Before draining your radiator and realizing afterwards that you don’t have all necessary equipment for the job, be prudent and ensure that all of the following is on hand:
- Radiator Flush Solution
- Socket wrench or head screwdriver
- Coolant
- Funnel
- Old Cloth or rag
- Coolant container
Many older cars that have been subjected to years of usage have radiators that always seem to overheat. This sometimes results in the water within the radiator reaching boiling point and almost instantaneously wanting to bubble over given half the chance. If you are the owner of one such car, be overcautious before removing the radiator cap as the hot water can cause loads of damage. I would personally recommend for the owner to wait until the car has been left stationery for at least two hours before beginning this process.
Step 1: Draining the old coolant. This is simply a process of locating and removing the radiator drain plug and allowing the coolant to drain out. Most drain plugs are located anywhere along the bottom of the radiator. Before removing the plug though, ensure that the coolant container is placed underneath in preparation for catchment. When attempting to locate the drain plug, you will be either looking for a simple drain valve, screw plug, or bolt plug.
Step 2: Adding the Radiator flush. This process is also fairly simple. Once all the coolant has been drained, replace the drain plug and remove the radiator cap (if it hasn’t been removed already). Empty the contents of the radiator flush solution to the radiator and fill the remaining radiator space with water.
Step 3: Allowing the engine to heat up. Once the radiator cap has been replaced and tightened, allow the car to run. You can then turn your car’s heater up to maximum and allow that to run for a approximately fifteen minutes. Once done, switch the car off and allow the engine to cool.
Step 4: Opening the plug and allowing the radiator to drain. Once the engine has cooled and you’re more than certain that no boiling radiator flush remains in the radiator, you can pull the plug yet again and allow the liquid to drain. Once again, remember to have a coolant container ready to catch the liquid.
Step 5: Refilling with coolant. All that is left is to add fresh coolant to your newly flushed radiator. For optimal cooling performance, it’s best to mix as close to a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water as possible. Many people opt for premixed coolant which effectively eliminates the guessing game of proportional mixture levels. You may have to fill a separate plastic coolant reservoir with a 50/50 mixture of water and coolant if your car has a separate opening.
Step6: Tightening and checking. Ensure that your radiator cap and radiator plug are tightened and secured. You may want to check your coolant and radiator water levels within the following day or so just in case an air bubble may have worked its way into your radiator somehow.
Good luck!
References: www.fjrtech.com,