coolant level and oil life

I have a 96 Eagle Vision TSI with the 3.5L V\-6 Engine.

What I want to know is at what level should the coolant be the
reservoir when the engine is cold?

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!

The driver manual only give such instruction when the engine is hot,
as that is not THAT clear.

The second question is more general.

Does Motor Oil go bad?

I have, still factory sealed, 6 10W-30 motor oil containers that have
been sitting in my basement for 16 years. And instead of throwing (I
mean recycle) them away, can I use them?

 

At the cold mark.

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.