Had a small leak in the heater hose (fun!) so had that replaced while getting some routine service done (ATF fluid change, coolant flush). Reliable and highly touted indie. Also got the door adjusted! Here's the issue: got the car back, everything was great. A week later I decided to check the coolant level because I saw all the posts about coolant levels, reservoir caps, etc. Opened it up and...almost no coolant in the reservoir! Yikes! I ended up adding almost an entire quarter of the Dexcool to get to the bottom of the filler opening. Drove it again (25 miles, mixed) and no warning lights. Waited for the engine to cool and checked the coolant and the level seems fine now. I suspect there was an air bubble or something after the hose replacement and flush, so a little annoying, but understandable. What I don't understand is: why didn't I get a "low coolant" warning when the coolant was low by almost a quart? Should I have? With all the posts on those, I would've thought the warning mechanism would be overly sensitive. Any ideas?

Aside: I've tried two different Autool x60, but haven't been able to get either to connect. Possibly related?

Thanks,
Norm

 

Don’t think it’s related, but am perplexed regarding your Autool X-60 woes.

Guess I’ll have to stop recommending them. Don’t understand why mine works like a charm connecting with my ‘02 XKR. Usually I’m not that lucky .

Z

 

I agree with Z that they're not related, and I have no issue with the Autool connecting either: handy little gizmo.

Maybe the float has got stuck or the switch is dud? Try disconnecting it and shorting the two connections on the loom together. That should turn the warning light on.

 

Keep checking your coolant level in the reservoir first thing every morning for at least the next four or five days after you have driven the car at least a few miles the previous day. It can take that long before you have finally topped off enough coolant to keep the level where it needs to be (which is just below the neck of the reservoir filler opening)....

 

Z - It's possible I've gotten two bad ones in a row. The first one didn't work in two different cars. The second one worked briefly in the other car, never worked in the XK8 and never worked in the other car again. Frustrating to say the least, but I'll return this one and try one more.

 

Make sure the atmospheric tank is about half full ( RH wheel arch ) or it dont pump the overflow fluid back.

 

Coolant level was fine/unchanged before and after this morning's 30min drive. Going through old posts, the sensor/float apparatus appears particularly troublesome, so I may just replace the expansion tank (sensor and all) in a couple of weeks. They're not terribly expensive (OEM is, I suppose) and it seems like a relatively straightforward job. I'm just glad all the recent coolant posts prompted me to check the coolant level!
Thanks all!

 

Keep in mind that aftermarket coolant reservoirs are fine (I'm running a $50 rockauto.com one I installed in 2017) but the aftermarket coolant reservoir caps that come with them are lousy (I'm running an OEM cap from 2015, probably sourced from SNG Barratt as part of another order)....

These coolant reservoirs (OEM and aftermarket) tend to last anywhere from 5 to 10 years before they begin to leak, usually at the black plastic hose nozzles but sometimes at the tank seams. I keep a new spare one on hand as a result....

 

Did Rock Auto and it works fine (even the cap). I use a large pipe wrench and gas pipe seal Seriously no problem w/ the cap so guess I got lucky. I just couldn't see OEM given the huge price difference.

Autool is a handy little item. Worked perfectly in my Honda and Lexus. Didn't work in my 2000 so gave it away. Time to get another and see if it works in my 06. It would help solve one of my age related issues. I keep leaving my iPhone in the car and then not being able to find when I'm in the house. The top is always down so the phone might take a vacation. Could also bake in the sun. Autool much cheaper than a new iPhone. Apple store puts it on a scale then asks for gold similar weight.

 

if your next Autool X-60 does not connect, I’d like to purchase it from you. I’d like to see if it connects to my ‘02 as painlessly as the one I’ve been using for 3+ years. If it does connect , I’ll have a back up.

Z

PS I purchased a RockAuto coolant reservoir also, primarily as back up unit. But the cap on my original res. has always been extremely hard to take off and out on. Not from O-ring, it was just warped. I tried the RockAuto res. cap and discovered it goes on very smoothly. Of course I’m keeping the old cap, just in case….

 

Will do on the Autool.

Update: my feedback based on past experience. I put a new Rock Auto tank/cap on my 2000. After 2k miles, cap was fine but used Teflon tape which made it easy. Other possible is a dab of grease. Just tried to open the Rock Auto cap on my 2003. Someone else installed. No idea age but it took a pair of channel locks. Hard to get the cap threaded back on.