How to Replace Coolant
If you don’t service the cooling system, you put your car engine at risk of forming high temperatures, getting leaks and giving inadequate functioning. You should know how to replace your coolant and service your cooling system, so its components will function properly for a longer time. Here’s how to do it.
What You’ll Need:
Car engine (you must know where the cooling system is located)
Rag
Drain pan
Garden hose
Procedure:
Prepare the car. The engine must be cool for you to do this task. Apply the brakes, then open the hood.
Remove the radiator cap carefully, and then rub your finger in the antifreeze mixture, inspecting the coolant. Check if there’s presence of rust, oil, foreign matter. If you see signs of these, you must have your cooling system cleaned and flushed.
Check the radiator clamps and hoses and see if there are possible leaks. After you’ve drained the coolant from the system, you need to have these replaced or repaired to prevent further problems.
Look under the bottom of the radiator and find out where the drain valve is located. Once you’ve found it, place a drain pan on the floor under it.
Loosen the cooling system drain valve and take out the radiator cap.
Wait for the coolant to drain from the system and fall into the pan. If the engine block has a bleed screw or cooling drain plug, put the drain pan under it, then remove it.
Once the coolant stopped draining from the engine, remove the pan from under the car.
Put a garden hose over the radiator neck. Turn it on, and run water through the cooling system, until there’s clear water coming from the engine plug and radiator drain valve.
Allow the water to drain from the system, then tighten the engine drain valve and plug and radiator.
Get some new antifreeze and clean water. Refill your cooling system, going through the radiator neck.
Start your engine, and leave it idle for a few minutes, until your thermostat turns on. See the coolant reservoir, and make sure that it’s got the new coolant (water and antifreeze) mixture up to the “Full Hot” mark.
If your car doesn’t have a reservoir container, let the engine cool, take off the radiator cap, then fill the system with a new coolant. The level should reach an inch below the radiator neck’s bottom. Keep checking regularly, until you reach the proper level.
For better engine and cooling system performance, replace coolant every couple of years. Just keep these steps in mind, and doing this won’t be a problem.