Cooling liquid drops next to drain plug of radiator

[FrankT99]

Don’t run the vehicle without being full of coolant. Are there bubbles in the coolant? It really shouldn’t rise that much.

Three days ago I changed the coolant thermostat and removed only the minimum of coolant to make this installation. I filled it up but right away the coolant began to rise and I put the cap on it. Only some bubbles came out. The temp rose in the middle of C and H.
This time more or less the same only the temp didn't rise.
In about 2 hours I will fill up the radiator and tomorrow, that's my plan, I want to use a coolant filling funnel. That should give more time to bubble.
What do you think?

 

[CDW6212R]

The air will work itself out quickly from running it until warm and shutting it off a few times. Meaning, fill it with the cap off, put it on when the coolant begins to come out, and then drive the vehicle normally. If the radiator cap is working properly, it removes the air from the system.

The coolant expands when warm and pushes air out to the overflow bottle. When the engine cools down, it pulls coolant in which replaces the air that was in the system. It usually takes a day or so to expel all of the air, so no special tool is needed. Simply check the coolant level after doing the work, each time before starting the engine. Pop the hood and remove the radiator cap. If the coolant isn't right there at the top and in the cap too, then the air isn't fully bled out yet. Once you pull the cap and see coolant all the way to the top, it's done and you don't have to remove the cap again. Then set the level in the overflow bottle to the proper mark, about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

 

[FrankT99]

Thank you CDW6212R (and all the others).
After the idle over ten minutes and 2 hours cooling down I could add once again several quarts and that's what I think is conform with that's what you wrote CDW6212R.
CDW6212R you want that I fill up the radiator tomorrow, then with cap off let the engine idle till the level rises. Put the cap on and drive for 10 to 15 min. Repeating. OK?
The overflow bottle stays empty till all air is out of the system and then I set the level to the proper mark, about 1/2 to 2/3 full (I think it says cool level)?
Sorry for all this questions!!!

 

[CDW6212R]

You already have filled the radiator and run the engine after the work right?

Fill the overflow bottle to the full level when doing the work on the cooling system. After that when you have the cap on and are driving it, the only thing left to do is verify the air does get out of the radiator, and keep the overflow bottle filled to the right level.

So once you have put the cap on and driven it, you shouldn't need to add any coolant to the radiator if it was filled as much as it could be before with the engine running. Taking the radiator cap off should just show a minimal amount of space for more coolant, or none. You shouldn't need to run the engine for adding coolant after the first filling(with the service work done to it).

 

[FrankT99]

Update:
I did the second idle test (I still haven't driven):
I checked the radiator and filled it up. The overflow container was fine. I started the engine. Everything sounded good. Nothing special.
But after 10 minutes the temperature display still showed nothing (no movement of the needle) and the heating (climate control) remained cold.
I stopped the engine and tried to start it again a few seconds later, but now it was having trouble starting.
Thank you in advance.

 

[CDW6212R]

The temperature gauge should respond with some change after five minutes or so with coolant in it. The thermostat will open after a few and shortly after that is when the coolant begins to expand and you see it come out of the radiator a little. If that has happened, then the gauge should show something. What thermostat was in it, and is the new one a 195* unit, and the proper one for the engine? Some it's possible to put in upside down, but not likely for most.

Your gauge may not be working, are the other gauges in the cluster working fine?

 

[FrankT99]

First: Thank you very much for all your time and help!!!
All started about one week ago with the engine light on showing code P0128. The temp gauge showed only a very low temp but the needle moved a little bit. I installed a new temp thermostat (NAPA: Part # 192842, Temperature Range: 192 Deg F, "Fits your vehicle"). NOT upside down! I made some test drives and the temp gauge rose after some minutes in the middle of C and H. No overheating. Everything fine....till I saw the coolant liquid on the street.
The gas gauge has a problem: Sometime it shows full also when it is not full. Sometimes it works correct.
To repeat: The heating (climate control) remained cold.
After two hours the motor started without any problem.
May be I should do a real test drive.
Thank you.

 

[CDW6212R]

It sounds like the T'stat should be okay. Of course keep double checking the whole front for any leaks, you want to know it's good and won't need help for a long time.

Your gauge may be acting a bit weird given the fuel gauge also being a bit off. So that should be a different issue, and I'd expect the engine has coolant in it and isn't going to overheat.

The heater though, that can be the heater control valve not working right, or the AC unit not properly moving the bland door inside the dash. So try to drive it, use it as you can, and check the radiator each time before you start the engine. Simply remove the cap, and if there's coolant right there at the top and in the cap area, then it's full and you put the cap back on for good. Watch the overflow bottle too for a while, that's an easy way to tell if it's losing a lot of coolant.

For the heater, find the vacuum line that leads to a coolant hose device. Follow the coolant lines around until you find the one place where a vacuum line connects into a device there. That will be the HCV, heater control valve, and it's to control coolant going to the heater core. Check the vacuum line when the engine is running, to see that it has a good vacuum on the line with your finger over the end. If the HCV works, one position is for hot coolant to hit the heater core and warm the inside air(if the blend door is positioned properly). So you end up playing with the heater control to see if it alters the air temperature inside.

 

[hondaslave1342]

He clearly stated coolant in the first sentence. If you want to be technical “coolant” is a generic term that could be almost anything. If you’re going to be overly specific be all the way specific, and say propylene glycol and water, or whatever is appropriate for his Sportrac.

Happy New year

 

[FrankT99]

DONE!
I still had a large air pocket in the system. I used a spill-free funnel kit and after 15 minutes of idling a large bubble came out and the temperature gauge and climate control started working again.
I'll be checking the coolant and tranny levels for a few more days.

Thank you for all of your help and patience.
And of course: Happy New Year!