Coolant Replacement

Coolant Drain and Refill

Step one: Find an adequate sized containment bucket and temporarily place it underneath the radiator cap. Make sure the engine is cold.

Step two: Take off the radiator cap by twisting in a counter-clockwise direction while applying pressure to it. Caution: Antifreeze may be under pressure, and leak out of the fill hole.

(The silver cap is the radiator fill cap)

Step three: Locate the Radiator drain plug or petcock. Place the containment bucket under it. Loosen them by twisting in a counter-clockwise direction. Stop loosening when a steady stream of coolant begins to flow. If your radiator doesn’t have a drain plug or petcock, it will be necessary to disconnect the lower radiator hose from the radiator and drain coolant this way. When the coolant is done draining, close off the drain, or reconnect the radiator hose.

(A radiator petcock and its usual location) (The lower radiator hose) 

Step four: If your engine has block drains, it will be necessary to open these as well. Locate the drain plugs, for inline engines there will be one block drain, but all V type engines will have one on each side of the block. Using sockets or box-end wrenches, twist the block drains off in a counter-clockwise direction, and allow coolant to drain. When it is done draining, retighten block drains to factory specifications.

(The bolt in the middle is the block drain)

Step five: If the color of your antifreeze is no longer a green color, it will be necessary to flush your system. Pour concentrated radiator flush chemicals into the fill hole, and fill the rest of the system up with water until full. Close off the radiator cap, and turn on the car for only a few minutes with the heater on full. Turn off the car and repeat steps 1-4. Caution: The coolant will be hot after engine has been on. If the antifreeze in your car is still a greenish color, skip step five.

Step six: Using a mixture of 50% water and 50% antifreeze, fill up radiator through the fill hole, until it reaches the top of the radiator. Fill the overflow tank as well until the dipstick or marker indicates it is full. Start the engine with the radiator cap off, and fill the radiator with the correct fluid as it lowers, going into the engine. After the level stays even, shut off the engine. If the cap’s bottom has corrosion, it is recommended that it is replaced at this time. Put the cap back on the radiator, and recheck the level in the overflow tank once more. If low, add some coolant. Check for any leaks, and you’re done. 

(The yellow lid is for the overflow tank, and the silver colored cap is the radiator cap)