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Automotive Fluids -- Changing Engine Coolant From "Car Care Workshop" episode DCC-105

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Figure G

6. Start the engine, let it idle, and turn on the heater full force. This allows water to flow through the heater core, flushing it as well.

7. Turn on the flow of water to the garden hose. The fluid should begin flowing backward through the system, exiting through the opening at the top of the radiator (figure G). The back flush should be complete in about five minutes. When you see clear water coming from the radiator, the entire system has been flushed.

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	Figure H
	Figure I

8. Once the flush is complete, open the radiator stopcock, and drain the radiator's contents into a catch basin. Close the stopcock and refill the radiator with undiluted coolant (figure H). The coolant that you add, combined with the clean water that's now in the other components of the cooling system, will yield the proper 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water. Continue adding coolant until you see the fluid mix begin to come out of the open T-fitting (figure I).

9. Cap the T-fitting. The fitting will remain permanently in the heater hose so you can use it for future back flushes.

10. Take the vehicle for a drive, then check the coolant level at the coolant-recovery tank.

Note: Dispose of spent coolant responsibly. Most auto-service centers will accept fluids for recycling.

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RESOURCES :

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Trouble-Free Car Care
Author: Dan Ramsey
ISBN: 0028635833
Alpha Books

How Cars Work
Author: Tom Newton
ISBN: 0966862309
Publisher: Black Apple Press

Auto Repair for Dummies
Author: Deanna Sclar
ISBN: 0764550896