aka coolant overflow tank.

This is where I really want to rant about cheap products--ok, so I fix a flat and flush the brakes (I cheated and did it the Lexus dealer way, one caliper, the one where I pulled the wheel off, but the fluid was honey, not black, now it's clear in the reservoir but should turn golden in a few days like from the dealer--easy job just didn't want to jack all 4 wheels and take them off yesterday), great.

So I decide let's top off the reservoir as it's been 1 1/2 yrs. and down I dunno I think 1".

I say hey, why not "extract" some coolant using the Prestone tester (you know with the bulb and tube)? Can you believe this? The end with the tube softly breaks off from no more than the pressure of the tube against the hole, no snap, just fell off. And into the reservoir.

I cannot believe it, my take out chopsticks trick could not help. I taped some duct tape to it and now the duct tape fell off, and then the chopstick!! Cannot make this up.

Next I try bent nose long pliers. They can barely get it but cannot spread. So I did what I thought would make sense, which is to begin using the pliers to break off pieces of that divider inside. Once I did that, I could get a longer (medium) pry bar in, with duct tape turned into double stick tape, and get every thing out. It still wasn't that easy, but I managed.

Now maybe, I could have simply left that broken tube in there, but it didn't feel right. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to break pieces off either, but what could I do? I know that tank is a couple hundred, but after flushing it 5X and refilling with pink 50/50, car ran fine today. I mean we're talking about an opening in the back bottom pass. side, the size of a tube, and all that happens is coolant overflows in when hot, and retreats when cool, right? I can't see how some of that fin divider being gone would do anything, nor what it's there for, other than to baffle the fluid being poured in? Whatever, I don't know how I get myself into these predicaments. And if you think it's user error, well, I grabbed a 2nd Prestone antifreeze tester, and that one split in two. These cheap products are fine, but when they cause consequential damage? imho the mfg should be brought to bear...end rant!

 

Not that it will make you feel any better, but we've all had something like that happen. The worst for me was a piece of plastic falling into the intake on a GM 3800 motor. Several hours later it was extracted. The replacement piece was metal!

 

I have one those Prestone tester. Good to know the end of the tube can just fall off. I learned that when things goes to s*** like that, it means I need to take a step back, breathe and then calmly figure out what need to be done. I do have two cars, so I have a luxury to fix (read: disable) one car for days if needed.

 

Well day 2 and doesn't seem to be any issues....meaning the snapping off of that fin....if it had broken the outside I would have a leak, but that fin is jagged now from the breaks, and I got all the pieces out. Pretty sure when I was looking at it, it does not in fact separate the tank into two sections, it has a gap at the front, which is why I felt I could safely break it off to have more room.

I actually cannot find the tank listed on most websites, thought I had the p/n from eBay. That is scary lol

Yeah, keep in mind my testers are used. Not out of the package. They are $3 and change from Walmart. My hunch is the fluid corrodes the tester--a 2nd one split at the seams! But as mentioned, the tube and its nipple did not snap off. Rather, it simply was already pliable and weakend, and then dropped right into the reservoir....pass side which is the deep part with the connection to the radiator...

the other moral is I should have simply used my fluid pump but it was in the attic. Use the right tool for the job!

 

 

haha true....I still feel mildly bad that I had to break the fin....if you found 100 LS430's, I am pretty sure I'm the only one with a reservoir in that condition.

My colleague said I should have used this....DANG!! I think it would have had no issue with the tube. With the plastic pieces after, maybe still hard to get...


p.s. it's not really a stupid tank, it's a stupid Prestone tool! lol

edit p.p.s--do you think that fin is to position a funnel? What else could it be for?