Car Hire & coolant issue

Liquid_Entity · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:48

I've been given a hire car from Europcar while my car that got hit 2 weeks ago is in for repair. This morning I get in the car and start the engine and ut warns me of a coolant issue. I checked the engine bay and coolant tank and it was about an inch below the minimum level.

I called Europcar and got through to the depot my hire car is rented out to and he just told me to top it up with water. Given it was - 8c this morning I thought this might not be a good idea down the line. Anyway topped up with water and then drove it to work. I'm just wondering if this is a good idea and why they aren't asking to look at the car.

Clarkey · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:52

It's not your car so why care?

rodenal · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:53

If it was filled with the right mix of coolant before it dropped it will likely be fine

Given that they shouldn't lose any though, chances of that might be slim - still, their problem rather than yours.

arctine · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:53

Liquid_Entity said:
I've been given a hire car from Europcar while my car that got hit 2 weeks ago is in for repair. This morning I get in the car and start the engine and ut warns me of a coolant issue. I checked the engine bay and coolant tank and it was about an inch below the minimum level.

I called Europcar and got through to the depot my hire car is rented out to and he just told me to top it up with water. Given it was - 8c this morning I thought this might not be a good idea down the line. Anyway topped up with water and then drove it to work. I'm just wondering if this is a good idea and why they aren't asking to look at the car.

How much water? A few hundred ml diluted in a few litres of coolant won't hurt.

Malt_Vinegar · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:54

Unless it's happened a number of times and there is now very diluted coolant in there now?!

Liquid_Entity · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:58

It took about 2 pints of water. I'll check it over next few days.

I don't care but I do need to get to work and don't want he car breakdown in the middle of nowhere in the night.

Gaygle · 30 Nov 2016 at 19:59

I'd imagine they don't really care that much. Also, 300ml of water in a cooling system which holds 6 litres of coolant isn't going to change the ratio enough to make any difference.

I'd fill it up and keep a couple of litres of water in the car in case it's a leak that may leave you stranded without some coolant

acemastr · 30 Nov 2016 at 20:10

I doubt -8 would crack an engine block overnight, especially if it had been run that day. They don't care, you don't care, don't worry

Gaygle · 30 Nov 2016 at 20:16

Lol, -8c is absolutely nothing.

50/50 coolant is good to like -30c

Liquid_Entity · 30 Nov 2016 at 20:21

Cool, I'll just carry on as normal then.

Orionaut · 30 Nov 2016 at 21:02

Liquid_Entity said:
It took about 2 pints of water. I'll check it over next few days.

I don't care but I do need to get to work and don't want he car breakdown in the middle of nowhere in the night.

Cars shouldn't lose water, If you are doing this persistently then the vehicle has a serious fault!

Two pints is a lot, I would be concerned! and would check it each journey until I was sure it was just a one off.

If you are continuing to lose water, get onto the hire company ASAP!

chaparral · 30 Nov 2016 at 21:30

Liquid_Entity said:
I'm just wondering if this is a good idea and why they aren't asking to look at the car.

They most likely don't care because if it runs out of water and blows the engine then they just make you pay for it anyway....

[TW]Fox · 30 Nov 2016 at 21:38

There is clearly a fault with the car, a nearly new car does not require its coolant level topping up as a matter of routine.

If you need to cover any sort of distance I'd be calling by the branch and asking for an exchange vehicle.

Dr Who · 1 Dec 2016 at 04:35

[TW]Fox;30266093 said:
There is clearly a fault with the car, a nearly new car does not require its coolant level topping up as a matter of routine.

If you need to cover any sort of distance I'd be calling by the branch and asking for an exchange vehicle.

For an inch below minimum in an expansion tank? However at 2 pints it must have the largest expansion tank ever

LOL

[TW]Fox · 1 Dec 2016 at 08:06

Dr Who said:
For an inch below minimum in an expansion tank? However at 2 pints it must have the largest expansion tank ever

Correct. It is a sealed system - the car doesn't use coolant in its normal operation so there is no need to top up a brand new or even reasonably new car with coolant unless there is a fault in the system which has caused the level to drop from max to below minimum. An inch below is an inch below, if that was the correct level it wouldn't have a minimum mark an inch higher would it?

The coolant has gone somewhere and it's not the OP's problem where that is. The car has a problem with the cooling system.

LOL

Indeed, LOL

Jez · 1 Dec 2016 at 08:49

Why the mention of only new or nearly new in this? Cars should never use coolant, period. I never understand people casually mentioning topping up the coolant on a car (you seem to hear it a fair amount day to day). If i have ever topped up coolant on any car it was because the car had a definite fault with it.

On that note, echo Mr Fox, given how easy is is to swap a rental, i would definitely insist on swapping it.

Howard · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:11

Indeed. None of my cars have ever required topping up with coolant, even my 1990 MX5. I had to replace a hose to the heater matrix in my current Mondeo since it was weeping slightly, causing the level to drop over the course of a couple of months. Since I replaced the hose, it's not dropped at all.

If the level is below the minimum then it's obviously gone somewhere and it would concern me that whatever problem exists could suddenly get a lot worse. It's the hire car company's responsibility to provide you, the customer, with a reliable vehicle.

Siliconslave · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:12

and this ladies is why you never buy an ex-rental car

jamoor · 1 Dec 2016 at 09:29

Yes, I'd recommend you call them and say you want to exchange the car.

Dr Who · 1 Dec 2016 at 15:58

[TW]Fox;30266776 said:
Correct. It is a sealed system - the car doesn't use coolant in its normal operation so there is no need to top up a brand new or even reasonably new car with coolant unless there is a fault in the system which has caused the level to drop from max to below minimum. An inch below is an inch below, if that was the correct level it wouldn't have a minimum mark an inch higher would it?

The coolant has gone somewhere and it's not the OP's problem where that is. The car has a problem with the cooling system.

Indeed, LOL

Actually it is not completely sealed, there is a pressure relief in the system and some steam can escape, and if the tank had been overfilled at some stage it can often blow it out, you also assume that it was fully bled at the factory, not always the case and hire cars often have their first inspection skipped.

It is not uncommon for them to need topping up after new before first service, depends on how new the car is.

Also water contracts when cold and not frozen.

2 pints is a hell of a lot, hope he didn't fill the expansion tank or it is gonna blow it out again. It should be between min and max at operating temp, and only at min when completely cold for most cars.