I have a 2000 Durango. Couple weeks ago, my brother checked my fluid levels and said that my reserve tank for the coolant was empty. He added in more coolant and that was the end of it. Well a friend was over last night and he checked the coolant levels again and once again the reserve tank is empty. He said that maybe the radiator had been so low on fluid that it just sucked in all the coolant my brother put in a couple weeks ago. To me this doesn't sound right but then again I know nothing about cars. So my question is, is my friend correct? Or could it be something else that's wrong? I don't get paid until Thursday so can't take it to a mechanic until then. Any tips or advice to help me out until then would be greatly appreciated since I don't want it breaking down on me while I have my kids in the car.

 

It could be either or..... The system is designed to self "burp" itself and keep the system full from the reserve tank. There also could be a small leak somewhere leaving it slowly come out or worse an internal leak.

Is it overheating or getting hotter than normal at all? While it does not sound like something major if it where me i would make a visual inspection around the radiator and all the hoses. I would also check the oil and see if there are signs of water or collent in it. If you can't see any visible leaks or wetness i would keep the reserve tank topped off and run it for awhile and see if the problem resolves itself. If not then i would have a mechanic look it over for ya.