i have a 97,

i want to replace the 'prestone' coolant w/ something better.

i know i have to flush out the entire thing. so do i

1) do the heater thing
2)drain radiator
3)refill w/ distill
4)run, and let cool
5) repeat cleaning till everything is all clear and drained out (w/o water in sys?)

my question is, after the whole thing is flushed out w/o dripping, how do i go about a pre-mix 50/50 adding into the system.? do i add some then turn on car and add along the way?

please chime in thanks..
*i've checked out the threads above and what not, i tried to search but i didn't have the privelages*.

 

Once the fluid being drained from the radiator is clear, fill the empty radiator with pure antifreeze. This should achieve a nearly 50/50 mix because there is still a fair amount of liquid in the rest of the system. This is what I have been told anyway.

 

cool.. so has it worked for u?.... ya i want to achieve 50/50 mix...

what coolant should i use?.. they say the toyota ones and honda blue are expensive...

which is the best one?

thanks

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=278600

 

There is a difference between draining the radiator and replacing its contents and flushing the entire cooling system properly. A competent radiator shop, if you check around, doesn't charge very much relative to a stealership. If they are doing the job properly they will flush the radiator, backflush the entire cooling system, pressure test the cooling system (which entails checking for leaks) and ensure the thermostat returns to normal operation when the engine is warmed up. For my money, I'll go to a radiator shop. I paid C$40 in May rather than C$110 to $120 at the stealership and I know the job has been done right and the coolant will be disposed of properly.

There is a long thread on this elsewhere currently.

 

Come on man, don't tease me...I can't convert Canadian to US

 

i am reading things up, but being a college student i try to do what saves me money, plus the joy in trying to learn and fix your car is priceless..

i don't think they will use distilled water but instead use tap... there's the external things to look at, such as nips, dings and what have u when someone else is working on the car, but then the equipment factor and tools come in...

i rather give it a shot, thanks for the ideas though..

bump !!

 

bump.. which coolant is good? i seen peak and extended life prestone brand.


so do i just pour pure anitfreeze after flushing?
thank.s

 

One thing I'll say is: Don't try and undo the engine block drain plugs. They are all but impossible to get at

 

www.xe.com

 

http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/502

this link will show you step by step for your car...

 

COOL. seems okay. now all i have to do is find which coolant is good to use. any recommendation?

are prestone good? peak?

thanks..

 

Well, just like you can spend $9 quart (or even more!) on a good synthetic oil, diminishing returns dictate that it's not a sound way to spend money. My take on coolant is get something decent (like prestone - I think that's what the dude on motovate uses too ), but you can spend more if you want - I believe that Nissan sells some.

If you have a ferrari enzo it may be worth getting the best money can buy, but i wouldn't bother going out of your way to get a highly expensive coolant. They all transfer heat, and one may last a little longer than another if you want to keep it in there for a long time, or slightly minimize oxidation of your metal, etc. but nothing major. Mix with distilled water.

 

I need to do this soon but I have a question. Motorvate's site says that the engine holds about 2 litres and the rad holds about 5 litres. So once the system is pure distiled water how will topping off the radiator with 100% coolant give a 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water?

 

i want to know too :P

 

in the stickies there is a thread about coolant types. Don't use prestone or any general brand of coolant because there is a type of chemical/material in it not good for import cars.

Use either Nissan (green), Toyota (red), or Honda (blue) coolant

 

a guy is offering $10 for gal.. toyota red.. how can i make sure its real deal? beside it not being open.. is there only 1 toyota red brand?

 

So I followed the instructions on doing the drain and fill, and it all worked great, and that was a week ago. This weekend I notcied something on the driveway, and found I had a leak from the radiator - coming from the drain plug screw!! Looking closer, the screw was actually broken off!
I am not sure how this happened, and I ended up spending some cash and having a pro drill and re-tap it and put a new screw in (the dealership), but was hoping for some thoughts...

What is weird is that I remember when I put the screw in I was being careful not to crank it down too hard because it is plastic, so I dont know why it would have broken.... Not to mention the fact that I drove it 60+ miles a day for a week before I noticed any leak....

??