I am planning on taking a seven hour drive tomorrow. My volvo mechanic just pointed out today at my oil change that there is a small leak at the bottom of my coolant reservoir. I had noticed the coolant get below minimum about 3 months after it had been replaced, and so i topped it off. In about 5 days since I topped it off, the level in the reservoir has dropped maybe 2 millimeters.. very insignificant. i can, however, see the coolant leeking down in the engine compartment and ever so slightly onto the pavement.

The tech suggested that I have the reservoir and hose replaced. I have no problem with this, only I am wondering if it will be safe to make the long drive tomorrow or not? thanks in advance..

I wouldn't replace the reservoir itself just yet, most likely it is the hose. Remember, where there is a rubber hose, there will come the leak. You can probably buy new hose at your local AutoZone or something. A lot less costly than replacing the whole reservoir, unless you can clearly see that the coolant reservoir has a crack in it. Be sure to find the source of the leak first. I don't think that you will have any trouble taking a seven hour drive, be sure to have a bottle of coolant with you though, just in case. If the car isn't getting enough coolant, it will let you know about that via the panel lights.

Hope this helps

Max

max, thanks for your info. i talked it over with my brother and my father and everyone seems to think it won't be detrimental to the drive. like i said, the car went a good three to four months before the panel light indicated low coolant since the last flush. i definitely understand that where there is a rubber hose, plus heat, there will be leaking. the mechanic i go to quotes around $140 parts & labor for the job.. seems kinda steep for a plastic overflow reservoir and a rubber hose. i would love to do my repairs myself, but living in an apartment, i can't even change my own oil.. it sucks. this might be something i could do, though. anyway, thanks again!

Mine was slowly leaking for months, not as bad, but the crack was there. The tank can be replaced in 15 minutes and the loss of coolant is minimal during this job. You'll need to add some, of course, but no need to replace the whole volume.

As far as driving with this - no one can decide for you. I probably put 10K on my car with that small leak. It is unlikely that the tank will burst.

thanks yuri, i appreciate the insight. i talked it over with my brother and father, too. the general opinion is that it will be no problem, but i'll see tomorrow. thanks again..