RAY MAGLIOZZI

Dear Car Talk: I drive a 2014 Honda Civic with only 17,300 miles. My knowledge of cars can be summed up by this: When I turn the key and it doesn’t start, I know there is something wrong. Even with that limited knowledge, I am able to at least check the oil, tire pressure, and coolant level.

Regarding the coolant level, however, Honda has placed the coolant reservoir so far down under the hood that it is impossible to see the level of coolant. I have tried to guess at the level, but that proved troublesome as my car overheated — luckily right by a gas station.

Any advice on how to check the coolant level in this car? — Ken

Well, the easiest way to check it would be for Honda to finally add a coolant level sensor to its cars, so you’d see an idiot light on the dashboard when your coolant level got low.

A lot of cars have coolant level sensors now. But I’ve found that most Japanese cars are not among them for some reason. So, you’re stuck checking it manually, Ken. And the coolant reservoir is kinda buried on this car. It’s on the driver’s side, near the radiator, but under other parts of the engine. It looks like a plastic milk jug that got run over by an electric tricycle.

What makes it even harder to see inside of is that the plastic reservoir is kind of milky white, and, as it ages, it gets dirtier, making it harder to see exactly how much of the blue coolant you’ve got in there, especially in the dark of the engine bay.

I’ll give you a few suggestions. First, if you suspect it’s low, just fill it. You won’t do any harm to the car by overfilling the bottle. If the overflow bottle runs out of room when the car gets hot, any excess will just be expelled. So just park in front of your least favorite neighbor’s house.

You can also try shining a high-intensity flashlight through the side of the reservoir, or even down inside it. That can illuminate the coolant, and makes it easier to see its level. Or shake the car a little bit, side to side, and slosh the coolant around a little bit. That can help you see exactly where the level is.

And if you don’t have any luck with those two methods, you can fashion your own dipstick, Ken. You’ll have to go hunting at your local hardware store for something flexible enough to get through the jogs in the coolant bottle’s shape. But maybe you can find a long, thick pipe cleaner, or a long, thick twist tie that would work.

Then you could get in there once with your flashlight, make sure you can thread it all the way to the bottom, and mark the dipstick for minimum and maximum fill points. And then start mass producing them and sell them on eBay to other Honda Civic owners.

Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th St., 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.