3.3TT Coolant cap replaced

[killinghall]

My 2022 was delivered in summer 2021 with coolant at the L level when cool. It would go right up to F when sufficiently warmed up.

Winter arrives and the coolant goes a bit below L. I go to the dealership to have it topped up and it sits between L and F when cool.

6 months on, summer is here again and it has gradually lost coolant over time. It's back to L when cool. No leaks whatsoever and I bring it to the dealership to get it checked again.

They're replacing the radiator cap this time.

 

[D.J.]

Are you possibly misreading the "F" as an "H"?

Did they change the F for full to an H on the overflow reservoir?

Was there any signs of leakage around the rad cap they replaced?

 

[killinghall]

Sorry, I meant F and have corrected my post.

There was absolutely no leakage around the cap since the last top up. I check it during every car wash.The service advisor also confirmed this and said the cap wasn holding down as well as it should, so evaporation may have gradually occurred over the months. Not sure if they did a pressure test though.

 

[D.J.]

Sorry, I meant F and have corrected my post.

There was absolutely no leakage around the cap since the last top up. I check it during every car wash.The service advisor also confirmed this and said the cap wasn holding down as well as it should, so evaporation may have gradually occurred over the months. Not sure if they did a pressure test though.

This all sounds pretty normal to me.

Some amount of evaporation is normal.

I have added about 400ml of coolant over the last 100,000 kms.

 

[JSolo]

I've found with the 2.5T, it's the shorter trips that cause a coolant smell around the car after shutting off (yet no leaks). Have a gal of kia 50/50 mix to top off periodically.

 

[killinghall]

Fair enough. But I've never owned a car that ever needed it's coolant topped up.

 

[JSolo]

^^Welcome to kia/hyundai.

 

[D.J.]

Fair enough. But I've never owned a car that ever needed it's coolant topped up.

Did your other cars have a sealed coolant system? Without a radcap? Like many VW's and some Mazda's?

Vehicles with a pressurized overflow tank (no rad cap - the rad is ported to the pressurized overflow) these systems have 1 cap in total, not a rad cap + overflow cap).

Example of a non-KIA sealed system attached.


NOTE: - The part is called "rad cap". But it doesn't go on the rad. It's a single cap system - where you add coolant only to the overflow reservoir.
this is an example of a sealed system that does not allow for any evaporation.

 

[ChaneRZ]

My Audi is at 80k miles and never topped off the coolant. It has sealed system btw.

 

[D.J.]

My Audi is at 80k miles and never topped off the coolant. It has sealed system btw.

Sealed system is superior IMO.

 

[killinghall]

This all sounds pretty normal to me. Some amount of evaporation is normal. I have added about 400ml of coolant over the last 100,000 kms.

Did your other cars have a sealed coolant system? Without a radcap? Like many VW's and some Mazda's?

Vehicles with a pressurized overflow tank (no rad cap - the rad is ported to the pressurized overflow) these systems have 1 cap in total, not a rad cap + overflow cap).

Example of a non-KIA sealed system attached.


NOTE: - The part is called "rad cap". But it doesn't go on the rad. It's a single cap system - where you add coolant only to the overflow reservoir.
this is an example of a sealed system that does not allow for any evaporation.

View attachment 77588

I've owned a range of cars with both types of cooling systems and don't recall topping up coolant, not in the last 15 years at least. Only engine oil.

 

[ChaneRZ]

As long as everything is normal and no overheating.

 

[5tinger]

This is normal. Both my Stinger & Forte Turbo have a very small amount of evaporation if the overflow is at the full mark when cold. However oddly the evaporation stops once the coolant is sitting in between low and full when cold.

 

[JSolo]

^^It appears to be normal for a kia/hyundai. In decades of owning cars, I've never experienced this with any other car. Never had to add coolant unless doing a service.

 

[5tinger]

I suppose occasionally topping off with fresh coolant will keep the additives replenished.

 

[D.J.]

I suppose occasionally topping off with fresh coolant will keep the additives replenished.

Additives?

 

[5tinger]

The chemicals in the coolant that help with cooling, freezing, rust inhabitation, seal conditioning etc

 

[3SPKY5U]

AFAIK the reason this slowly happens and you can smell coolant around these cars after driving them hard is due to how the cooling system is vented.

It’s not inherently bad, you just need to top up occasionally.