few questions regarding 90,000 service

[Harrison]

got a mate to do all the stuff i figured i couldnt do, his company then stamped my log book which was great but there are a few other things yet that need be done...

replace fuel filter - done

replace spark plugs, got them sitting next to me just waiting for car to cool down and wondering if there is any tips and tricks??

flush & replace coolant VY V6. what is the easiest & safest way? and what is the most effiecient way? plus coolant/water ratios...

and the brake fluid, have been told a flush is required is there much involved in this & what can go wrong? pictures would be great...


ps i recommend doing the extra bit of labour yourself i have probably saved $150-$200



thanks in advance.

[Calaber]

Hi Harrison

I've just done the 90k service on my VY, except for the air filter and plugs. Plugs are due, but the car is running well and starting easily, so I won't do them for a little while yet.

Regarding the coolant, I think you will find the ratio is about 50/50 coolant and water. Make sure you use a good coolant - don't buy the lime-coloured water that is already pre-mixed - it's just expensive coloured water and doesn't do the job. Stick with a reputable brand. To drain the old coolant, simply undo the lower radiator hose from the radiator and drain the system. You should collect the old coolant in a container and dispose of it responsibly at the local tip. ( I did say "should"). Usually, it ends up down the drain or over the front lawn.

Once the system is empty, reconnect the hose and pour in enough coolant to half fill the system - I think it needs about 5.5 litres of coolant. Then top it up with water, release the bleed valve on the top of the thermostat housing (under the engine plastic dress cover) and start the engine. Once it starts to warm up, it will start to dribble coolant, and may even start to spit a bit as air locks are released. Once the dribbling stops and you have a constant stream of coolant coming from the valve, the system has been bled, so close off the valve, turn off the engine and refit the cover.

Brake bleeding - you need to be careful because your car probably has ABS. If you have never bled brakes before, you need to have someone with you who knows what they are doing, otherwise, leave it to a professional.

The job is simple enough but there are a few rules and you MUST be throrough and very careful.

The only tools you need are a couple of ring spanners to crack and tighten the bleed valves, a piece of clear plastic tube to fit over the bleed nipples and a clean glass jar.

You should start with the rear passenger side caliper because that is the longest circuit. Remove the wheel and crack the bleed valve just to ensure it is free. Leave the ring spanner on the valve and push on the plastic tube. The other end of the tube goes into the jar.

Release the valve about half a turn or a bit more. While you hold the spanner, have a friend slowly depress the brake pedal about six times, then hold it down while you tighten the valve. Check the master cylinder and keep it topped up. (Ideally, you should only do this job on a dry day as brake fluid is very hygroscopic, which means it readily absorbs moisture from the air and this will reduce its effectiveness severely.)

Repeat the process for the wheel until the fluid coming through the plastic pipe is nice and clean. You will be surprised at the colour of the old stuff - it will be a dirty dark green or brown compared to a pale yellow for the new stuff. (The colour could vary according to brand).

Once you have completed the rear passenger wheel, repeat the process on each wheel, with the sequence being Rear Passenger, Rear Driver, Front Passenger, Front Driver. The ABS means that there is a lot of fluid to drain, so be patient and make sure the master cylinder is always topped up. Clean the master cylinder rubber seal, make sure it is pushed back inside the cap, so that both "cups" are flat, and replace the cap. Road test carefully to make sure the brakes are working effectively.

This job takes about 1 hour to do manually but can be very rewarding and you save quite a few bucks. Plus the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

[Harrison]

Hi Harrison

I've just done the 90k service on my VY, except for the air filter and plugs. Plugs are due, but the car is running well and starting easily, so I won't do them for a little while yet.

Regarding the coolant, I think you will find the ratio is about 50/50 coolant and water. Make sure you use a good coolant - don't buy the lime-coloured water that is already pre-mixed - it's just expensive coloured water and doesn't do the job. Stick with a reputable brand. To drain the old coolant, simply undo the lower radiator hose from the radiator and drain the system. You should collect the old coolant in a container and dispose of it responsibly at the local tip. ( I did say "should"). Usually, it ends up down the drain or over the front lawn.

Once the system is empty, reconnect the hose and pour in enough coolant to half fill the system - I think it needs about 5.5 litres of coolant. Then top it up with water, release the bleed valve on the top of the thermostat housing (under the engine plastic dress cover) and start the engine. Once it starts to warm up, it will start to dribble coolant, and may even start to spit a bit as air locks are released. Once the dribbling stops and you have a constant stream of coolant coming from the valve, the system has been bled, so close off the valve, turn off the engine and refit the cover.

Brake bleeding - you need to be careful because your car probably has ABS. If you have never bled brakes before, you need to have someone with you who knows what they are doing, otherwise, leave it to a professional.

The job is simple enough but there are a few rules and you MUST be throrough and very careful.

The only tools you need are a couple of ring spanners to crack and tighten the bleed valves, a piece of clear plastic tube to fit over the bleed nipples and a clean glass jar.

You should start with the rear passenger side caliper because that is the longest circuit. Remove the wheel and crack the bleed valve just to ensure it is free. Leave the ring spanner on the valve and push on the plastic tube. The other end of the tube goes into the jar.

Release the valve about half a turn or a bit more. While you hold the spanner, have a friend slowly depress the brake pedal about six times, then hold it down while you tighten the valve. Check the master cylinder and keep it topped up. (Ideally, you should only do this job on a dry day as brake fluid is very hygroscopic, which means it readily absorbs moisture from the air and this will reduce its effectiveness severely.)

Repeat the process for the wheel until the fluid coming through the plastic pipe is nice and clean. You will be surprised at the colour of the old stuff - it will be a dirty dark green or brown compared to a pale yellow for the new stuff. (The colour could vary according to brand).

Once you have completed the rear passenger wheel, repeat the process on each wheel, with the sequence being Rear Passenger, Rear Driver, Front Passenger, Front Driver. The ABS means that there is a lot of fluid to drain, so be patient and make sure the master cylinder is always topped up. Clean the master cylinder rubber seal, make sure it is pushed back inside the cap, so that both "cups" are flat, and replace the cap. Road test carefully to make sure the brakes are working effectively.

This job takes about 1 hour to do manually but can be very rewarding and you save quite a few bucks. Plus the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

might leave the brakes to my mate then, as for the coolant i believe i bought the 'nulon' brand or something similar.. was about $35 for concentrate i figured it would be the one i wanted. any ideas on where i can find these hoses connecting to radiator and whats involved in undoing them? just a hose clamp... or?

[cpbait]

get the genuine stuff, its the same price and what is recommended from factory, i'm a mechanic myself and try to use genuine where possible. the genuine i use in my vy is a 5 year anti freeze from holden and didn't have to mix.
some times you find factory items are cheaper than non gen, as i have recently found out.

[wortus]

get the genuine stuff, its the same price and what is recommended from factory, i'm a mechanic myself and try to use genuine where possible. the genuine i use in my vy is a 5 year anti freeze from holden and didn't have to mix.
some times you find factory items are cheaper than non gen, as i have recently found out.

I've used the Nulon Long Life Coolant since I got my VN 12 years ago and recently replaced the coolant in my VY also using Nulon. It's cheaper than genuine and you don't need the pellets unless smal leaks develop. The Nulon is the same spec as what Holden use in export vehicles and is of a higher quality than the type they use in local cars, this is all on the Nulon web site. Also unless you can totally drain the block you have to use concentrate as after flushing there is still a fair bit of water in the block and it would be impossible to get a 50/50 mix using pre mixed stuff. I just drain the old coolant and refill with water and then flush out by removing the small hoses on the engine that go to the heater tap making sure the heater tap is on (needs vacuum), reassemble and fill with concentrate then clean water and then bleed the air out using a plastic bottle or similar in the radiator neck d over the bleed valve. The Nulon and GMH come in a 5 litre bottle however for a VY Ecotech you need 6 litres of coolant as the capacity is 12 litres. You just need to make sure you have got 6 litres out of the block once flushed.

[wortus]

I just got my mechanic friend to bleed the brakes it only cost me $50 all up and they have it done in no time. I used to do my VN but was not sure with the ABS plus it needs more fluid so you'd reasonably need 3 bottles which is $25 to $30 so only a bit extra to get it done. If you pay some one just make sure they put the caps back on the bleed nipples and don;t leave any brake fluid on your paint. The caps if lost are not available seperately as a spare part. I had to go back to my mechanic and they were lying on the ground under his hoist.