i was reading this over and shouldn't you check your ATF fluid level as well since you will probably lose quite some amount when you replace the rad?? then refil as necessary??

 

Probably not a bad idea. I'm trying to remember how much I lost....it wasn't a lot. Not sure of the exact volume of the ATF compartment in the radiator but I remember just drips coming out...so not more than maybe half a cup, if even that much.

 

Sorry for bring up an old thread.
I just replaced my radiator and added new coolant and let it run for at least 10 minutes but the fan never came on. However it does come on if I turn on the a/c, so fan is working. Is there anything I need to check as to why the fan does not come on while the car idles

 

Did you try racing the engine a few times?

 

yes, i raced it 2 or 3 times.

 

NO, no need to race the engine a few times. If the engine doesn't get warm enough the fans won't come on. They are "on-demand" so if your in a cooler climate right now and how enough coolant in the system and the engine didn't get above the prescribed temp to activate the fans then... they won't come on. You know they work, so why worry?

Just let it idle for about 20 minutes not 10, IMO thats not long enough. Longer you let it idle the more chance it has to circulate. And as it circulates you can keep adding to the top. No need for the fans to come on to know you did it right.


To OP, your right mostly common sense, but great up and good pics with explainations for the one's that might be weary to tackle. Good Job.

 

Good point. It is overcast and raining today. I'll just keep an eye on it.

Thanks

 

Racing the engine is just to speed things up. Of course there's no absolute need to - just saves you some time. It's even recommended in the FSM.

 

I just followed the same procedure this weekend and it worked like a charm. I put in a Koyo radiator that cost me $116. You have to buy two M6x1 bolts because the radiator does not come with any and the original OEM bolts do not work, at least not on my '02 GLE. Didn't even remove the splash shields. The thermostat is another story and is much harder to deal with. I am saving that for another day.

 

Thanks for posting this...just in time

 

Just my two cents, after draining the rad, I would run a garden hose through the whole system to flush it all out.

Would having the engine on enhance this process, but only up to near boiling point?

 

I wouldn't run a garden hose through the new radiator I just installed. A couple gallons of distilled water would be safer. And yes, I did it with the engine on. Install the new radiator, don't connect the upper hose to the radiator, but instead have the upper hose going to a bucket. Start the engine & throw the distilled water in so that it goes through the radiator -> engine (and other stuff) -> and to your bucket. Once you did the "flush" then fill with anti-freeze.

Just be careful since the water/hose can get hot.





Been almost 2 months since I replaced mine & my coolant is still that fresh green color, as opposed to the light-brownish color I used to get even after changing coolant.

 

sounds good.

But when done with flush, did you add 50/50 mixture or just add antifreeze?

Was all the water purged out after the flush was complete?

 

You should add pre-diluted coolant.

 

As long as all the water is purged from the system. If water remains in the engine block and the radiator is empty, adding straight antifreeze is a better choice. That would give you a better mixture ratio.

 

So don't add 50:50, add 100% rad fluid, but how to know its not 70:30 water or vice versa in the end?

Now I'm more confused.

 

Being at an exact 50/50 ratio isn't very important, but you want the mix to be relatively close. There's no real way to know exactly what the ratio is when you're putting in water and coolant unless you dry out the entire system, which isn't feasible.

 

That's the same exact way most coolant flush machines do it, just in a slightly cleaner fashion. A good way to get the system relatively clean, IMO.

 

About half the overall cooling system capacity is in the engine block, half in the rad. If you've flushed all the antifreeze out so that what's coming out of the hose (using the method outlined above) is just the water, then adding non-diluted antifreeze is the best way to get to the right mix.

If you want to be sure of the amount of the water in the system when you add the antifreeze (after you've flushed using the method above), attach the upper rad hose, fill the rad with distilled water, start the car and turn the heat on as high as it will go. Let it run for about 5 minutes the let the engine cool for 10-15 more. Drain the rad by removing the lower plug. At that point, the engine block should be full with water and the rad empty. Fill the rad with pure antifreeze and you should have a 50-50 mix (making sure you're following the procedures to get all the air out). This is much faster than draining and filling the rad with water 6 or 7 times to flush it out.

 

Right. So the entire cooling system capacity is around 8.5 litres. So if the rad is about half that, adding undiluted rad fluid into the radiator makes sense.

Wow, I making a lot out of this. Did this radiator once with a previous non-Maxima, but wasn't so bogged down in details and it all worked out in the end.

 

I did mine in less than an hour. The hardest part was removing the under cover. I had to get new clips for mine because mine all broke due to them being dried up and cracked when I tried to remove them. I drained about 6 liters of my coolant out without removing the bolts on the engine, and I was quite happy with that.

My leaky spot is from that exact location. I think it is caused by the thin plastic in that area, possibly due to a bad mold. Under tremendous friction and pressure caused by the cooling system, that part is the weakest link.

I notice that despite the similiarity, the KOYO rad drain plug is completely different from the OEM plug.

 

Hmm, no one uses a flushing T anymore. In the past I used to run the garden hose for 5-10 minutes through that T.

I don't have the hose illustrated by ridinwitha35, so I intend to do this:

Drain the old rad. Then fill it with distilled water. Let it run for 5 minutes, drain the rad again, and maybe repeat this procedure.

Then, the plan is to remove the rad and the hoses with new parts, and add 100% radiator fluid into the new rad.

That should be it.

P.S. I wonder where you can get those replacement clips Lovesick?

 

Hey holymoly, I bought the clips from the Nissan dealer. An Infiniti dealer would have them as well.

Those clips are expensive, around under $2 a pop. Because I broke many of my clips, I bought quite a few. And the clips themselves cost almost as much as a jug of OEM Nissan coolant.

 

That will work as well, but if you're switching to a new kind of coolant, you'll need to do the drain and refill 6-8 times to get all the old out. It's not hard, but each time you drain and fill you have to start the car and let run with heat on then let it cool for another 10-15 minutes before you start again. Each cycle will take 20-30 minutes. THe method above is just much quicker to accomplish the same thing.

 

Before I actually replaced my radiator, I did a "flush" using the drain radiator, fill radiator with distilled water, start engine til fans come on, let engine cool off...repeat. Then I filled with 100% anti-freeze. About a week later, the coolant in the reservoir went from a light green to a tan-ish color (and car was still overheating). In other words, was still getting contaminated from somewhere.

The other method with draining the upper hose to an external bucket with the engine on was definitely faster & more efficient IMO. Clear water coming out of that hose is achieved much faster than repeatedly draining & filling the radiator. Plus I didn't want any crap that may be in the block going into my new radiator.

I don't think the stoichiometric ratio of water/anti-freeze has to be 100% spot on. I personally tried to get as much water out the block that the water pump could push. Questionable how much I actually got out. But I filled with 50/50. Actual ratio is probably 60-70 water to 40-30 anti-freeze.

 

Are you continually cycling water into that bucket, (into and back) and where did you get those long hose?

 

Start the engine, fill the radiator with distilled water. As the level in the radiator starts to drop, keep filling it with your distilled water. The water will exit from the upper hose on the block into your hose & into the bucket. Stop when you run out of water...

I got that hose from Home Depot where piping stuff is. Nothing fancy. Cheap.

 

I assume you have the radiator cap off?

 

You must, in order to keep filling the radiator...

 

I cannot locate a one-inch pipe that fits into the rad hose.

The other option is reattach the top rad hose and leave the rad plugged and add the distilled water?

 

What do you mean by "unplugged"?... from where?

 

OK, I found an adapter to extend the upper rad hose, and I meant plug the drain of the radiator.

OK, saw that a rag was stuffed into rad opening where the upper read hose was disconnected.

So far so good.

 

I poured about 4 one-gallon jugs into the rad and at end still a little bit of green anti-freeze tinge in the water, but that should be alright?

 

Anyone have any tricks to unbolt the thermostat? Its a ***** to access them.

I'll just leave it in, for now.

 

I unbolted the horn and set it aside when I replaced mine to gain some room (the more room the better). After disconnecting the hose going into the thermostat and pushing it aside, and using a 1/4" rachet, I attached a deep 10mm socket to remove the bolts on the right and the one on top. For the one on the bottom left, I used a small extension with an universal joint and a regular 10mm socket.

 

Great write up, pics and DIY.

Timing was right for me, have to replace a bad fan and will require a tear down.

 

All done except the thermostat. That bottom bolt is a killer.

Here is a picture of my old radiator, the infamous almost 12 year old radiator, the black marks are mainly from my dirty paws. Otherwise it still looks good, and the old fluid was still pristine green.



time for a little...

 

Did your new radiator come with new bottom bushings, just like those two that are still attached to the old one, or did you reuse the old ones?
(Or did you miss those?...)

 

bushings? I just slid the rad back in.

 

i will be using this write-up soon