Nice write up with pics. Needs to be in the sticky section.

 

thanks. anybody have any suggestions on how to make the process easier/better for future people who will use this?

 

Take it to your mechanic? This is about as concise and basic as she comes; he’s not using any “system flush” products (at least two steps eliminated), and he’s not checking all the hoses and their conditions, which, all of us, including him, will most likely be doing. RIGHT? (as in:”do it right”)
After you’ve done this once, maybe twice, it’ll become as old hat and routine as changing your oil!

 

Thanks for the write-up Rob. I'll put it in the sticky.

 

thanks diggs, i hope it helps somebody save some $$$$$$$$$$

 

Is there no spigot near the top of the engine? In some cars, including the classic 900, one opens the spigot to purge some air after one drains and refills the coolant.

If one drains the coolant as in the photos, does only 33% or 50% get drained?

 

Is there no spigot near the top of the engine? In some cars, including the classic 900, one opens the spigot to purge some air after one drains and refills the coolant.

If one drains the coolant as in the photos, does only 33% or 50% get drained?

No spigot that I know of. Opening the cap should release any pressure. I am pretty sure the petc*ck is the lowest it can be in the coolant system to get the most coolant out. You will never get 100% out, but I would bet it much more than 50%

 

Since there will still be some distilled water left in the system, it'd probably be best to add 1/2 the cooling system capacity of full-strength Dexcool, then top off with distilled water, to ensure that there is a 50/50 mix in the system.

 

Never changes the coolant long life, only refill:

see problems if you change the coolant:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/auto...gm_dexcool.html

I have been reading the service manual says,
- engine coolant level, control and adjustment.
- and leakage control.
- freezing point coolant.
******************************************
by my point of view:
said under no circumstances to change.

should not be changed ever since this involves the entry of oxygen in the circuit, with the danger of oxidation of components with potential future breakdowns.

the antifreeze is fireproofing and in a closed circuit has lost all its power oxidation, winning characteristics antioxidants.

the antifreeze in a closed circuit cooling does not lose qualities, because there is no air.

hence, only be refilled with antifreeze concentrated long life where the level has dropped by evaporation.

as you can see in the picture coolant is long life and for ever.

 

Dex-Cool is the same as Opel antifreeze which is the same as what is put in at the factory.

 

should not be changed ever since this involves the entry of oxygen in the circuit, with the danger of oxidation of components with potential future breakdowns.

This does not quite make sense. The cooling system is not in a vacuum. There is some air in the reservoir. So introduction of air does not seem like a problem to me as long as the air eventually rises and makes its way to the reservoir.

However, if one is really concerned about air and willing to waste some coolant, coolant could be added like one adds brake fluid. One would drain it slowly and keep adding some new coolant to the reservoir.

The owner's manual specifies that the coolant does not need to be changed but most/many company's Dexcool says that it lasts 5 years or 150,000 miles.

 

thanks. anybody have any suggestions on how to make the process easier/better for future people who will use this?

The manufacturer could make the process easier by proving an open access to the drain plug at the radiator.. But , over the years, they and the the anti-freeze chemists have made things easier , at one time, a man had to drain and change the coolant twice a year....the anti-freeze was but $0.49 per gallon...
In my, now "antique" '96 900, I use the anti-rust and change the coolant every 7 to 10 years...

The "spigot" Dave mentioned (used on the c900) is an air bleeder;the system is now self-purging.. ..and has been since the '90s, maybe the '80s..

If one wishes to, 99.9% of the coolant can be changed just by using a garden hose and gallons of water...

 

I'm thinking to just drain the coolant and then add new coolant to what remains in the system. I feel by adding water and running the engine and re-draining the system will dilute the reserve left in the block.
Unless one can find a drain for the block, the reserve coolant (reserve being what is left in the engine block after radiator is drained) will be diluted by adding water. Am I making sense?
So with all due respect, I plan on just draining out the radiator and then adding new coolant. In essence this is a partial change since one can never get all the coolant out of the system, and by adding a gallon of fresh coolant (full strength DexCool, not the 50/50) will renew what was left over without diluting it.
Comments?

 

Nice write up RH .

I'm thinking to just drain the coolant and then add new coolant to what remains in the system. I feel by adding water and running the engine and re-draining the system will dilute the reserve left in the block.

Perhaps, but this is why you figure out what half the volume of the system is, add that much fresh Dex Cool, then top up with distilled water. I think the capacity is a bit over 2 gallons, so if you make sure you've added a full gallon (or maybe a bit more) of antifreeze you'll have a 50/50 mix.

From what I've read, the biggest problems with Dex-Cool is either from age and exposure to air, OR bacterial/fungal contamination (really?!) OR getting mixed with other types of coolant. Sooo, it's best to get rid of as much old stuff as you can if you've got the system open.

As mentioned above, there is no air purge valve up high - after a cycle of heating/cooling the air will make its way to the reservoir - you'll need to check it after a short drive and top it up. It's a little shocking at first to see how much it's gone down - if you aren't expecting it you'll have that sinking feeling that you left something undone!

thanks. anybody have any suggestions on how to make the process easier/better for future people who will use this?

IMO, if you're going to do all the work of changing the coolant it's an excellent time to change the thermostat, too. Thermostats don't last all that long, and if you start by taking it out and putting the housing back together and running the car without the thermostat for a minute or so you can do some drain/fill cycles without waiting for the motor to heat up. Because you can do a lot more cycles without much effort, you're likely to get almost all the old stuff out. I did mine this way, and did a couple cycles with tap water and then three with distilled. Even though this would seem like more work, I bet that with the thermostat out you can do the whole job much more quickly

 

I bought the prediluted 50/50 mix. Only about a gallon will drain from the petcock leaving a gallon of the old in the engine block and heater core. I will do it again in about 40,000 miles. The premix has demineralized water and will keep the proper mix. You don't want too much antifreeze/coolant because it will screw up your thermostat setting and heater. If you buy the pure antifreeze, mix it before pouring in. Otherwise you will be guessing or may not get in the right amount of water.

Get a dang tube to go over the drain. It spill all over like the others have mentioned. Saab couldn't have hid the valve for the petcock from tools any better. It's a pain in the butt. Don't break it.

 

is there a different write up for the 2.8T or can i use these instructions?

 

I plan to do it on my car. However, the coolant and water has been sitting in there for years.

After I flush it, could it caused any leakage in someway?

 

I plan on changing the coolant on my '06 9-3 2.0T this weekend. Does anybody know if the 2.0L Ecotec has a coolant drain plug on the engine block? I've been a DIY auto maintenance guy for years, and seem to recall that both my Mustang's 302 and my RX-7's rotary both had drain plugs on the actual engine bock. Made getting most of the coolant out much easier that the process discussed here.

Thanks!

 

Mold in tank

I didn't know what to unplug until I saw your photo. Someone else in this forum had said something about a 13mm bolt. Very good pictures of the work.
I have a question though. My tank has mold or some other dark slime above the Cold line on the reservoir. How can I remove this stuff? Thanks Jack

 

I just did this today. Thanks OP for the great write up! The job is very easy. I'll reiterate that a hose or piece of tubing makes it much much cleaner. The first time I drained it I didn't use a tube and had coolant going all over the place (the drain empties sideways instead of straight down...car engineers never cease to amaze me. Why not straight down?!?! Sheesh). Once I attached a hose to the drain it was much easier and cleaner.

 

Now go buy a 6 pack of Sam Adams Octoberfest with the money you saved and enjoy.

Whoa whoa whoa. Let's make it a sixer of Paulaner Oktoberfest and we're good to go.

 

so how often should you do this?

My car is going on three years, 30K miles. A variety of climates from subfreezing (as low as 15 degrees F) and 100+

How often should you do the t-stat as well?

 

has anyone every used liquid gasket sealer, like if there is a crack and the engine leaks oil... to seal it? from the instructions on the bottle it goes through the cooling system... i was wondering if it would work and if our cars are not recommended because it might damage something, because of the turbo or other things...?

 

I had to use one on my ng900, it was OK. Yes, it's not an ideal thing to do, but if you have a cracked block it's not like you need to be fussy anymore.

I don't remember the brand, but the one I used required that I replace the coolant with pure water and sealant, then you let the thing idle for a while.

I used it b/c I had a slow but steady loss of coolant and was suspecting a head gasket. It seemed to do the trick for me.

Can you tell us more about your leak? Do you see oil in the antifreeze? Are you losing coolant? This kind of thing helps if you have a broken head gasket or a crack in the block that lets oil and antifreeze mix. But if oil is just dripping down to the ground, don't mess with this stuff! If you can tell us more, we might be able to guide you towards a solution.

 

Okay, today was the day to do a coolant flush and change the thermostat. Unfortunately, it did not go as swiftly as I was hoping. On the thermostat, I first tried to save some time and not take the hoses off of the cover. Apparently this was a bad idea, because every time I put the cover back on the thermostat shifted and fluid would leak out the back. So, I finally surrendered and took the hoses off. Will try to have a non-leaky tstat housing tomorrow.

The second issue was the petcock. Apparently I backed it out too far, because it would not close back up. It was noticeably sticking out from the surrounding plastic on the radiator. I finally figured out I could push it back in, then tighten to turn. But of course, after I had it good and closed, I gave it one last turn and broke it. ;oops: I broke off half the flat part and about a quarter of the disk portion. Good news (if there is some) is that it appears to be closed and not leaking.


So on to my questions...

1) On the thermostat, is there a correct orientation? If so, what is it? The "thermostat" that was in it, was just the top bracket portion... I guess the previous owner decided to cut the tstat in half rather than replace it!

2) On the thermostat seal, I'm assuming it goes below the tstat... correct? If not, that might have cause my leak problem.

3) Finally, I still need to do a final flush on the coolant system with H2O. I'd rather not touch the petcock again as it seems to be closed and not leaking, so I'm going to use the lower radiator hose to drain. Rather than replace the petcock (can you even replace it?), would it be alright just to smear some silicone sealant all over it and call it good?

Thanks!

 

2) On the thermostat seal, I'm assuming it goes below the tstat... correct? If not, that might have cause my leak problem.

Okay, I'm dumb. Figured this one out, the seal goes around the tstat. Was just back out there and noticed the groove around the inside of the seal. IDIOT!

edit: Answering more of my own questions here that i found in an older thread, but might be good to have all the answers here in one place.

Apparently the petcock is fairly generic, seems Dorman part#61134 is an exact match. Guess I'll see if I can find one in the AM before refilling t.he coolant

 

May I know how much coolant will be drained out in the 1st drain?

 

A few tips

Don't mean to resurrect this, but since it's a sticky, I thought I'd add what I learned from just changing a water pump on my 04 ARC (don't ask how tough that was).
1. For those who want to drain a little more (probably not worth it), there is a drain petcock on the water pump. Some 1/4" ID hose helps keep car clean (smaller than the rad petcock which may be 5/16). Hard to reach. I got about 4 qts from the rad, and maybe another 1.5 qts from the pump (out of 7.5 in the system).
2. For the purist who wants to maintain exactly 50/50, buy extra 50/50 instead of distilled water. Use it instead of distilled water for the flush, then refill with 50/50. Doesn't cost much for extra peace of mind.
3. No need to break rad petcock. It takes a little force to loosen 1st time, but pull as you turn ccw, it helps. When closing, PUSH IN before and while turning. It just takes finger-tip force that way.

 

I skipped parts A and B and just got the beers in!!! :cheesy: