i want to Replace the Engine Coolant, Is this somthing easy that i can do it by myself ? is there anything i need to be looking out for? how do i tell if its completely drained? and is there anything need to be replaced (bolts, washers)

 

If you have the OEM intake manifold gasket, you should be able to just loosen the bleeder by the Throttle body, and drain it all out of the bottom of the radiator. If you leave the radiator cap on, the coolant will be drawn out of the engine. It will probably drain slow enough that you can catch all the coolant in empty milk jugs. The whole system should be close to 2 gallons.

When you refill it through the top of the radiator, don't tighten the bleeder back until coolant starts coming out.

BTW, if you have an '02, the coolant is good for something like 5 years.

 

You may not be able to get all the air out of the system without driving it a few times. Just keep a jug of coolant in your trunk to refill the reservoir to the fill line.

Note: Make sure you verify whether the new coolant is pre-mixed or not. Some coolants are already mixed 50/50 with water. If you buy un-mixed coolant, use distilled water to achieve your mixture.

 

What year is your car and how many miles are on it? If your car has the newer long life coolant, I doubt that you need to replace it already.

 

mine is 02.. to be honest...i accidently added some "windex" in there....stupid huh! i thought it was the for the windshield washer
it shouldn't hurt my engine right?

gernby!
thanks for the help, im will drain it tomorrow! when u said "if you have the OEM intake manifold gasket, you should be able to just loosen the bleeder by the Throttle body, and drain it all out of the bottom of the radiator. If you leave the radiator cap on, the coolant will be drawn out of the engine."
is there 2 ways to do it, leaving the radiator on or off?
im just confused and nervous, since this will be my first time doing it
thanks

 

Here you go - DIY coolant change:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=86811

 

xviper!
thanks a million

 

I think that the odds are greatly in your favor that the cooling system has not used any of the fluid in the reservoir. It is my understanding that the fluid in the reservoir will only get used if there is a lack of fluid in the cooling system for some reason (overheating, leak, just changed fluid & not enough put in, etc.). Since you didn't say that you had any problems before and your cooling system long ago had plenty of time to get to suck up any extra coolant that it needed, I would simply drain the fluid from the reservoir and refill it with the correct premixed long life fluid.

Does anyone else agree with this logic or should he go ahead and change it just to be sure?


UPDATE: I spoke with a guy that I work with that is very knowledgeable about cars mechanics. He said that depending on the car it is likely that fluid DOES go back and forth between the reservoir and the cooling system. It seems that what I was thinking is wrong. He's also a chemist and thinks that windex most likely wouldn't damage anything, but he couldn't say for sure. So, I guess that I'd go ahead and change it just to be sure.

 

Small amounts of coolant flow into the reservoir when the engine heats up, then gets sucked back out of the reservoir when the engine cools back down.

I would be afraid that the Windex would mess up the protective film that is supposed to develop on all the aluminum surfaces. Without that film the Aluminum will corrode.

Go by xviper's DIY.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gernby
[B]Small amounts of coolant flow into the reservoir when the engine heats up, then gets sucked back out of the reservoir when the engine cools back down.

I would be afraid that the Windex would mess up the protective film that is supposed to develop on all the aluminum surfaces.