help: coolant change ASAP
jus wondering if someone can help me with a step by step guide to a basic coolant change. My car overheated for the first time ever last night, running to hot and then straight back down to cool, i topped it up with about 2 L of water, and then it was at the right level. i dont want to leave that much water in it howver, today i went out and purchased 5L of tectaloy 90 plus, pre mixed at 33%,
Been told to, drop bottom radiator hose, let all coolant drain, then take off tophose and put garden hose in and clean out the system,put all hoses back on. start the engine, and pour coolant in the radiator cap and turn the heater on, allow to flow all through and then open the bleeder on the thermostat housing, leting air out. and correct to right level. Is that right? any other tips?
If you are using a 33% premix, you are not going to get correct concentration of coolant. Not enough corrosion protection. After you flush the system (with the heater turned on full) and are happy with what you see coming out, ie clear water, make sure you have as much of the system empty as possible by dropping the bottom hose. Put it back on and put 6 liters of straight/undiluted coolant in. (Nulon long life recommended, no pellets needed) Top up with distilled/de-mineralised water and bleed. I know you said you have 33% but if you use it, you will finish with about 20% coolant mix in the motor instead of 50%. This gives virtually no corrosion protection. The only way, short of inverting your motor, to drain your coolant completely is to remove your knock sensors. Pain of a job even with a hoist.
SILVERFOX
I would mix the coolant before filling it up.Originally Posted by graham7773
'Ah well, I suppose it had to come to this.'
Blues Brother # 1
+1. I Mix in a bucket first, and make it about 60% as just plain water is still in the block since you just flushed it, so when adding it should be closish to 50/50
Been thinking of doing this myself.
Thanks for posting the step by step guide,Very helpful.
have you checked your oil when it does that it can mean your head gasket has let go???
Donating member
The system holds 12 liters according to the 'book'. Each time I have remove the bottom rad hose on my VT6, I only ever can catch 6 liters. That means that there is still 6 liters trapped in block. Only way to get remaining coolant out is to remove the farkin' knock sensors......... Plik of a job!..So I don't bother any more. To get the 50% mix, after flushing the complete system with clean water, (heater tap ON) Fit bottom hose and remove top hose at radiator and pour in neat concentrate. When all the gurglng has stopped and coolant can be seen rising in hose, pop it back on to radiator inlet and finish filling through radiator filler.
This will have taken almost 6 liters of concentrate direct into top hose to get this far, and mixed with the 6 liters of clean water already left in block from the flush, will give you the 50/50 mix recommended.
If you put the 50% pre mix into the flushed block,(still half full of undrained water) this will be further diluted it down to a ratio of around 25%. Not enough for satisfactory corrosion protection.
protection!
pablo, much what I said but what is the advantage of putting the straight coolant in via top hose instead of in the radiator filler neck? And you are right about knock sensors. I got under mine, looked, got out and forgot about knock sensors. And if they are taken out you have to put sealer on the thread before putting them back in. Now I will wait for the "plumbers tape" suggestions. Gaffer tape?
i'm getting it done soon cos i run LPG to keep the system clean
i'll let them do it properly so it's not my problem
Donating member
7773, pouring it down the hose is only a bit quicker, easier and less messy. I have done it both ways (putting the coolant into the radiator, that is....LOL) The workshop manual even suggests doing it that way. It would be up to the bloke doing the job.
It's a good idea to use a coke bottle or similar with the bottom cut off, you wrap some electrical tape on the thread and put it into the radiator. Next fill it with coolant and open the bleed screw that way you make sure you have let all the air out. The bottle lets the coolant rise above the top of the engine and pushes any trapped air out of the system, you may have to have the heater tap open but I think they still let any air out of the heater core as they don't close off totally but I am not sure. You can start the engine and turn the heater on to make sure if you like.
When flushing the system you can remove the heater hoses from the front of the motor and blow the water out of the heater core with your mout over one of the hoses that way you get a bit more out and you do need to add the concentrate first, 6 litres of it and then top up with water. the overflow you top up with a pre mix of 50/50.
so i took back the 33% mix and bought 5L of nulon long life concentrate, im just wondering if someone will run through the exact steps. or if this is correct,
wait til car is col, remove bottom hose, let all drain, remove top hose from radiator, reverse flush with garden hose through the radiator and engine (does the car have to be running?) and thn wait till ur happy and its clear, put all hoses on, use a coke bottle upside down in the radiator cap, make a 60/40coolant water mix due to water still being in the system coz of the water flush, poor in the rad cap until full, fill overflow bottle, run car, turn on heater and top up level??
SILVERFOX
Not sure how to post links, but there is a How-To in the how to section.
'Ah well, I suppose it had to come to this.'
You need 6 litres of Nulon Long Life Coolant and you need to drain at least 6 litres of water from the engine after you flush it and you can do this by removing the heater hoses as well as the bottom radiator hose. Blow out the heater core.
You then add the nulon concentrate, all 6 litres NOT pre mixed of it minus half the amount needed to fill the overflow to the right level. Use the coke bottle to do this with the bleed screw undone, engine off.
Then fill the radiator with clean water until the coolant mix comes out of the bleed screw. Do the screw up and then fill the overflow bottle with a 50/50 mix.
You can then start the motor with the coke bottle in and turn the heater on of you want and if the coolant level drops add some clean water with the bleed screw undone until coolant comes out of the air bleed then tighten the air bleed.
Put the cap back on and your done.
i only have 5 liters and cbf with it, at work (mercedes) all we do is drain the radiator and fill it up again. can i pour 4.5 liters into the rad, top it up with water, mix 50/50 fr overflow bottle which will give me a liter and then open bleeder screw, start engine and turn on heater
4.5 litres into the radiator will give you a concentration of about 37% which is not enough. I don't think the overflow needs as much as a litre.
Mixture has to be 50%, if you cbf then just use what you have and take the risk that the cooling system will not corrode or the engine will overheat it's your car.
What I did read somewhere was the 50/50 mix is needed on these engines to stop voids forming in the coolant around the exhaust valves so at 37% you run the risk of this but it's probably enough to be an effective corrosion inhibitor.
Do yourself a favour and go and buy another 2.5 litres of coolant for $24 that way you have 1.5 litres spare should you need to top it up.
5L of it coast me $24, so il buy another liter which gives me 6, n it all goes into the radiator except whats needed for the overflow bottle. and then just top up with water, turn car on open heater, and just top up as required?
All your questions will be answered in this How-To thread: How To Flush A V6 Cooling System
SILVERFOX
How did you post that link? That's what I wanted to do but can't work it out!!!?
'Ah well, I suppose it had to come to this.'
It's not entirely right as it says 5 litres of coolant, the Buick engines needed 5 litres the Ecotechs need 6. I also wouldn't bother with a cleaning solution unless the existing coolant was dirty etc and likewise I wouldn't take the thermostat cover off unless the thermostat was faulty of the cover was corroded on the end and I'd fill it with a coke bottle or similar with all the hoses fitted up, bleed valve open.
That is true. Was just referring to that thread as a generalization to the answers for the questions she needs.
$24 is a good price for 5 litres of Nulon Concentrate! Yes you measure how much you need to fill the overflow bottle and keep half that amount of coolant, put the rest into the engine through the radiator cap using the coke bottle trick and then completely fill it with clean water with the bleed valve open. When coolant comes out of the bleed valve shut it off. Then fill up the overflow bottle and put the cap back on the radiator and you should be good to go. You can recheck for any trapped air after you drive it once or twice and it has cooled down by refitting hre coke bottle and filling it with water and opening the bleed screw.
If your using Firefox, what I do, is right click the link and select: Copy Link Location.
And then paste it wherever you need it to be pasted
Ye that's trade priceill give it a shot today, thanks for your help guys much appreciated, is draining the Heater core a must? As I'm unaware of which hose Is the Heater one n also how to flush o
It out,
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