Help! Car emergency!

[PAULW]

Jeanied
Just take the top off the coolant bottle the bottle should then slide out, empty bottle then replace into holder and refill with water and coolant, easy to do and the money you save from not paying the garage will buy you tons of seeds for next season.

[binley100]

There we go someone who knows what to do ............sorted

[ginger ninger]

The money you save from not paying the garage will buy you tons of seeds for next season.

NOW that sounds like a GOOD idea Jeanie. xx

[Suky]

Jeanie, hubby has own garage. He says no probs, trip to garage not required. Common mistake to make.

[Liza]

Jeanie, good luck with everything. You are such a lovely person, you don`t deserve all this stress, I hope all goes OK for you. Sorry I have no advice on the car front

[Jeanied]

Oooh - so I don't need to do anything, Suky?
Or should I just get a new bottle of coolant from the garage and change it when I can?

[PAULW]

JEANIED
It sounds like all you have done is put the windscreen wash into the expantion bottle,the expantion bottle allows the water in the radiator when it gets hot, somewhere to go remember James Watt kettle, steam engine and as the water in the radiator cools it sucks the water back into radiator, unless you have a hole in the radiator or a gasket gone the water in the bottle will take a long time to be used, if you want to top up the coolant to make the solution stronger there is a drain plug on the bottom of the radiator take this out and drain off a bit of water then top up with coolant .

[Snadger]

Depending on what type of car it is and how easy it is to access the bottom of the expansion tank where you added the windscreen wash, I would just take the rubber pipe off (Usually a push fit but could have a jubulee type clip on it) drain it away, reafix and fill with anti freeze or anti freeze/water mix to fill level on tank, not full!

[Jeanied]

Well, now here is a plan. I have a large syringe - 60ml in capacity - that I can use to drain the tank. Then I can nip up to the garage and get some coolant to top up the tank to the desired level. Job done.
Or (doubt creeping in now) should I pay to get the whole thing drained, flushed and refilled?

[binley100]

I'm not even going to ask why you have a large syringe...........Can you not take it off like Paul says or as Suky's OH says don't worry ?

[Jeanied]

I'll have a go in the morning! * sets alarm clock.

[Snadger]

I'll have a go in the morning! * sets alarm clock.

Not knowing you would have a large syringe just lying around, that is indeed a very good option as it would only mix with the original coolant if the car was running!

[pipkins]

Hope you get it sorted!

[rana]

Snadger is right - The windscreen wash will still be in the plastic header tank so just empty it with your syringe (or siphon it out) and top up with normal antifreeze/water mix.
A small amount of contamination in the engine coolant (with windscreen wash) have no effect on the engine.

[T8Ter]

Hi Jeanie,
As most have said it won't do any harm but if you are going to syringe some fluid out, take the top off the expansion vessel and warm the engine so that the water you want to remove is at it's greatest volume. Don't warm the engine and then take the top off as the pressure, and resultant spray, could well burn you.