coolant change.
i was going to do this myself by removing hoses from the radiator and draining the coolant then topping it up with water and running it for a bit with the hoses back on then doing the same again then filling it up with coolant.
is there any problem with this and is there any specific coolant i should use on an ecotec?
and also i should have the heater on so the heater core gets drained aswell?
Us the Holden recommended coolant p/n 92140057 for a 5 litre container. Make sure you bleed the air out of the system as well. Having the heater on when refilling is a good idea. Also, check the condition of the heater tap and relevant hoses before you change the coolant. You can cut the bottom out of a juice bottle and turn it upside down in the radiator cap hole. This will make the water level highest, you can keep pouring water/coolant in the bottle until it streams out of the bleed valve on the thermostat housing.
Doing it exactly how you have said will be fine,have the heater on,I always use coolant made for the V6 holden/toyota engine.And keep an eye on the coolant level for the next couple of days.And dont worry too much about what people say about bleeding the air from the system,Ive done heaps of these and never had a problem with air in the cooling system or anything like that,I just fill it up as normal and it is always fine.You can undo the bleeder nipple on the thermostat cover if you want,but I never usually worry about it.
Check the coolant capacity. I think it may be 12 Litres for a VS Ecotech, it is in a VY and in that case you'll need 6 litres of coolant as it should be at least 50% to a max of 60%. I draind mine first from the bottom radiator hose, refilled with clean water and idled it for a short while until the water in the radiator warmed up and went green again and when it had cooled down I emptied it again and refilled with water. I then took off the top small hose going from the engine to the hater tap and ran the motor with the hose in the top of the radiator with the heater on and a load of crap came out of the opened connection. Once it was clean I reattached everything, filled it with water and redrained collecting the water to make sure I had got enough out so the correct amount of coolant would go in. I then added all the concentrate and topped up with clean water. I stuck a plastic bottle like Gatorade neck first the top of the radiator with the bottom cut out and sealed with some electrical tape, this gives you a head over the top of the motor and I made sure it was full and no bubbles coming up when the car was running with the heater on full hot, remember to clip the overflow hose up above the bottle when filling it if you do it that way. I then undid the bleeded valve until no air came out and then filled up the overflow with pre mixed coolant and it has been fine so it won't just fill the overflow.
I used Nulon Long Life as it's meant to be better quality and the same spec is used in export cars and you don't need the pellets unless any small leaks appear according to the Nulon site. I've always used Nulon long life since I got my first VN in 1998 and had no issues. It also lasts longer in the car than the genuine product due to it's composition.
Ive been using CASTROL anti freeze anti boil, had no problems since i started using it!
Real cars are steel cars.
Make sure you flush out the entire system including the heater core. Remove a heater hose and upper radiator to do this and flush in both directions with a garden hose.
It is important to remove all traces of old coolant.
Dissimilar types of coolant mixed together in the system will cause dramas with blockage and stray current later on.
And I use Mobil coolant.
If I told you I was a compulsive liar, would you believe me?
so i just grabbed 5 litres of cheap shit from BP , is that going too be allright for a little while till i can afford the expensive stuff?
You need at least 50% concentration of a suitable coolant otherwise with these motors the water boils around the valve seats and the other problem is corrosion but this is over a longer time frame.
It depends on the stuff you bought, is it pre mixed or concentrated? If it's pre mixed 50% and not 33 1/3% like most you'll need to buy 12 litres of it and totally empty the cooling system which means removing the drain plugs in the block. 33 1/3 pre mixed is not suitable. There are specification numbers for this stuff and it's written on the bottles and in your owners manual you have to match or exceed the requirements of the recommended specification.
ok well if its premixed ill go back and buy another bottle then use 2 litres water for a month or so then do the whole process again with the propper gmh stuff.
well apparantly i didnt drain it properly because i was only about too get 5L of coolant into the radiatior before it was full and that was after idling and a drive and ive topped up the overflow aswell.
so i have a half tapwater half tectaloy 60 mix in there at the moment..... i guess i will keep and eye on it.
i DID completly get the old grotty crap out though with a hose atleast.
Real cars are steel cars.
Probably the most important bit.Originally Posted by pillzor
If you have for example 2lit left, just drain 2lit and top up again.
If I told you I was a compulsive liar, would you believe me?
Woodgrain Nut
That's about right. To completely drain the coolant you need to remove the knock sensors.
coolant change
has anyone else on the forum used or has an opinion on FORTRON coolant ? i think its made in west oz , its type B inhibitor not anti freeze or anti boil. the bloke who does the powerflushes on my cars says that unless your in a cold , ice , snow area you dont need type A glycol coolant. the same bloke has had his radiator business for 15 years at the same address. i have used the FORTRON coolant in my 5 ltr stato for 8 months now and have had no dramas with the cooling system. any comments ?......
coolant change
more info on the FORTRON coolant , it retails for around $ 18 for a 325 mls bottle , and you use 40 mls of fortron to each liter of water and they recommend to change the coolant every 12 months. no i dont have any shares in the company , lol........
ɹoʇɐɹǝpoɯ ǝsınɹɔ ɐʍ
lol we did a job for them a few years back and we got a bunch of free sh*t, few of the dudes at work used it and never seemed to have any troubles
Black, Red leather, 20" Pentagons, Red walls, Lowered, OTR, Mafless, 3.9s, Diff dumpers, 341rwhp...
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I think these motors need 50% ethylene glycol because the coolant can boil around the valve area due to the design regardless of if you drive in cold locations or not. The coolant in these cars is very important for this reason and the corrosion inhibitor to stop electrolysis and buggering things like welsch plugs and the pump fins which are steel.
Does the Fortron coolant have a specification number? Google it and see if it meets or exceeds the manufacturers requirements. Like I said the Nulon long life is a good product, it exceeds the specification of GMH coolant and they infact use it in cars they export. It's only about $35 for 5 litres, you need 6 and it lasts 250,000km or 4 years.
The Fortron web site isn't working well but their Fortron Cooling System 2000 is just a corrosion inhibitor. I cam accross this stuff which would be suitable for the Ecotech as well as the Nulon Long Life, Castrol etc. http://www.totalcoolants.com.au/public_panel/index.php I think it's pretty much the same formula as the Nulon Long Life http://www.totalcoolants.com.au/publ...technology.php
Last edited by wortus; 13-02-2010 at 09:13 AM.
on the FORTRON website they state that the '' formula 2000 cooling system treatment " that is the one used in my cars, exceeds australian and new zealand standards 2108 : 97. and they also have an antifreeze - antiboil coolant as well. their products seem to be only sold to mechanical workshops and car service centers . they should be ok if used according to the directions on the label and changed at the proper intervals .
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