ZeroKunoichi

It seems my coolant is low when the light popped up when I was driving.
Can I just add some coolant I bought from 'Checkers' or 'AutoZone'?
or Do I have to do the whole draining process that is described in the DYI section?

ken-x8

You can just add coolant. If there's a FL32 sticker on (or near) the radiator cap, that's the 10 year lifetime Mazda "green" coolant, so you should top off with that.

If you don't believe coolant will last 10 years, just get a name brand that's the same color as what you already have, mix it 50/50 with good water, and refill. You can also buy pre-diluted coolant if you don't have a place to store jugs of stuff.

You should keep an eye on things and see why the coolant went down. If the light came on and the coolant is not actually low, welcome to the bad sensor club.

Ken

ZeroKunoichi

Okay cool thanks I just checked the coolant and it is pretty low I looked through it with my flashlight. The remains in the coolant container is neon green like a thick neon green. I bought the regular prestone antifreeze coolant but nowhere does it say it's 50/50.
Prestone® Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant that's the one I have and I see that they have a 50/50 one as well which I didn't buy.
Would I have to dilute it myself then by adding 1 liter of antifreeze with 1 liter of distilled water to get 50/50?
The solution that I pour out of the bottle I bought it's color is green but way lighter of a green like a see through compared to what is inside my coolant tank in the car.
Thanks in advance

ken-x8

Yes - mix it 50/50 with distilled water. If you mix a batch and store the extra, make sure that you very clearly label what it is. The stuff looks like kool-ade.

The deal with the color is that antifreeze comes in green and orange. If you mix the two the stuff turns black. It does no harm, but who wants black coolant? Mazda even has a TSB warning about the color change.

Ken

paulmasoner

iTrader: (1)

make sure your actually low before you go adding coolant. those sensors are commonly known around here to be very poor and fail often. there is no decent way to clean/fix/replace the sensor. if it is indeed the sensor just unplug it and forget it. a search on coolant level sensor will turn up lots of info you can read about

yiksing

^^Yeah, only way is unplug sensor and get a water temp gauge. Even new sensor fails after a while, better off getting a new gauge than a new tank.

ken-x8

The car already has a water temperature gauge. And he said he looked and the coolant is indeed low...after his functioning light alerted him.

Ken

yiksing

U mean that dummy gauge?

ZeroKunoichi

My warning lights and sensors I should say haven't gotten me any wrong responses so far. I am wondering though, is it necessary for me to make a 50/50 solution?
Thanks again in advance!

ZeroKunoichi

When I added the coolant my car has been leaking the coolant and I don't see anything under my car where the coolant is leaking. Is it normal to do that when you have added coolant for it to leak? I didn't flush it and I don't see where the easy draining button for the coolant is on my engine. The handbook doesn't mention it unless it's where the coolant is.

ken-x8

Here's a DIY for coolant change. It should tell you where the drains are.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=100164.html

If you're losing much coolant, you should see some drips under the car. Unles it's leaking internally into the oil or combustion chamber, which is bad.

It could be as simple as a bad radiator cap. Coolant will blow out as vapor as you drive, and you won't necessarily see a leak.

On whether you need to mix the new coolant to 50/50...if you're adding just a little, no. but if you're adding very much, you should try to go 50/50. You don't need to pre-mix it. Get a small paper cup. Alternate adding cups of coolant and water. They'll evenually mix.

Or leak out.

BTW - despite the claims of some, the temperature gauge is real. It may not be linear, but it's not a dummy like the oil pressure gauge.

Ken

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

stock temp gauge has a really wide "dead band" zone. means it stops moving after certain degrees, maybe around 150? I forgot. then it starts moving again when it pass hmm maybe 220 or 230 ?

Why Mazda wanna do that? who knows, something to do with their Marketing department I guess ?

I think there should be a way to defeat the dead band zone, I never look close to the stock gauge's wiring.

For the record, 250 is almost guarantee to have an engine failure.