toping off coolant

[bmyslis]

my warning light for low coolant is coming on. the coolant level is just a couple inches low in the resevoir window. i purchased a gallon of porsche coolant, paid $60 at dealer, to fill tank. the parts guy said to put in 50/50 coolant and water. do i really have to cut down the coolant. i think i will only be putting in a small amount. could i have bought a no name coolant for a lot less? thanks

[Burg Boxster]

The correct coolant ratio is 50/50 coolant/DISTILLED water for maximum temperature effectiveness.

For future ref, if all you needed was to top off, you could just use DISTILLED water. The cooling system holds ~ 5 gals (20 qts) so even adding a qt or two won't throw off the mix balance much. Likewise, you could just add coolant if only a quart or two is needed.

Good luck

[JFP in PA]

Yes, you need to cut the coolant with an equal amount of distilled water (ONLY!). You can get a gallon of distilled water at just about any supermarket for less than a buck.................

And no, you should not mix Porsche coolant with any other brand, can lead to problems.........