[Kage]

Feel I need to do some looking after with my car.

Been driving it now for 6 months round abouts since its last service, and since then, I haven't filled it with any more water, or filled up coolant, etc, etc.

Might sound bad, but the temperature read out doesn't go over the standard half its always gone too, so its not overheating.

I do want to refill with some more though.

What can I do? Refill it with water? Or does it have to be some sort of chemical with water? Any substitutes?
I'm guessing its already got some antifreeze still in it, but I'm not sure exactly what to do.

Any help will be appreciated. It's been on my to do list for weeks and I've been too unknowing to attempt it.

[1992LP]

Why do you want to refill it with water, is the coolant low?

Make a point of checking all the levels once a week or so. If they are low, top them up. If they are fine, then leave them alone

[Kage]

I just worry that I'm somehow damaging the car.

Surely over the term of 6 months, the actual coolant would have evaporated? Or not?

All seems fine temperature wise. Just not sure what I should be doing to fill it up with the liquids it needs, if any.

It is going for an M.O.T come July though, but I'm going to take it to be serviced soon as I know for sure the gear stick spring has broke for starters.
It also doesn't seem to be delivering as much power as it used to, and this is in the space of 6 months of use... Worries me.
It is a 9 year old car, but it has only done 12,500 miles to date.

[M4LLY]

Just check it more often

[Kage]

I have checked it in the past, but I would have thought it would have needed some kind of a refill with something or other.

[1992LP]

(Original post by Kage)
I just worry that I'm somehow damaging the car.

Surely over the term of 6 months, the actual coolant would have evaporated? Or not?

All seems fine temperature wise. Just not sure what I should be doing to fill it up with the liquids it needs, if any.

It is going for an M.O.T come July though, but I'm going to take it to be serviced soon as I know for sure the gear stick spring has broke for starters.
It also doesn't seem to be delivering as much power as it used to, and this is in the space of 6 months of use... Worries me.
It is a 9 year old car, but it has only done 12,500 miles to date.

I have never had a car burn off any coolant, and I check fairly regularly so nothing unusual there. Glad you are keeping an eye on the temperature gauge though, if it ever shoots up turn the car off ASAP.

A 9 year old car with 12.5k miles? When was it last serviced? Did it come with any service history?

Give it a proper, and I mean proper service if you can. Oil, filters, plugs, coolant, the works. If they have not been changed in a while then that is why you are down on power.

[Kage]

(Original post by 1992LP)
I have never had a car burn off any coolant, and I check fairly regularly so nothing unusual there. Glad you are keeping an eye on the temperature gauge though, if it ever shoots up turn the car off ASAP.

A 9 year old car with 12.5k miles? When was it last serviced? Did it come with any service history?

Give it a proper, and I mean proper service if you can. Oil, filters, plugs, coolant, the works. If they have not been changed in a while then that is why you are down on power.

Thanks for the reply again.

Yeah, 12.5k
Took it for a full service when I had bought it. The owner was an older lady who didn't drive it much and kept it in a garage so the actual body work was great for starters, and smelled rather new.

I believe when it was serviced, it had a full oil change, had some new spark plugs, and a refill of coolant too, and passed the MOT straight away, even though it was sitting in our drive for over a year before I passed my test (I did use it for provisional occasionally but not often), which again worried me.

Opening the bonnet though, and looking at the coolant resoviour, it looks green, like algae. I thought it was dirty water, but I'm guessing its not at all water, and as you said is the coolant.

So the spark plugs, etc are only 6 months out. Something has happened with the gears though. First is slightly harder to get into than it used to be, and like I said, the spring has gone underneath which is actually pretty common with the Micra.
May have to have the suspension checked over too.

It came with a full service history yeah. She had looked after it well. I just fear I'm not looking after it, as well

Certainly going to book a service soon and give it a full once over again.

I would actually really like to learn stuff like this though. I love that show Wheeler Dealers for example, and anything technical in that respect.

[1992LP]

If I am reading that right - you serviced it, then it sat for a year, and now you are using it since you have passed? Sounds like a good service is all it will need to get it back to full health, may be worth putting some injector cleaner (redex) in the fuel tank as well

Take it for a good blast once the engine has warmed up and it should run a lot better!

Coolant is normally green, or sometimes red, or even yellow! Varies from car to car, nothing to worry about there. Just keep an eye on the level and don't let it go below the minimum mark and you should be fine. Check your oil regularly as well.

Spark plugs will probably only need a clean if anything, you could do that yourself - get a Haynes manual and have a look

The gear thing will probably be the bushes on the gear linkage wearing out, not uncommon. Does it get better when the car is warm?

I would imagine the suspension should be alright, does it rattle or make any knocks going over bumps?

Looking after cars is easy. Keep the car clean, or at least inside the arches. Let the engine warm up before thrashing it (i.e. drive gently), keep an eye on the levels, service it every year or so, and it should last for a very long time

I know of many high mileage Micras that have had extremely tough lives so yours will last a good while yet! It is nice to hear someone wanting to learn and look after their car, it doesn't take much and it is very satisfying

[Kage]

Thanks again for the detailed reply!

No, it sat for a year and was then serviced and MOT'd at the same time. Passed its MOT and the servicing was done. Been driving it ever since then (Around June/July)

Could be that on an older car, some things have deminished, even though the mileage isn't high so I will make sure to listen for any sounds whilst driving next time.
The engine does sound a bit hoarse though, which is odd at idle, and at slow speeds now. Not sure if that was there before.

Rattling the gear lever creates a metallic knocking sound, which I've pin pointed to be the spring holding the gear lever in a central position. I can't do that myself as I don't have the tools, but I'm sure it wouldn't cost much at a garage.

Yeah it really does look like algae, like the coolant container has actually been stained by it. It looks between min and max from when I looked a couple of hours back.

[Arron17]

The car shouldn't use any coolant up, if it need topping up regularly it's probably leaking so it need checking.

As for oil car's don't usually burn oil until they have done significant distances.

Because your car has done a low mileage but is old, it may have corrosion or rusting on certain parts of it.

For example my car is 11 years old but it's only done 40k miles. So it still has most of it's original parts. The exhaust has rusted though, I've just had to change a failed water pump and the suspension wishbones are starting to deteriorate (but thats a common problem on my car)

And if it was owned by an old lady it's probably only been used for little runs to shops.

So what you can do is give it an "Italian tune up" which basically means let it warm up and rag the tits off the engine for a few minutes. It's supposed to burn off carbon deposits left there from only running the car whilst its cold.

[mfaxford]

The four things that are most likely to need filling are petrol (or diesel), screen wash (the stuff used to clean your windscreen), oil, and air in the tyres.

Depending on your car and how much you drive you may find you never need to add any oil. I bought oil soon after I got my car so I had some to top up with and it's still unused!

It's good practice to check the various levels (brake fluid, coolant, screen wash, oil, tyre pressure, tyre tread etc. on a regular basis but most should need nothing doing.

[Kage]

Thanks for all the great replies everyone, I feel much happier about the cars condition now.

I'll just keep a keen eye on changes I notice, as I guess no one knows their car better than the owner driving it, so I will listen out for any niggles, and book a quick service for things I've noticed/notice.

[rmhumphries]

As mfaxford said, then the only level only the bonnet you should be regularly adding to is the screenwash (assuming you use the windscreen washers). Oil you may need to add a little every now and then, but shouldn't be too often if at all between services given the condition the car is in, brake fluid and coolant (and if fitted power steering fluid) you should just need to keep an eye on, but they should stay pretty constant when checked when cold.

Other than that, keep the tyres inflated at the levels they should be, add fuel when you need to and you should be fine. If you do a lot of city driving, it is often a good idea to give it a good run down a motorway/dual carriageway for 50-100 just to get any crap out the system.

[Megaross]

I've nothing of great value to contribute, but this just reminds me of a story I once read in the paper.
A woman outside waitrose wanted to top up the washer fluid in her husbands 5 series bmw (less than 6 months old), not knowing where it went she preceded to pour waitrose sparkling water into every single hole in the engine

[Kage]

Haha, well I wouldn't do that!!!

Just gave it a bit of a run tonight, and it seems to be running okay, apart from the fact the boot isn't closing on the catch properly due to the damage my mum caused but its not open enough for it to fling open. Those are the only bangs I can hear, as when she knocked the back bumper and cracked it, its also deformed the main bumper too where the boot fits around.

Been meaning to get that fixed too...

I do hate it though when you have a nice stretch of open free roads, and you suddenly start hitting speed bumps I managed to check all the gears though for signs of wear, and apart from the clunking due to the metallic spring underneath, nothing.

[Camoxide]

(Original post by Megaross)
I've nothing of great value to contribute, but this just reminds me of a story I once read in the paper.
A woman outside waitrose wanted to top up the washer fluid in her husbands 5 series bmw (less than 6 months old), not knowing where it went she preceded to pour waitrose sparkling water into every single hole in the engine

I can see why they have the show me tell me part of the practical test now...

[Dan9878]

I would give the car a bit of a clear out. Put redex or similar in the fuel tank, and go for a long drive. Keep the revs high and stay in a low gear for a bit, to give the engine a bit of a clean.

Green fluid is antifreeze.

[persov]

(Original post by Camoxide)
I can see why they have the show me tell me part of the practical test now...

what a fool for giving her the keys....or marrying someone that stupid. If she really didn't know how to top up washer fluid she could have either consulted the manual or phoned her husband. Usually the cap with the symbol of a washer gives it away lol.

sounds like a contender for the Darwin Awards.

[Kage]

Thanks Dan, it does occasionally get a good run, giving it all its got lol.

Close call today though.
I was pulling out of my drive and I was checking the road on all 3 ways and kept looking as I reversed out. I then hit a small blind spot on one side but it was clear 2 seconds ago so I carried on. Seconds later 'BEEEEEP. BEEEEEEEEEEEEP. BEEEEEEEEP'. A car managed to speed down my road and had to stop. I couldn't have really done anymore than I did. Just seems it was flying through.

[gbduo]

If they had long enough to sound their horn three times, they had plenty of time to stop