i'm running very low on engine coolant and was wondering if i could buy it off Autozone or it's better to get it from the dealer? Also, does the old one need to get flushed cuz i think that's what i saw in the manual

 

you can use an autozone coolant.
Just make sure its 50/50 water/anti-freeze

 

Alirght. So as long as it' 50/50 it'll be fine correct? does brand matter for coolant?

 

Brand does not matter.
As long as its 50/50 water/anti-freeze.

 

Depending on how many miles on your car, you might want to flush out the radiator... I could be wrong. it just sounds logical.

 

Why are you low on coolant? Leak? Gasket? This situation could only get worse if you don't figure it out.

 

i have 49000+. and i do not know why i'm low on coolant. i'm making a trip to CT tomorrow so just want to have enough coolant and going to dealership for an oil change and i guess i'll figure it out then.

Do you think it's fine to drive to CT after refilling the coolant and taking care of the problem after or should this be done asap?

 

Hold on. You want a non-silicate formulation made for use in aluminum engines. According to the manual (page 207), use only Honda Type 2. An off-brand non-silicate coolant made for aluminum engines is suitable temporarily, but the system should be flushed and refilled with Honda Type 2:

If the coolant level in the reserve
tank is at or below the MIN line, add
coolant to bring it up to the MAX line.
Inspect the cooling system for leaks.
Always use Honda All Season
Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2. This
coolant is pre-mixed with 50 percent
antifreeze and 50 percent water.
Never add straight antifreeze or
plain water.
If Honda antifreeze/coolant is not
available, you may use another
major-brand non-silicate coolant as a
temporary replacement. Make sure it
is a high-quality coolant
recommended for aluminum engines.
Continued use of any non-Honda
coolant can result in corrosion,
causing the cooling system to
malfunction or fail. Have the cooling
system flushed and refilled with
Honda antifreeze/coolant as soon as
possible.

Just telling you what your manual says.

 

stick with honda coolant! As well if you have a 2004 or 2005 TL, it'd be a great opportunity to get the radiator flushed and new coolant put in the system!

 

i have a 06. do you know around how much the dealership would charge?

 

your big problem is WHY and WHERE is it losing coolant from

modern coolants that say approved for acura are fine.. in my opinion

first inspect the res cap- it has a hose connected inside the cap,, that goes down into the res bottle-
It likes to fall of the cap,, and the system wont transfer as needed

ck the radiator cap seal and pressure test
been a bunch of those failures recently on azine
Have the system pressure tested to find the leak or DIY with borrowed tool from parts store
could be a rock hit to the radiator or a bad seam on radiator
No signs of coolant on ground or on bottem of car anywhere??

DO NOT take it on a trip until you know the prob and fix it
unless you like standing around with a blown hose and ruined motor waiting for the tow truck

was it low in the rad or just the res bottle?
low rad means major leak somewhere

 

pull out the phone book and look in the back for `radiator repairing`
call a few and see who can get you in right away

those shops can do all the testing needed and fix whatever is wrong
Coolant is their thing~

dealer will charge $150 diagnosis PLUS whatever is wrong = $500
let a private shop take care of it for you

 

my other question is, (maybe stupid question but i'm a noob). isnt the coolant supposed to be used which leads to going low?

 

No, coolant does not get used. Ideally, it is a closed system.

Even if you just put filtered water in the system, it would be better than running it low. Top it off (through the radiatior cap) with some Aquafina, or something. Then, fill the overflow container (the white thing to the left) half way up with the water.

The water will not hurt anything, but you will need to get some antifreeze in there before winter. ...but it sounds like you need to get it looked any anyway, so have the coolant flushed/replaced when you do.

 

Stick with OEM. You must use a non silicate low phosphorus formula and the factory stuff is one of the few that meets that criteria.

If it's just a little low in the reservior you can top it off with distilled water.

It's not supposed to use anything but I add about an ounce once a year. In the beginning when it was new mine had a small leak where the hose attatches to the reservior. A small black zip tie cured it. Many of them leak at this spot.

If you go to the trouble of buying a gallon, you might as well drain the radiator at the valve on the bottom and refill. It takes almost exactly a gallon. Unless you live in an extremely cold climate, topping up with distilled water is fine.

Is it just the reservior that's low or the radiator?

 

About $13 for a gallon, IIRC-- which is just a bit more than the stuff at Autozone, but specifically designed for the TL's engine and cooling system.

Oh, and I've used less than 1/3 of a gallon in the 5+ years of owning the car.

 

Some vehicles allow you to go "generic" (like a Nissan Murano or Frontier uses mean-green Prestone just fine). Everything I've read on this forum says stay with Honda Type 2 coolant (the blue stuff) for our TLs.

 

The Honda blue juice actually performs pretty well, stick with it. Most auto parts stores, at least in my area, don't stock much of the non silicate coolants.