What Can Happen if You Overfill Your Coolant?
You check the antifreeze level in your car’s tank, and it looks like the tank needs more antifreeze. This means you haven’t filled it all the way to the end of the filler neck, so you make the mistake of filling it all the way to the top. This can cause problems.
Note that the tank has level lines marked for cold or hot engine conditions. Do not fill above the “hot” line, and never fill to the “hot” line when the engine is cold. If the tank is overfilled, it will overflow when the engine warms up. And here are some of the problems this can cause:
1) Clutter in the engine bay
As mentioned before, many cars don’t have a drain hose to direct overflowing fluid under the engine. So coolant drips and splashes into the engine bay.
Also, while driving, turbulence under the hood can spread sticky antifreeze all over the engine bay. At the very least, this will be a messy mess to clean up later. Additionally, if the coolant comes into contact with very hot metal parts under the hood, you will experience a strong smell of burnt coolant inside and outside the car.
2) Potential Damage to Electronics
There are a lot of electronic components packed tightly under the hood. If antifreeze swirls around the engine bay, these electronic components can easily be damaged.
Splashing on equipment such as the alternator, engine sensors and controls, or ignition coils and spark plugs can cause the engine to stall and force you to park on the side of the road. Repairing moisture damage to electronic components can also be costly.
3) Danger to Animals
There are many types of antifreeze. Most of them are toxic. If your car is in your or another family member’s driveway, it can leave a puddle of water down the drain that attracts pets.
Consuming this antifreeze outside of the driveway can kill livestock and wildlife. Be kind to animals. Don’t overfill your cooling system with water. How to Remove Excess Coolant
So you made the mistake of filling your coolant tank to the top. Now what? Check your auto parts store or hardware store (take a different car). Such stores usually sell small hand-operated suction pumps with a plastic hose suitable for sucking excess fluid out of your coolant tank.
Mityvac is a popular product, but Pennzoil’s multi-purpose pump is also a good, affordable choice. You can also use a plastic baster, available at most grocery stores and large discount stores. Don’t use this baster in your kitchen again this Thanksgiving.
Store the coolant in a sturdy plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Label this container “50-50 Antifreeze” for future use. Keep out of reach of children. Follow local environmental laws when disposing of it.
Is it safe to drive with a temporary high amount of coolant? This poses a risk of creating the coolant overflow problem mentioned above. While this does not pose a security risk in itself, it can create the three problems mentioned above. For these reasons, unless it is an emergency, avoid driving the vehicle until the coolant level has been corrected.