I did a search. seems like there arent detailed instruction for doing this. I am trying not to take my car to the shop. hope i could complish everything diy. well at least for this one right.
a broke college student strying hard to save every penny. thanks in advance
detailed instruction on flushing the radiator?
Draining the Coolant
Start by checking your service manual to see how much fluid is inyour system. This is important, because 240 cooling system capacitiesvaried depending on the generation. Also, if you have increased thesize of your stock radiator (e.g., from a three core to a fourcore), you will have to account for this.
Be safe and start with a cool engine. Set the interior heatercontrol lever to the HOT position. This will allow the heater coreto drain. If you have a radiator overflow reservoir, then remove itand drain it as well. Now remove the radiator pressure cap and openthe radiator drain c***. You can use a pair of pliers to reach adifficult-to-reach one or to free a stuck one, but be careful. Remember, the Nissan drain cocks are made ofplastic, so they're easy to break!
If the drain c*** is really stuck, or broken off flush with thebottom of the radiator, then you can disconnect the lower radiatorhose from the radiator to drain the coolant.
Let the used coolant drip into a container or pan. If your househas a city sewer disposal system, then you are allowed to emptyyour old anti-freeze into your drain. Don't just pour it on theground or into a septic tank system. Better yet is to take it toone of the hazardous waste disposal facilities in your are, or youcan nicely ask a auto repair shop to dispose of it.
Draining the radiator alone will only remove about half of thecoolant. There is an engine drain plug located on the side of theblock. Removing this will allow the remainder of the coolant toescape. It's messy, but it's the preferred way.
Refilling
First, tighten the drain cocks and any hoses you may have removed.Check on the side of the new container of antifreeze for how muchantifreeze you actually need. Now most people just put the"standard" 50/50 (half water and half antifreeze) ratio back intheir system, but I recommend using only as much antifreeze asnecessary. The reason for this is the fact that water by itself isa much better conductor of heat than antifreeze!
It is generally recognized that straight water will cool a car moreeffectively than any combination of water and antifreeze, despiteantifreezes marginal increase in boiling temps. So, the old adageof "if some is good, then more is better" does not apply withrespect to antifreeze. There will still be plenty of anti-corrosioninhibitors and water pump lubricant even with a 20% ratio ofantifreeze.
What about using distilled water with the antifreeze instead ofordinary tap water? The reasoning here is that normal tap water hasminerals dissolved in it. Through repeated heating in your car'scooling system, those minerals will eventually precipitate and formhard deposits in the radiator, especially in small passages.Distilled water is free of minerals, and therefore will not havethis effect.
However, now the reasoning is to use regular tap water becausewater normally likes to have ions floating around. If it doesn't,then it gets them from wherever it can. Aluminum readily ionizes,so the distilled water "steals" the ions from the aluminumcomponents and they corrode. If you use tap water, it is "pre-ionized", so to speak. The tap water will sacrifice itself, and notyour engine parts, to the chemical reactions created during thermalcycles of the fluid and metal parts.
The cooling system has nooks and crannies that can trap air. Thefiller neck is supposed to be at the high point to let air out, andthere is a small hole in the thermostat to allow trapped air toescape.
Slowly pour the antifreeze and water into the radiator until it isfull. Now you probably won't completely fill the system initially.Start the engine and let it idle until the thermostat begins toopen. The water level in the radiator will invariably go down. Addsome more water or antifreeze until it is full. Remember only addwater to a hot engine while it is running! Better still is to warmthe engine with the radiator cap on, let it cool and then check thefluid level. Check the fluid level periodically over the nextseveral days.
Which Antifreeze To Use?
Most antifreeze is made with a colorless base chemical calledethylene glycol. A green dye is used in most brands, although thereis a Toyota brand which is red. The latest entry into the marketare the "long life" types of antifreeze which are tinted orange orbronze (e.g., Prestone Long Life 5/100, or 4/60). These are goodfor four to five years.
If you are changing from the "green stuff" over to one of the longlife antifreezes, then you must thoroughly flush out your coolingsystem first. The corrosion inhibitors in the green and theorange/bronze antifreezes are not compatible. After you haveremoved the green antifreeze put back in only water. Let the watercirculate. Let the engine cool and re-drain the water. Repeat thistwice more.
It's a good idea to make sure that the antifreeze is a "lowphosphate" type. The presence of phosphate in your coolant willforce the concentration of aluminum ions to be extremely low. Thiswill tend to increase the rate at which aluminum metal componentsof the engine will oxidize (corrode) into the coolant.
The aluminum phosphate formed will tend to collect in your coolingsystem and will NOT flush out. This could impair the efficiency ofheat transfer and reduce water flow rates through the system.
So to be safe, use a phosphate free coolant. Read the label on theantifreeze container. If it says "phosphate free", it should be OK.If it says "safe for aluminum (I don't know which engine you have) engines", it should also be OK. If itdoesn't make one of these claims, then find another variety.
What about the "pet-friendly" antifreezes? These use a base ofpropylene glycol and will do the same job as ethylene glycol. Theycost a little more and require a greater quantity to provide thesame protection and they're really only a bit less hazardous. Theirreal claim is that they don't have a "sweat" odor or taste (Iwonder who found this out!) and therefore are less likely to attachpets or small children.
Start by checking your service manual to see how much fluid is inyour system. This is important, because 240 cooling system capacitiesvaried depending on the generation. Also, if you have increased thesize of your stock radiator (e.g., from a three core to a fourcore), you will have to account for this.
Be safe and start with a cool engine. Set the interior heatercontrol lever to the HOT position. This will allow the heater coreto drain. If you have a radiator overflow reservoir, then remove itand drain it as well. Now remove the radiator pressure cap and openthe radiator drain c***. You can use a pair of pliers to reach adifficult-to-reach one or to free a stuck one, but be careful. Remember, the Nissan drain cocks are made ofplastic, so they're easy to break!
If the drain c*** is really stuck, or broken off flush with thebottom of the radiator, then you can disconnect the lower radiatorhose from the radiator to drain the coolant.
Let the used coolant drip into a container or pan. If your househas a city sewer disposal system, then you are allowed to emptyyour old anti-freeze into your drain. Don't just pour it on theground or into a septic tank system. Better yet is to take it toone of the hazardous waste disposal facilities in your are, or youcan nicely ask a auto repair shop to dispose of it.
Draining the radiator alone will only remove about half of thecoolant. There is an engine drain plug located on the side of theblock. Removing this will allow the remainder of the coolant toescape. It's messy, but it's the preferred way.
Refilling
First, tighten the drain cocks and any hoses you may have removed.Check on the side of the new container of antifreeze for how muchantifreeze you actually need. Now most people just put the"standard" 50/50 (half water and half antifreeze) ratio back intheir system, but I recommend using only as much antifreeze asnecessary. The reason for this is the fact that water by itself isa much better conductor of heat than antifreeze!
It is generally recognized that straight water will cool a car moreeffectively than any combination of water and antifreeze, despiteantifreezes marginal increase in boiling temps. So, the old adageof "if some is good, then more is better" does not apply withrespect to antifreeze. There will still be plenty of anti-corrosioninhibitors and water pump lubricant even with a 20% ratio ofantifreeze.
What about using distilled water with the antifreeze instead ofordinary tap water? The reasoning here is that normal tap water hasminerals dissolved in it. Through repeated heating in your car'scooling system, those minerals will eventually precipitate and formhard deposits in the radiator, especially in small passages.Distilled water is free of minerals, and therefore will not havethis effect.
However, now the reasoning is to use regular tap water becausewater normally likes to have ions floating around. If it doesn't,then it gets them from wherever it can. Aluminum readily ionizes,so the distilled water "steals" the ions from the aluminumcomponents and they corrode. If you use tap water, it is "pre-ionized", so to speak. The tap water will sacrifice itself, and notyour engine parts, to the chemical reactions created during thermalcycles of the fluid and metal parts.
The cooling system has nooks and crannies that can trap air. Thefiller neck is supposed to be at the high point to let air out, andthere is a small hole in the thermostat to allow trapped air toescape.
Slowly pour the antifreeze and water into the radiator until it isfull. Now you probably won't completely fill the system initially.Start the engine and let it idle until the thermostat begins toopen. The water level in the radiator will invariably go down. Addsome more water or antifreeze until it is full. Remember only addwater to a hot engine while it is running! Better still is to warmthe engine with the radiator cap on, let it cool and then check thefluid level. Check the fluid level periodically over the nextseveral days.
Which Antifreeze To Use?
Most antifreeze is made with a colorless base chemical calledethylene glycol. A green dye is used in most brands, although thereis a Toyota brand which is red. The latest entry into the marketare the "long life" types of antifreeze which are tinted orange orbronze (e.g., Prestone Long Life 5/100, or 4/60). These are goodfor four to five years.
If you are changing from the "green stuff" over to one of the longlife antifreezes, then you must thoroughly flush out your coolingsystem first. The corrosion inhibitors in the green and theorange/bronze antifreezes are not compatible. After you haveremoved the green antifreeze put back in only water. Let the watercirculate. Let the engine cool and re-drain the water. Repeat thistwice more.
It's a good idea to make sure that the antifreeze is a "lowphosphate" type. The presence of phosphate in your coolant willforce the concentration of aluminum ions to be extremely low. Thiswill tend to increase the rate at which aluminum metal componentsof the engine will oxidize (corrode) into the coolant.
The aluminum phosphate formed will tend to collect in your coolingsystem and will NOT flush out. This could impair the efficiency ofheat transfer and reduce water flow rates through the system.
So to be safe, use a phosphate free coolant. Read the label on theantifreeze container. If it says "phosphate free", it should be OK.If it says "safe for aluminum (I don't know which engine you have) engines", it should also be OK. If itdoesn't make one of these claims, then find another variety.
What about the "pet-friendly" antifreezes? These use a base ofpropylene glycol and will do the same job as ethylene glycol. Theycost a little more and require a greater quantity to provide thesame protection and they're really only a bit less hazardous. Theirreal claim is that they don't have a "sweat" odor or taste (Iwonder who found this out!) and therefore are less likely to attachpets or small children.