coolant level and oil life

Not necessarily.

Larry Behold Beware Believe

: >What I want to know is at what level should the coolant be the : >reservoir when the engine is cold? : : AT THE LOW MARK, COLD. AT OR ABOVE THE HIGH MARK HOT. : >

: >Should there even be any coolant in the overflow reservoir when the : >engine in cold. : >

: >And if so, and there ain't any, am I in BIG trouble! : : FLOW DEPENDS ON VACUUM. CHECK CAP, HOSES, CRACKED RESERVOIR, EXTERNAL : LEAKS FROM HOSES, HEATER, ETC. ITS NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM LIKE A HEAD GASKET. : WHEN THE HEAD GASKET GOES, THE RESERVOIR OVERFLOWS, NOT EMPTIES. : >

: >

At the cold mark.

Yes

It depends. If the coolant resevoir is empty you need to remove the radiator cap and check the coolant level in the raditaor. If the radiator is low fill it also.

Pretty simple really. The coolant level should be at the cold mark when cold and the hot mark when hot. Don't have a cold mark, use the hot mark. The coolant doesn't have to be exactly at the mark, a little bit above or below is fine.

No, the oil itself doesn't go bad.

Sure you can use them, in a 16 year old car. The problem is 16 year old oil will not meet the oil specs needed for a modern engine. Maybe you can use the oil in a lawnmower or other small engine.