PT Cruiser Forum

BJHammond · #1 (**permalink**) 05 Apr 2010, 12:39 pm

Hello, I have a 2002 PT Cruiser LE. Yesterday I noticed my engine coolant temperature gauge rising several times. Each time I turned off the A/C it went down, but still rose when I had to idle for more than a few seconds. When I got home I looked under the hood and the cap to the coolant bottle was missing and the coolant level was below the ADD mark.

1) Must I get a new bottle or can I just get a new cap (the bottle looks just fine)?

2) Until I can get the bottle/cap fixed or replaced should I add coolant or water or will this just splash out and damage the engine?

3) If it is essential to cover the opening of the bottle to prevent spillage, is there a temporary jerry-rig or makeshift replacement for the cap that I can use until I can get a proper new one?

If anyone could help me with this I would be profoundly grateful. This site is awesome. I've had the apparently all-too-common problem with the fog lights not going off. Had I not read some of the posts here I would have undoubtedly ended up paying for a new control lever.

Hooligan · #2 (**permalink**) 05 Apr 2010, 01:52 pm

BJ, Welcome to the Forum

. You didn't fill out your profile, but first thing I'd try would be a salvage yard or go to one of our advertising friends and see if they have a cap.

Was the bottle 1/2 way between full & add before you saw it was low?

The next thing I would check is the radiator fan and make sure that is working correctly.

If you bought it at a dealer, take it back, there must be a least a 30 day warranty even IF you bought it at a used lot.

CREWZIN · #3 (**permalink**) 05 Apr 2010, 02:55 pm

Follow Hooligans advise. Short answer to your original question. Yes, you need the cap. The coolant system is supposed to be a closed loop and without the overflow cap, it's not.

quicksilverdon · #4 (**permalink**) 06 Apr 2010, 09:58 am

1) just cap
2) if you add water - be sure it's distilled water - you can buy it in suprmarkets for steam irons - and if you use antifreeze, be sure it's HOAT - read user manual - but do add!
3) It isn't a pressure cap - just keeps crud out and antifreeze from splashing out. Quick & dirty - get plastic wrap, cover opening and zip-tie the wrap to the filler neck. when you get new cap, clip the zip-tie.

BJHammond · #5 (**permalink**) 06 Apr 2010, 02:57 pm

Thanks to everyone who replied

. I was able to order a replacement cap and will be picking it up tomorrow. The "quick and dirty" should get me there and back. After that I'll see if there's any other damage to the system

.

I bought it new and have had it since 2002 (104,989 miles and counting). My dad was "the dealer," which is why I know so little about cars

. My wife and I drove from Knoxville to Nashville last week, running the A/C off and on the whole way, and had no problems whatsoever. I have no clue what happened to the cap

and I haven't checked under the hood in nearly a month (it was about 2/3 above ADD when I did), but I can't believe it's been off for more than a few days since I didn't notice any "symptoms" before that. The radiator fan appears to be working fine at the moment.

Anyway, thanks again for the good counsel; I'll probably need some more again very soon.

Hooligan · #6 (**permalink**) 06 Apr 2010, 03:30 pm

BJ, did your dad replace the timing belt and water pump B 4 the 100,000 mile mark? If not you better do it now as it is recommended to do that around the 100,000 mile mark.

SantaGuy · #7 (**permalink**) 06 Apr 2010, 06:13 pm

Leave it to an old hippie to think that BJ wanted to buy some grass. (Far out dude!)

BJHammond · #8 (**permalink**) 06 Apr 2010, 08:12 pm

Hooligan wrote:
"BJ, did your dad replace the timing belt and water pump B 4 the 100,000 mile mark? If not you better do it now as it is recommended to do that around the 100,000 mile mark."

Yes, I had issues with both before 100,000 miles. Actually, my dad retired a few years ago after more than 40 years as part owner and service manager of a Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth dealership in Athens, Tennessee. I try to only bug him now with the really serious stuff -- which hopefully this won't turn out to be! It's true I don't know very much about what he did so well for so many years, but he certainly drilled into me the importance of regular maintenance.