Changing coolant
- Thread starter cyclone
- Start date
Eliot
Ex Super S Owner
Pull the bottom rad hose off let it all drain out > Re-attach hose > Fill up system with plain water > run engine and rev it at around 2k > (turn of engine) Pull hose of again let it drain out. Keep repeating the process until the water that drains out is clear > Then fill up with antifreeze / water mixture.
pollyp
Club Member
if the coolant wasn't contaminated with oil/rust/muck and is up for its 2yr change:
-wait for system to cool till luke warm
-turn heater to hot to open the heater matrix valve
-remove rad cap
-remove front undertray below radiator if fitted
-jacking the front up may help access if suspensions been lowered alot but most cases its not needed
-place container under radiator
-loosen and disconnect lower coolant pipe from radiator, drain all coolant into tray. syphon coolant out of the expansion tank if you can be bothered but its not important
-reconnect lower pipe onto radiator, replace the clamp if too rusty
-mix 50/50 coolant/water in a bucket or ratioed to the season
-fill expansion tank to full
-slowly pour new coolant into the rad till its full then help purge out the bubbles by squeezing away at the top coolant pipe till no more bubbles emerge
-remove air from the expansion tank u-pipe (squeeze top pipe, cover rad port with palm, release top pipe to suck air/coolant through the pipe, repeat 3x and topup tank if needed)
-leave rad cap off and heater on hot
-start engine and either let it idle (takes longer to warm up) or rev to 2k till the fan has turned on & off. this allows the thermostat to open at 82c letting any bubbles out before the fan kicks in
-while warming up, the coolant level at the rad port will begin to expand too high. simply cover the rad port with palm, squeeze the top pipe to push the excess into the tank, remove palm and release top pipe
-turn engine off, fit rad cap, turn heater to cold, let engine cool down and check the coolant level
if the coolant was dirty, the remaining coolant in the engine and radiator will need flushing with a garden hose
-wait for system to cool till luke warm
-turn heater to hot to open the heater matrix valve
-remove rad cap
-remove front undertray below radiator if fitted
-jacking the front up may help access if suspensions been lowered alot but most cases its not needed
-place container under radiator
-loosen and disconnect lower coolant pipe from radiator, drain all coolant into tray. syphon coolant out of the expansion tank if you can be bothered but its not important
-reconnect lower pipe onto radiator, replace the clamp if too rusty
-mix 50/50 coolant/water in a bucket or ratioed to the season
-fill expansion tank to full
-slowly pour new coolant into the rad till its full then help purge out the bubbles by squeezing away at the top coolant pipe till no more bubbles emerge
-remove air from the expansion tank u-pipe (squeeze top pipe, cover rad port with palm, release top pipe to suck air/coolant through the pipe, repeat 3x and topup tank if needed)
-leave rad cap off and heater on hot
-start engine and either let it idle (takes longer to warm up) or rev to 2k till the fan has turned on & off. this allows the thermostat to open at 82c letting any bubbles out before the fan kicks in
-while warming up, the coolant level at the rad port will begin to expand too high. simply cover the rad port with palm, squeeze the top pipe to push the excess into the tank, remove palm and release top pipe
-turn engine off, fit rad cap, turn heater to cold, let engine cool down and check the coolant level
if the coolant was dirty, the remaining coolant in the engine and radiator will need flushing with a garden hose
pollyp
Club Member
This one?
If so, how do I get that weird circled fastener off?
And I have a K11 auto, it's an X reg. Learning as I go along, soldered the heater card last month!
the circular middle pin bit wedges the fingers apart and locks the fastener in the hole.
u simply slip a flathead in the side groove, carefully twist handle to pry the middle pin out abit to release the fingers, then pull the outer part of the fastener out the hole
Planning a flush and renew. It seems a straightforward process, my real dilemma is if I have to use organic or inorganic coolant?
Please consider replacing thermostat because of low cost and one that is slightly open (worn or worn a bit) will give notable mileage difference. One mile is not uncommon, even more but then your heater will appear defective. Those ten or twenty extra coins are earned back easily or a safe bet.
