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How to refresh the coolant
- Thread starter Rudolfo
- Start date
- Location
- Southern Maryland
Depends on how far you want to go. You can just loosen the petcock drain valve on the radiator and let the old stuff drain out (petcock is on the passenger side, below and behind the headlight, reachable from underneath). The valve is plastic and can break so some people prefer to disconnect the lower radiator hose from the water pump inlet and let the coolant drain that way. There is also a block drain plug on the drivers side of the engine behind the exhaust manifold that can be removed to drain, but it uses a metric square drive that is hard to find in the US (I see you are in Holland so maybe easier).
You need to loosen something at the top to help the coolant drain. You can disconnect one of the heater hoses and that will let the top empty out pretty quick.
You can also use a garden hose against the heater hoses to fill the engine with water and flush everything out. You should run water both directions through the heater core to get anything that is stuck. I like to loosen the lower hose and shoot hose water through the different openings to flush the radiator and engine separately. Just do what makes sense until the water is clean. Its also a good idea to replace the thermostat while you're doing all of this.
Refill with 1 gallon of the plain old GREEN coolant/antifreeze and add DISTILLED WATER to fill.
You need to loosen something at the top to help the coolant drain. You can disconnect one of the heater hoses and that will let the top empty out pretty quick.
You can also use a garden hose against the heater hoses to fill the engine with water and flush everything out. You should run water both directions through the heater core to get anything that is stuck. I like to loosen the lower hose and shoot hose water through the different openings to flush the radiator and engine separately. Just do what makes sense until the water is clean. Its also a good idea to replace the thermostat while you're doing all of this.
Refill with 1 gallon of the plain old GREEN coolant/antifreeze and add DISTILLED WATER to fill.
birchlakeXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Melrose, MN
I recommend never using the petcock as they are fragile and if they break, you are screwed.
Just drop the lower hose. Drain what you can. Refill. Repeat once more to replace more of the coolant after the vehicle has been driven for a while.
Use conventional (green) antifreeze only. 50-50 mix is the best for most climates.
Flushing out the heater core is NEVER a bad idea, especially if the engine hasn't received reasonable coolant changes.
Good luck! Don't forget about a new thermostat (195 degree) and get any OEM 11 year hoses off of there! They are not reliable. New radiator cap is $5.00. Do it.
Just drop the lower hose. Drain what you can. Refill. Repeat once more to replace more of the coolant after the vehicle has been driven for a while.
Use conventional (green) antifreeze only. 50-50 mix is the best for most climates.
Flushing out the heater core is NEVER a bad idea, especially if the engine hasn't received reasonable coolant changes.
Good luck! Don't forget about a new thermostat (195 degree) and get any OEM 11 year hoses off of there! They are not reliable. New radiator cap is $5.00. Do it.
ParadiseXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Paradise, CA 95969
Good advice. Pull the bottom hose, don't use the petcock.
These guys are doing it right...the only thing I would add is to buy some Prestone flush (the 500 mile kind), put it in now...drive it for a week and THEN do the drain, flush and re-fill.
