What Will Happen If I Overfill My Porsche Coolant?
Coolant or the antifreeze is a fluid that is added to your engine to help prevent it from overheating. Without the coolant, the engine will get too hot causing serious damage and even making the engine to seize and require replacement. Filling and maintaining your coolant is a very simple procedure. However, if you overfill the coolant, you can bring a lot of harm to your Porsche engine. When in doubt, make sure to have your coolant filled by a professional mechanic, or have them guide you through the process of refilling.
How It Works
The coolant reservoir tank, also known as the coolant overflow bottle, holds the coolant when the fluid heats up. It provides space for the coolant to expand without causing damage. Coolant tanks usually have two marks. One of the marks shows the coolant on the reservoir when it is hot and the other when it is cold. Normally, when there is too much coolant in the reservoir tank, the excess is expelled out through the overflow hose. In case the expelling does not occur, it leads to some damages. Read on to find out more about what will happen if you overfill your Porsche coolant.
Pressure Build Up
If you overfill the coolant, there will not be enough space to allow for expansion of the heated coolant in the reservoir. As a consequent, there will be an increase in the pressure inside the reservoir. This pressure in turn opens the cap of the tank and hence hot coolant pops out like lava. However, in the case that the cap of the tank is corroded or tight, the built-up pressure pops out through the freeze plug. This is very dangerous and may result in severe injuries when you try to open the cap.
The Electrical Damage
Electrical damage may be rare but when it occurs, the extent of the damage it causes is massive. The overflowing coolant may come into contact with the wiring of the engine. This leads to electrical failure. When this occurs, your Porsche will not be able to start. You may also experience battery leakage, dim headlights, or even malfunctioning brake lights. These repairs may be very costly and it is therefore very important that you always fill up the coolant reservoir according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Damage To The Environment
In most instances, when you overfill the coolant reservoir, the excess gets out through the overflow hose. It may not exactly pose challenges to your Porsche but the harm to the environment may be substantial. The expelled coolant is also harmful to stray animals and other animals in the surrounding area. The coolant is very dangerous especially to animals as it tastes good. However it will kill them once they ingest it.
Point To Note
Considering the danger an overfilled coolant reservoir poses, it is important that you be cautious. You should be careful enough to fill in the coolant to the marked levels and not exceeding. This is important as it will help you save your Porsche, money, the environment as well as animals.