Help on a water problem requested

[tadd5181]

My Passage 420 has a plastic water bottle, with a hose running to the "radiator cap". The bottle is empty but when I take off the "radiator cap" there is water clear to the top. Shouldn't there be water in the bottle? How can I get the water into the bottle?

I think I have attached a photo...the bottle is the top right of the picture.

Sorry for the dumb question but any help is appreciated.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Just pour a 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water into the bottle. It's an overflow bottle, just like your car.

 

[seadaddler]

Good

It just means everything is running good but like said just add the orange 50/50 mix in the bottle.
Nick

 

[Bill Roosa]

I have found that taking the top off the bottle helps to get the 50/50 mix in. It looks like a close fit so either use a small measuring cup or a turkey baster.

 

[tadd5181]

but the bottle being empty is ok even w/o the 50/50 mixture? Is it ok to have remain empty? or is it better to have it half full of the mixture?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Empty is good as long as the heat exchanger is full or close.

 

[tadd5181]

thank you all for your quick help...my mind now relieved

 

[Rich Stidger]

I like to keep a small amount of 50/50 antifreeze mix in the bottle all the time. There should be a "minimum" mark on the bottle. This minimium amount will allow the engine to suck in antifreeze to replace any that has leaked or gassed out of the radiator-type cap. If there is no replacement in the over-flow tank, you could create an air bubble in the closed cooling system.

 

[Bill Roosa]

If you look closely at the bottle it has a "full hot" and "full cold" line. you would want to keep the fluid above the full cold line so the engine does not suck air into the cooling system. This is to prevent air entering and causing rust. Also by noting the level of the line when you do your pre start checks you can tell if the coolant level in the engine is full or not.

 

[Johnb]

Aye to what Bill Roosa wrote. I had to do some clean out on my system to clear the piece of pipe and then remove stuff in the bottle that was almost like jelly. After that I see the bottle level rise during running and drop when it cools down again. Now that it is getting regular service that has not re occurred in 10 years.