Could you change out your coolant by sucking it out and putting in fresh. I do mine every two years and a bit tired of spending 100.00? Plus it's time for my cvt trans oil change and I just don't have the money now for both of the 600plus price tag for the 60k service

 

If you do that, you'll leave about half of the coolant in the engine. There is typically a drain plug at the bottom of the radiator, so you wouldnt have to suck it out.

There is a thread somewhere about how to do a drain and fill procedure. In short, you will need to buy 8-10 gallons of distilled water for this and the undiluted coolant of your choice (I would go with Nissan personally) and follow these steps:
- drain the radiator and reservoir.
- Fill the radiator with distilled water and replace the cap.
- Start the car and let it run until the fans kick on (i typically take it for a short drive to get the coolant going.
- Repeat this process 8-10 times until the fluid is clear (all distilled water).
- Fill the radiator with (undilluted) coolant. Add half of the capacity of the system so that in the end you will have a 50/50 mix.
- Top off with distilled water.
- Check the coolant level after the next few drives and top off with distilled water as necessary.

Done.

 

here is what I do, and while its not as thorough as above procedure, it should work well enough. Drain coolant through radiator petcock. Passenger side front. My 09 came with green coolant, which is older style. The new Nissan coolant is blue and long life, ie 100k miles service. Remove expansion tank and dump the coolant from there, wash it. Then I use my air compressor to blow as much coolant from the system as possible.
Then reconnect expansion tank, close petcock, refill with Nissan Blue coolant.
Nissan blue is only sold as premix 50/50, so no mixing it with distilled water.

If you are willing to buy aftermarket coolant, Pentosin has blue one, I think A3, which is a concentrate iirc.

 

This will only replace about half of the coolant. I guess you could do that, drive for a week or 2, and do this procedure again and you'll get ~75% new coolant. That should be plenty sufficient.

 

You are close, I added 6 qts of premixed coolant, manual says capacity with reservoir is 2-3/8 gals or 9.5 qts.
Typically, when doing other cars, I find a block drain or do it during timing belt with water pump. Damn if I can find block drains on this Maxima. I have spent hours looking for it. Service manual mentions of their existence, but not location.

I recycle coolant properly, ie hazwaste, and wonder what people do with 8-10gals of contaminated distilled water following your procedure.

 

Thanks guys.
Just talks to Nissan dealer who have been doing my oil and tire rotations per maitenece package.
700plus for 60k service.
190 for cvt and they said there is no filter at all. That is not a flush.
170 for radiator flush.
Crazy

 

I'm interested in your method. When you use the air compressor, is there a way to blow out areas other than the radiator and reservoir tank? Or is the 6 quarts from just the radiator and tank?

I wonder if you removed the hose at the top of the radiator and found a way used and air compressor to pressurize the line through that hose, if you could push some additional coolant out.

Personally, when doing the distilled water route, I would save the first 4-5 gallons and dispose of those properly. After that I would just dump it in scattered parts of the yard. At that point, its 1 part coolant to 16 parts water so its so diluted enough that it wont hurt anything. But I'll probably use your method next time to save some of the hassle and be more environmentally friendly.

 

There is a CVT filter. Its part number 31726-1XE0A.

Those are crazy prices.

 

I assure you our cvt does have a filter. PM LtLeary for the details on how to replace it and where to find it.

https://maxima.org/forums/7th-genera...ore-after.html

 

using compressed air I am able to get more out than just radiator and expansion tank. How much more really depends on the design of the coolant loop. If I disconnected thermostat, I could blow most of the old coolant out, but I dont bother with it. Frankly, I have gotten at least 2 gals out with my method for most of the other cars I work on. I just did 2001 mb e320 and got over 2 gallons out of it.
If the radiator has a cap, I typically put the air compressor nozzle into the radiator neck, use some rag to plug the whole, but not too air tight, you dont want to blow out your radiator with too much pressure.
e320 had a different design with the cap on expansion tank, so I used air through the tank.

I dont know why so little came out of the Maxima, but I decided to not waste any more time looking for block drains.

Speaking of dealer, I seriously doubt that they do much more than drain and refill.

I would strongly consider your method, if I knew that heater core is plugged up or the entire system is crudded up with crap. But for well maintained cars my method works great for me.

 

Isn't two years overkill? If the temps are fine and the fluid is clean and green... no need to change it. I have no plans to change mine anytime soon. $170 for a radiator flush wouldn't be such a big rip off if it's only done less frequently every 5 years...

 

Indeed, the green coolant is rated 60k miles, the blue is 105k miles.
Doing it every 2 years is a waste, unless you rake that kind of mileage.