Is it HOT yet? One quick glance at that temp gauge will verify that it is very hot this time of year. We are going to talk briefly about cooling systems and touch on a few FAQ’s (that’s “frequently asked questions”) that seem to keep coming up. First, let’s talk temperature. Some people get really nervous when the ole temp gauge hits 200 degrees F. Remember, most of these cars came with thermostats that opened at 195 degrees! At about 210 these people can be seen pulled off the road with their bonnets up waiting for their engine to cool. In reality, if your car has plenty of coolant and the cooling system is working properly, your engine will suffer no ill effects from as high as 230
degrees F! But you say “That’s at the end of the temp gauge!” That’s right it is, but the truth is, that doesn’t mean that's the end of your engine. I don’t know why the gauges don’t read any higher than they do except that maybe they don’t see the high temperatures in England that we see during the
summer. Either way you’re not at risk at these temp’s. One thing we’ve noticed is that on the earlier cars that do not have recovery tanks, if the radiator is filled to the top, when you stop the car coolant is expelled thru the overflow tube. We find that if you allow the car to do this it will find a happy
level where there is plenty of coolant but not enough to overflow when the engine is stopped. So, just because it threw up doesn’t mean it needs more coolant. On my Sprite this level is below the filler neck so you cannot see the coolant level. A bit unnerving at first but since the car doesn’t leak coolant I know the level is OK. I don’t top it up and it doesn’t spit up! If I’m not sure then I can add some but it seems every time I do the coolant level is just below the filler neck and the car just spits out what it doesn’t want. So I leave it alone and we are both happy. If you’re coolant is 5 or more years old it’s probably time to change it. Next time we will discuss the proper way to change your
coolant so stay tuned!