dropped my engine coolant cap

kenchan

pull out your engine and see where it landed.

MightyBobo

Lol

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SouthArk370Z

My engine compartment stays pretty clean - very little road dirt/dust. I wouldn't be afraid to run without the cap for a few days while looking for the lost one or obtaining a replacement. See any of the oil change DIYs to see how to remove the cover on the bottom of the engine compartment.

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jakexlee

thanks guys. ill just keep looking for it, if not ill have to buy a new cap. i dont know where though....

JARblue

Remove the engine undershroud (like you would to do an oil change). It's probably down there. You could probably lift the car (use the scissors jack in the hatch if you don't have one) and tap on the bottom of the undershroud to determine if it fell down that far before actually removing it. Though I suspect you will have to remove it regardless to get the cap out.

Any dealership should be able to get one for you. Or there may be some aftermarket options.

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SouthArk370Z

Just about any auto parts store should carry replacement caps. Might be labeled for coolant overflow bottle or other under-the-hood bottle.

My guess is that Nissan doesn't sell just the cap, but all it costs is a phone call to find out.

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sixpax

... order one from the dealer.

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jakexlee

so i found out its not the washer fluid cap... i am so dumb wow... my washer fluid is good now because i found where it was.....



what is that white filter thing? i put some washer fluid in there.... !#@$! please help ASAP.... is it going to cause some damage to my car?
what even goes in there?

SouthArk370Z

That's the engine coolant (antifreeze) overflow bottle. If you haven't run the engine since adding the washer fluid, you should be OK just draining and rinsing the bottle.
I'm not sure how the factory coolant will react with whatever in in the washer fluid (alcohol?), but I wouldn't take a chance. If you have run the engine since adding the washer fluid, I'd drain/flush the whole system. Hopefully someone will tell you that they are compatible.

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jakexlee

yes im sure it is... hahahah

thanks for the response. ive been driving since for about 4 days. . . damn i should've known... my engine coolant (antifreeze) was pretty much empty, do i need to refill this soon as well? anyways more responses would be appreciated! I lost the cap for the engine coolant then... is the cap required? or can i still run it without.

JARblue

Yikes! I would have the coolant system flushed asap. That is the engine coolant overflow reservoir cap. Ask wherever you take if they can replace it for you or find the one you dropped down in the engine bay.

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jakexlee

thanks. i dont know how to flush it but should i just go to a local gas station mechanic? or autoshop? damn... this sucks.

SouthArk370Z

The bottle is vented to atmosphere so lack of a cap won't affect operation, but you're likely to slosh antifreeze into the engine compartment - messy stuff.

I'd ask an expert (or two or three) about how the washer fluid will affect the coolant before driving very much.

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JARblue

If you're concerned about sloshing, use some foil and wire to cap off the reservoir Similar to plastic wrap and a rubber band, but I would use materials that can handle the heat being in the engine bay.

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