Coolant is responsible to keep the temperature of your engine under control. It is crucial to change the coolant timely to prevent any damage to the engine.
You can change the coolant of your car in almost an hour. Before you do anything, pay close attention to the owner's manual for recommended procedures and the prescribed coolant for the car. There are some vehicles in which you need to change the coolant after every 50,000 kilometers. Plenty of car manufacturers recommend to drain or flush the engine's cooling system regularly.
To help you with DIY car maintenance, follow these essential instructions to change the coolant of your car easily.
Refilling and draining coolant in cars
To change the coolant of your car, you should pay close attention to the following instructions.
Open drain cock
Refilling the coolant in older cars can be easy. Firstly, you must open the drain by twisting or unscrewing the quarter turn. Drain cocks are available in a variety of styles.
Remove hose
You will have to push together slip-joint pliers with clamp spring and slip clamp away from neck carefully. Make sure that you are pulling hose-free and drain the remaining coolant carefully. If access is a little bit complicated, use hose clamp pliers to remove the hose.
Add coolant into the Radiator
You need to stir one gallon of the distilled water and coolant into a bucket before adding mix into the radiator. Make sure that you are choosing the clean bucket. If you want to change the coolant, then you need to initiate by checking the overall condition of the coolant carefully while the engine of your car is cool. You will have to remove the coolant or radiator carefully. Now, examine the overall color of the coolant. If coolant is looking rusty, then it must be having oil and crud floating on the top.
Check coolant carefully
If the coolant is not looking neat and clean, then you should jack up the vehicle to drain out the coolant and replace it with fresh coolant. Try to support the vehicle with the stands. You should use a bigger drain pan and place it into the radiator. In case the hose isn't budging, you should use a hose removal tool that will break it loose. You will have to let the water pump and radiator drain completely.
Refill with genuine coolant
You will have to insert an air tool in the overflow bottle or radiator neck. Connect compressed airline and exhaust hose. You must route open end of tool exhaust into a particular empty gallon. You should open the valve and let the vacuum rise until it reaches the edge of the red zone. Now, you should fill with the genuine coolant. The vacuum will suck out any air pockets as it will able to refills the system. If it is completely full, then you will have to reinstall the overflow tank caps or radiator. After that, you need to remove jack stands carefully and opt for the spin.
Fill the cooling system carefully
It is your responsibility to fill the tube with the coolant bottle carefully and, after that, open the valve. Now, you have to let vacuum to let coolant enter into the system. You will have to repeat the procedure until the system is completely full.
How to choose the perfect coolant
You can find several brands of coolants in the market. Try to find out a genuine company that offers the best quality coolant. Avoid purchasing universal coolants that aren't compatible with the gaskets, new metal alloys and seals that are already used in the vehicles.
If you want to change the coolant from the car, then you will need the following important things-
- Air Compressor
- 4-in-1 screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Air hose
- Distilled water
If you have a new car, then you will have to invest money in the right air-powered refill tool. If possible, take the assistance of a professional dealer who can suggest you a perfect coolant for your car.
Replace the radiator cap and thermostat when you are replacing the coolant
The thermostat is considered one of the most important components in the cooling system of a vehicle because it regulates the overall temperature of the engine. The majority of the owners don't change the radiator cap whenever they are changing their coolant; that is the biggest mistake.
If you are facing an engine failure and engine overheating issues in the vehicle, then it is your responsibility to check the condition of the thermostat and radiator cap. You can change the radiator cap within a fraction of seconds. All you need have to do is unscrew and replace it with a new one. You can change the thermostat within an hour.
Long-life engine coolant
The majority of the vehicles now use long-life engine coolant in the radiator that lasts for a lot of years. It also offers protection against boiling in the hot weather and freezing in the colder temperatures. It also doesn't require any kind of maintenance.
Modern vehicle also come loaded with long-life engine coolant as it requires lesser replacement of fluids due to environmental concerns. Illegal dumping of these fluids can contaminate soil, air, and water.
If you don't have sufficient knowledge of the coolant, CarInfo recommends to visit the nearest mechanic.
