Hi i am in Fredericksburg, Virgina.

I just changed my O2 sensor (bank 1 sensor 2 a PITA)
But now i want to get my cooling system flushed cause the water/coolant whatever it is looks brown.

Can someone you guys share how much you guys pay for something like this so i know if i am getting ripped off. I might buy my own 50/50 coolant so they will probably only have to flush and add the new one i have.

Thanks in advance for you help.

 

100% prestone antifreeze $12. Prestone superflush $3. 7 gallons of disttilled water $7. Total cost: $22

Jiffy lube: $75

 

Thank you for fast reply. Here is another question. Does Jiffy Lube pressure flush or regular drain and refill? Also i have seen 2 prestons one that says 50/50 Antifreeze/Coolant another that simply says Antifreeze/Coolant Concentrate <---- is this one the 100% or is it the same as this one Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant ?

*Edit*

Please don't get aggravated i am somewhat of a noob.

Okay i am pretty much a noob. To say the least... :/

 

Your noobness is understandable but when was the last time that cooling system was changed? For it to be brown is spelling trouble. You may have oil mixing with it. You can do the complete drain yourself by draining the radiator and removing the two drain plugs located on each side of the cylinder head.

 

I really have no idea. Its been a long time i suppose. Got car from my uncle as a gift i suppose at 307k+ miles i put on close to 1k so now its 308k, I am low on funds and would love to do it myself but see people saying its hard to get to the engine block part and removing some Y-pike or Y-pipe??? I don't want to make it worse or damage anything. Could you send me pics of exact locations of the things i need to remove?

Thanks in advance.

*P.S. 1997 maxima SE 5 speed manual transmission *

 

Radiator drain plug, its on the lower part of the radiator off to one side.

At my shop we do power flushes for 80 or radiator drain & fill for 70. Just ask them what they use and offer. Piece off engine block? What are you talking about exactly? Theres definitely no need to remove the ypipe for a coolant drain & fill.

 

the bigger question here is why would you pay anyone to do that ? go to a parts store and buy new antifreeze, buy flush and distilled water

 

Hmmm after talking with you guys i feel a lot more confident. I actually believe i can do it. LOL. So i will get these things tomorrow.

prestone antifreeze
Prestone superflush
7 gallons of disttilled water

i will look for for that drain thing too cause i have no idea where it is or what it looks like. Wish me luck. And again a pic or guide with pic would be nice :/

Thanks again guys. Really appreciate your help.

 

Also that engine block thing was something i heard from some guy in another post. It was of no help...

 

http://www.motorvate.ca/node/28

 

Oh my word. THANK YOU!!!

Woot. This is a done deal.

Thank you all of you that replied Thank you so much.

Now how do i close a thread?

Thread closed.(I have no idea)

 

Motovate above is pretty thorough but might I suggest you add a bottle of a good brand of stop leak in the process, I always add stop leak as a precaution

 

Thanks hud i appreciate you advice. Stop leak makes sense suppose.

 

Dont use stop leak. A regular coolant/water mixture will be your best bet. If you feel good about Water Wetter, pick up a bottle, but not necessary.

 

Okay... Almost confused... I think i will just go with my first reply get the distilled waters, coolant and radiator super flush thing and follow the motovate guide.

 

very good tread for the new people here

 

In the middle of doing it guys. So far all info is dead on. Guide is correct about the drains on the engine block. Its hard to remove Y-pipe. So i skipped it. In the process of using Prestone super flush. Before that i saw a lot of rust deposits come out. Guess that's what the brown stuff was in reservoir. Which it technically isn't brown. I guess its more Orange??? Anyway i had what should have been Green Coolant which was not the case when i drained it. It was green with dark orange tinge. I will tell you more after i am all done.

 

The motorvate says 7 LITRES water, not 7 Gallons. I just poured in the gallon of antifreeze and topped up with the distilled water (less that a gallon). Total was less than 2 gallons, including pulling the block plugs. About a 60/40 mix.

 

I don't know why but i am still getting some orange-like color stuff coming out. down to my last 2 bottles. I guess that's why he recommended 7gallons of distilled. Anyway its night and i am still doing this. I hope i get all that rust or whatever that stuff is out of there but the time i finish the other bottles and start putting in coolant. If not i just got to put new coolant in there anyway.

I am using 50/50 mix.

 

If you can't remove the engine block drains, you can just fill it up with new coolant. Run for a couple weeks and do it again (drain and refill). This will dilute out the coolant left in the engine block.

 

OR fill it up with two gallons of water and drive for two days.

 

Was it hard pulling plugs? Would you be able to take a pic of both locations. I only found 1. The one above the front o2 sensor. And maybe some advice of how to pull them without taking off the Y-pipe? (if that's possible that is)

 

7 gallons is used to dilute the old mixture to drain it out. not to make a 50/50 mixture

 

The plugs were a PITA and I will not do it that way again. They are steel and want really badly to cross thread into the aluminum block. Gettina a socket and extension on them and still have enough room for the ratchet is impossible. I had a socket with a hex drive nubbin and box end wrench and it sucked.

I would say remove the Y pipe, or skip it altogether.

 

why do you think i said 7 gallons of water?

dont touch the block bolts. drain via radiator plug, fill with water, run car for 10 minutes, drain, repeat 8 times. on last drain, fill with 1 gallon 100% antifreeze

 

I see. All advice taken. Thank you guys.

 

Okay you wonderful people. As said in the quote the items mentioned is all needed. I did flush as instructed by the motovate link and the super flush bottle and i am all good now.

Topped it off with the 100% Prestone coolant with antifreeze and its all good. (So pretty and green )
Next time it won't take me so long cause i got most of the bad stuff out.

Big thanks to all that posted responses.

Special thanks to "QT1 5MT AE" (hope i got the spelling right)

Objective achieved. //Thread

 

does it work the same way if slowly pouring water into the rad. until clear while the engine running?

 

Nope it does not. You have to go through the process of warming up the engine and letting it run for about 10 mins after it reaches regular operating temperature. Then you let it cool and drain then refill. This is long but simple task.

 

nope because half the fluid is inside the block and need to warm up the motor for thermostat to open and mix it all. this process takes time because u have to give it like 2 hours to completly cool between each drain but it requires less effort than going through the hassle of getting to the block bolts.

 

what about with just water in the rad. letting the engine run for 10 minutes and then drain and continuously add water till clear while the engine is running. at this point thermostat should open up for the mixing of the old and new fluid?

 

Um i won't lie to you. To me that sounds dangerous but then again i am a noob....

Lets wait to see what QT1 says...

 

this is what a lot of people do with hose water. but i like to use distilled.