone - make sure it says OAT and OAT only, not HOAT or anything else. Color is no longer a rule. Read the jug.

 

[whysoserious]

I’m sure somebody can explain if they see the post, I just hope it’s not taking a leak into a cylinder, but if it was I would think you would see it in an oil change? I don’t know if it would be visible or if you would have to do that Glycol testing Pita procedure. Oil has just looked normal to me and drains out like water

Have you thought about sending some oil out for analysis to see if you have antifreeze in it?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Have you thought about sending some oil out for analysis to see if you have antifreeze in it?

Based on his quote here, I would bet a steak dinner he's not got any sort of a problem or coolant loss.
A smidge below low for about a year? Likely he's been low forever and is just paying attention and wanting to deal with it, and it's low after the first few months when it finally purged out all remaining air and settled to it's "long term level".
So based on this - doubt there's any problem.
Oil analysis can't ever hurt and can confirm, or even prove or disprove any other types of wear or whatever. Worth the time and the few bucks it costs.
If that was mine based on what he has said in two threads................

Yea it’s freezing here lol but it’s been a smidge below the low level for about a year now

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I had an interesting thing happen this last summer that caused the coolant level to drop a significant amount….

(Quick back story…) Had my second engine installed, September/October 2022 and put on about 25k kms and was confident by then my coolant level had done all its burping and settling by then where it found its resting level on the FULL line. Oil analyses on this engine shows no glycol in the oil.

I then went out last summer to do some wheeling and there was one stretch of the road that was very steep going down then a very long stretch that was more steep going up that required 4x4 and rear locker to be engaged. The whole trip was lots of ups and downs going there then repeat it all coming back.

I got home in the evening and in the morning I checked under the hood and coolant level was way down, below the MIN line. The steep angles just moved that air pocket around and out the bottle. Oil analyses still shows no glycol at 50k kms.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I had an interesting thing happen this last summer that caused the coolant level to drop a significant amount….

(Quick back story…) Had my second engine installed, September/October 2022 and put on about 25k kms and was confident by then my coolant level had done all its burping and settling by then where it found its resting level on the FULL line. Oil analyses on this engine shows no glycol in the oil.

I then went out last summer to do some wheeling and there was one stretch of the road that was very steep going down then a very long stretch that was more steep going up that required 4x4 and rear locker to be engaged. The whole trip was lots of ups and downs going there then repeat it all coming back.

I got home in the evening and checked under the hood in the morning and coolant level was way down, below the MIN line. The steep angles just moved that air pocket around and out the bottle. Oil analyses still shows no glycol at 50k kms.

In high elevations it's going to be worse - plus the heating and cooling of the engine, constantly changing the pressures........ when stressed with the plow on the front, I watch the engine temps in mine vary from about 195 to 230, up and down, up and down. It's a lot of pressure variation and going to vent out more. Elevations, temperature changes, angles, any air will grow and shrink, shrink and grow, and it's a good time to check ALL engine bay fluids after such "adventures".

 

[jav_eee]

I would just need to top off a little in the tank

Distilled water.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Distilled water.

I still use a mix - to keep it even. It's easier that way - and you never end up with diluted coolant in that tank, reducing it's cold protection at 20 below until things get mixed up.

But yeah, the book even says distilled water. Anyone who has dealt with cooling systems over the years understands why.

 

[Brahmajoe]

Have you thought about sending some oil out for analysis to see if you have antifreeze in it?

Not really. I would but I heard that blackstone is backlogged. Like shadows papa said I think it’s just normal level to add a cup of coolant after 2 years doesn’t seem that crazy to me

 

[SargeDiesel]

Mines a 22 with 26000 miles it’s at the low mark, no visible leaks or anything in oil maybe evaporation??? My engine temp is usually under 190

Have you ever added it before. I have read on this forum that it was common to loose down to the low mark or lower. After the 1st top off , majority reported it never being low again.

 

[Brahmajoe]

Have you ever added it before. I have read on this forum that it was common to loose down to the low mark or lower. After the 1st top off , majority reported it never being low again.

No first time

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