Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Can anyone provide any information regarding a normal amount of increase in the level of the fluid in the radiator overflow bottle?

Mine was previously overflowing but had done a few things (replaced cap and thermostat, radiator flush, genuine mitsu coolant) and the issue seems to have improved greatly.

I drove about 500km yesterday and repeated the trip home today and the fluid level rose by about 5cm in the overflow bottle.

Would this be a "normal" amount of expansion? It is a bit more than the difference between the low and high marks on the bottle but not by much.

The mech filled the bottle up to about half way between the "low" and the "full" mark so now whne the engine is hot it rises to above the full mark.

Thanks for the comments.

yes that's normal and that's what it's supposed to do.

When engine gets hot excess coolant gets pushed to the overflow bottle via radiator cap pressure relief. When the engine cools down a vacuum is created in cooling system and that coolant gets vacuumed back into the system.

Just check in the morning whether the level has dropped.

If the amount of lift and drop stays constant then it's normal. If the level keeps rising or dropping then something is wrong.

Thanks 4ePik. It seems to have reached a sort of equilibrium. Don't seem to be losing any fluid.

Was just concerned that the amount of "rise" in the overflow bottle was greater than what it is supposed to be.

Hopefully the issue is now sorted out.

The Pajero is at Ronnies today to have the gearbox serviced properly and to get the SRS light to stay off.

drove to colchester and paterson and back to EL yesterday and the level in the overflow bottle changed only minimally. so hopefully that is a sign that all is ok.