Coolant change

[b19drg 0]

Im looking to drain my coolant system and put some new coolant in , could someone please give me a brief 123 of how is best to do this , im not an expert tech but can do stuff ok , what do i need to look out for air leaks etc, its really the best place to drain from really and how much coolant/water mix do i need to put in and is it all filled up from the expansion tank ! silly questions probaby but its getting cold and i think i need to get this done !

Thanks in advance

Dan

[Pearsy47 1]

i saw that you best place to drain the coolent from was just under the expansion tank take that pipe off and the mix is noramlly 50/50 maybe abit less water and yes do watch out for air locks cos i ve got one and it drives me mad when you turn the car off all you hear is all the water rushing out from the heater matix !!! once all filled up let the motor run till temp is half way with your heaters on hot !! and with the expasion cap off then it should be ok ! hope this helps

[b19drg 0]

i want to do a full colloant change , where do i drain all the coolant in the rad etc ?

[muttley 0]

i need to know this to, coz i need to do mine this weekend

[Pearsy47 1]

uhmmm yer i think the bottem rad pipe would be better but im sure there is a guide on here !

[craggsy 91]

I pull bottom rad hose off to empty it.....if you wanna completly empty it then you will need to undo drain plug on "crack pipe" to get it all out

[muttley 0]

which one is the crack pipe

[Bigjobbo 0]

Engine cold, take your expansion tank cap off, there is a drain plug on the pipe between the pump and the thermostat will be tight and will probably need a new seal.. You could use a coolant flush if you wanted but personally i wouldn't bother, especially if my main aim was to increase coolant strength. 3 bottles of G12 will be fine for the weather in this country. Put your coolant in first, system holds 10 litres. To bleed, fans on full speed,heat,screen. I fill the coolant bottle to the rim, stick the cap on wait for it to drop, then keep topping up. I have a giant perpet for sucking out excess coolant so i just keep it on the rim, as the weight of the water in the header tank helps push out the air locks. Your looking for red hot air through your vents on idle, and the fans cutting in. Don't be fooled by hot air when your revving the engine as an air lock can still be present, and don't forget to remove the tank cap slowly when hot.

Hope this helps.

[craggsy 91]

I always leave cap off till fans come on whilst topping it up after I have put 3 bottles of G12++. I change my coolant quite often as I like to take front off the car to check things out close up every 6 months or so

[b19drg 0]

Thanks guys for this , its a big help and will ensure no horrid freezing !