New Owner, several questions

[JimRedFF]

I just returned home from first drive, vehicle delivered Sat. Mark III, 351 standard build, 116 miles. Opened hood and there was fluid leaking from overflow reservoir. The temp gauge (accuracy ?) never exceeded 130. The container had only several ounces in bottom when it cooled. Next step ????. Concerns. Thanks

[David Hodgkins]

Hi Jim, welcome to the forum, and welcome to Roadster ownership!

I went ahead and upgraded your account so you can edit your profile and use the pic albums.

Regarding your overflow: Was it at 130 Celsius or Fahrenheit? Obviously it has huge ramifications one way or the other. If Celsius, then you were running hot and the overflow may have been expected at that temp. If Fahrenheit then the thermostat should never have opened.

Check your oil. too little? Too much?? How long did you run the motor? Did you hear the fan switch on?

:)

[wallace18]

If That is 130 C. Some builders make the fan come on with a switch on the dash. I would check there for sure. I hope nothing got damaged for you.

[JimRedFF]

Hi Jim, welcome to the forum, and welcome to Roadster ownership!

I went ahead and upgraded your account so you can edit your profile and use the pic albums.

Regarding your overflow: Was it at 130 Celsius or Fahrenheit? Obviously it has huge ramifications one way or the other. If Celsius, then you were running hot and the overflow may have been expected at that temp. If Fahrenheit then the thermostat should never have opened.

Check your oil. too little? Too much?? How long did you run the motor? Did you hear the fan switch on?

:)
Thanks. Celsius is correct. It was initially running well below 100 as I slowed toward home it started to rise it was just beyond 115 for less than mile from house . Fan was running. I checked oil just above full. Can too much oil be the culprit ? What else should I look for ?

[skullandbones]

If you have any type of small leak in your cooling system, it will eventually cause a problem. This could be from a failing radiator cap (replace) or a small leak in a fitting on the intake like I had on first start up. I forgot to use sealant on the fitting. It was not enough to spray water but a small stream of steam came out with only a couple drops of fluid.

But first check the common culprits. A stuck or bad thermostat is first. Then check for air bubble in the system causing the fluid to not flow as normally. Did you buy from an individual or a company? I would be leery of someone putting too much oil in the car. That's something that is usually done carefully. Also, you might need to check to see if the dip stick is reading correctly. If it is an OEM one then it is probably right but the Lockar and other after market ones usually have to be fit and cut to the correct length.

Have you had some normal driving time on the car? I am assuming that was the 116 miles you mentioned. If you get to the point where you have taken the thermostat out and see that it has rust on it, remove, flush system, and replace with new thermostat. If you have a contact from where you bought the car, you should give them feedback to see a little more about the history if you haven't already.

Good luck,

WEK.