Quick question experts.

My coolant bottle is looking increasingly harder to 'see through'. I am thinking this is because it is plastic and over time the plastic melts from the heat in the engine bay (especially my hard used rev limiter at 38c ambient temperature engine bay).

Nothing wrong with the car or the coolant level, I was just wondering do these coolant bottles need to be replaced over time?

Maybe a quick wipe of the bottle while the engine bay is cold would help?

You need to take it out of the car and clean the inside with a bottle brush or similar, it's probably just got a bunch of crud caked in there.

its nothing to do with the plastic melting, it is surface contamination

might indicate a problem with the coolant being out of spec

what is the gunk? brown, white, smelly??

RobW said:

its nothing to do with the plastic melting, it is surface contamination

might indicate a problem with the coolant being out of spec

what is the gunk? brown, white, smelly??

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no its fine it just isn't as clear as it used to be as in its not so see through.

ahmett said:

no its fine it just isn't as clear as it used to be as in its not so see through.

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Just use a torch, shine it in from the top

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Just use a torch, shine it in from the top

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Or cut a thin carboard strip out of an old box and use it as a disposable dipstick.

jrkitching said:

Or cut a thin carboard strip out of an old box and use it as a disposable dipstick.

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Who are you calling a dipstick??

chas379 said:

Who are you calling a dipstick??

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I wasn't even calling you an old box :shakehead:.

But if the cap fits...

jrkitching said:

I wasn't even calling you an old box :shakehead:.

But if the cap fits...

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The plastic discolours because of the heat and maybe stained by the coolant on the inside. It will eventually go brittle and I suppose ultimately crack but that would take 1000 years if we believe Greenpeace..

No harm in it going opaque, though it'd annoy me eventually and I'd have to buy a new one..


Ralf S.