Coolant change thread?
10-24-2009, 06:54 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Coolant change thread?
Dear Mods,
I was looking for the thread on changing the coolant and note that there is no link to it in the big maintenance index stickied at the top. I think it would be helpful to link that thread (I can't even find it now).
As the cars get older, the type II coolant will need to be replaced. Guys like me will not want to wait 10 years to replace the coolant. Thanks for your help.
Bill
I was looking for the thread on changing the coolant and note that there is no link to it in the big maintenance index stickied at the top. I think it would be helpful to link that thread (I can't even find it now).
As the cars get older, the type II coolant will need to be replaced. Guys like me will not want to wait 10 years to replace the coolant. Thanks for your help.
Bill
10-25-2009, 06:26 AM
#2
Thread Starter
Any help?
10-25-2009, 07:08 AM
#3
Turn the heat on. Open the drain valve on the radiator. If you want to be really anal about it, also open the drain bolt on the engine block, it should be located next to the oil filter. let it all drain out. Maybe flush the system with some distilled water if you want to . open the bleeder valve located next to the valve cover on the intake side near the front of the engine, fill up car with new coolant. turn it on, let it run, keep topping it off until either the radiator is full or it starts coming through the bleeder valve. then fill up the overflow tank to the max level and keep an eye on it for a few weeks.
Its pretty simple.
Its pretty simple.
10-25-2009, 07:24 AM
#4
there is a thread for coolant change on this site somewhere, if I can find it I'll post the link, I found it by search when I did mine recently - 7 years old and 55,000 miles on my car.
To change my fluid I turned the ignition on and put heater temp control to full hot. Then opened the rad cap and opened the drain cock at bottom of radiator (you don't need to remove the draincock just open it about halfway by twisting to the left. Drained all of the fluid, then put in a couple quarts of straight water to push out any debris at the bottom of the rad with draincock fully open. Pulled out the overflow tank and emptied it and cleaned slurry at bottom of tank. Reinstall tank. Closed the draincock and filled the system up to the top neck of the rad and filled overflow tank to full hot level. Opened the bleed bolt at the front lower driverside of valvecover using a 10mm socket. Put rad cap on at first detent position that lets air escape but doesn't pressurize. Ran the car at idle for about 5 minutes or so with rad cap at first detent. When you see fluid coming out of bleed bolt without bubbles close it up to about 8 ft lbs torque, or just snug, don't wrench on it.
Note: There is a bleed plug on the metal line the runs along the firewall, I could never get fluid to come out of it no matter how long I ran the car so it wasn't worthwhile messing with IMO. It is a rubber vacuum plug wih a spring clamp on it on a metal nipple outlet. You can try opening it up but it didnt' do anything for me. Secondly, they say to open the block drain bolt to all the block to drain. This bolt is the biggest pain in the arse to access and it is on super tight, you will likely strip the bolt trying to get at it as it is in on a slight angle or it will cause great frustration and ruin your day. I didn't open the block drain and I still got the specified fluid out of the car, as the draincock is the lowest point in the system it effectively drains the block. I got right about 6 quarts out of the system and back into the system so I don't think it is worth messing with.
After running the car for about 5 mins at idle most air will have escaped if the fans have come on for at least 2 times or more. Shut the car off, fill the rad to the bottom of the neck and fill the overflow tank. After driving it a day later or so, re-check the fluid level and re-fill as needed, a bit more air will have escaped by then. Do a good test drive after you are done and make sure engine temps stay around 3 bars and don't go any higher. If the temps go above 3 bars you likely have an air blockage in the system and it needs to bled some more.
When you run the engine at idle with the rad cap at first detent you can expect some fluid to come out of the rad, it will make a bit of a mess on the driveway or garage floor so expect it. I think that is it. hope this helps. Any questions pm me.
To change my fluid I turned the ignition on and put heater temp control to full hot. Then opened the rad cap and opened the drain cock at bottom of radiator (you don't need to remove the draincock just open it about halfway by twisting to the left. Drained all of the fluid, then put in a couple quarts of straight water to push out any debris at the bottom of the rad with draincock fully open. Pulled out the overflow tank and emptied it and cleaned slurry at bottom of tank. Reinstall tank. Closed the draincock and filled the system up to the top neck of the rad and filled overflow tank to full hot level. Opened the bleed bolt at the front lower driverside of valvecover using a 10mm socket. Put rad cap on at first detent position that lets air escape but doesn't pressurize. Ran the car at idle for about 5 minutes or so with rad cap at first detent. When you see fluid coming out of bleed bolt without bubbles close it up to about 8 ft lbs torque, or just snug, don't wrench on it.
Note: There is a bleed plug on the metal line the runs along the firewall, I could never get fluid to come out of it no matter how long I ran the car so it wasn't worthwhile messing with IMO. It is a rubber vacuum plug wih a spring clamp on it on a metal nipple outlet. You can try opening it up but it didnt' do anything for me. Secondly, they say to open the block drain bolt to all the block to drain. This bolt is the biggest pain in the arse to access and it is on super tight, you will likely strip the bolt trying to get at it as it is in on a slight angle or it will cause great frustration and ruin your day. I didn't open the block drain and I still got the specified fluid out of the car, as the draincock is the lowest point in the system it effectively drains the block. I got right about 6 quarts out of the system and back into the system so I don't think it is worth messing with.
After running the car for about 5 mins at idle most air will have escaped if the fans have come on for at least 2 times or more. Shut the car off, fill the rad to the bottom of the neck and fill the overflow tank. After driving it a day later or so, re-check the fluid level and re-fill as needed, a bit more air will have escaped by then. Do a good test drive after you are done and make sure engine temps stay around 3 bars and don't go any higher. If the temps go above 3 bars you likely have an air blockage in the system and it needs to bled some more.
When you run the engine at idle with the rad cap at first detent you can expect some fluid to come out of the rad, it will make a bit of a mess on the driveway or garage floor so expect it. I think that is it. hope this helps. Any questions pm me.
10-25-2009, 11:43 AM
#7
Registered User
Originally Posted by spets,Oct 25 2009, 07:08 AM
Turn the heat on. Open the drain valve on the radiator. If you want to be really anal about it, also open the drain bolt on the engine block, it should be located next to the oil filter. let it all drain out. Maybe flush the system with some distilled water if you want to . open the bleeder valve located next to the valve cover on the intake side near the front of the engine, fill up car with new coolant. turn it on, let it run, keep topping it off until either the radiator is full or it starts coming through the bleeder valve. then fill up the overflow tank to the max level and keep an eye on it for a few weeks.
Its pretty simple.
Its pretty simple.
and there's two air bleed valve, one by the TB and one by the firewall
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10-25-2009, 11:57 AM
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I just did mine not to long ago and if you have a vaccum system that is used to bleed air out of the brakes use it on the coolant bleed bolts. Thats what I did to get the air out and had no issues with coolant temp. I was really worried about coolant flush aft reading a bunch of issues with over heating.
10-27-2009, 09:43 AM
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