There is no block drain plug and disconnecting the lower radiator hose won't get the coolant out of the the block. Short of draining from there, refilling with water and driving a few miles to circulate the water and draining again, and repeating this a half dozen times, is there a better way? Like adding water to one of the hoses on the reservoir?
05 Jetta any easy way to flush the engine block of coolant?
- Thread starter atikovi
- Start date
Drain the radiator.
Remove the thermostat (preferred, as you won't have to deal with hot hoses or coolant), or warm the engine enough to make the thermostat open, and then disconnect the top radiator hose and put the garden hose in the radiator, and let the water pump flush the block & heater core. Careful of the hot coolant spewing out the top hose.
Turn off the water, wait for the water pump to cavitate, and shut off the engine. Fill the radiator with desired coolant mix, start the engine and let the the first bit of liquid run out the top radiator hose, to ensure you got as much plain water out as possible. Reinstall the hose on the radiator, and keep adding coolant to the radiator, or reservoir, until it appears that it won't take any more. Cap the radiator or reservoir, and take it for a drive. I usually use a ramp to raise the corner of the car where the top radiator hose is, or where the reservoir is, to help air escape the radiator and engine. Keep adding until the reservoir remains at the "full" line.
This is how I did my '05 Sport Trac. The Fiero was quite different.
Remove the thermostat (preferred, as you won't have to deal with hot hoses or coolant), or warm the engine enough to make the thermostat open, and then disconnect the top radiator hose and put the garden hose in the radiator, and let the water pump flush the block & heater core. Careful of the hot coolant spewing out the top hose.
Turn off the water, wait for the water pump to cavitate, and shut off the engine. Fill the radiator with desired coolant mix, start the engine and let the the first bit of liquid run out the top radiator hose, to ensure you got as much plain water out as possible. Reinstall the hose on the radiator, and keep adding coolant to the radiator, or reservoir, until it appears that it won't take any more. Cap the radiator or reservoir, and take it for a drive. I usually use a ramp to raise the corner of the car where the top radiator hose is, or where the reservoir is, to help air escape the radiator and engine. Keep adding until the reservoir remains at the "full" line.
This is how I did my '05 Sport Trac. The Fiero was quite different.
I don't get it. You will go thru this much trouble to flush coolant, but would mismatch tires on the same axle to save a few bucks. A buyer is more likely to notice the tire absurdity than recognize the value of a complete cooling system flush.
Agreed, also he saved no bucks to mismatch the tires.. doing it just because.
If the coolant is that bad a quick drain/fill maybe pull a hose... would be good enough.
Taking the lower radiator hose will get quite a bit of coolant out. Here is what you do, take the thermostat out, make sure after you drain the coolant you attach the lower radiator hose back. You have the upper radiator hose off, attach a hose to it and with 1 person running the car, add distilled water into the radiator. If your cooling system hold 15 quarts, add 4 gallons of distilled water or until everything comes clear.
No flushing with tap water that could have minerals in it, distilled water is like a buck a gallon, being cheap will hurt you in the long run.
I did this on my Dad's well it is was Moms 98 Monte Carlo, she got a new car, and the Monte was full of brown junk.
I had a lower radiator hose go bad on my Crown Vic, think it holds 13 quarts, just dropping the lower hose and refilling I added about 8.5 quarts of coolant and water, meaning 1 gallon of coolant and 1 gallon of distilled water.
Say yes to distilled water and no to tap water, tap water will lead to problems like being broken down on the side of the road.
The tires cost $100. An engine replacement $2000 or a radiator $300. An intelligent buyer knows it would cost $150 or $200 to get a coolant service done but just $20 or $30 to rotate the tires if they didn't like where they were mounted.
Done that but no need to remove thermostat. After 4 drain and refill cycles the water was clear. Was able to get about 5 quarts of G40 in. Will check the level and protection tomorrow after driving it some tonight.
Unless there was an oil contamination issue, I do not see how flushing the cooling system (vs. drain/refill) would prevent failure of the engine or radiator.
Yeah "full flushes" aren't something typi ally done on VWs. You just pop the lower rad hose off and refill or, more likely, wait for something in the system to need repair and refill.
Modern coolant is usually good for 100,000 miles in a new car and something like 50,000 miles on a drain and refill. I'm not leaving half of 127,000 mile coolant in the engine in a drain and refill. I'm getting ALL the old stuff out, and then it will be good for ANOTHER 100,000 miles just as if it was new. A coolant drain and refill is as dumb as a drain and refill of the oil after 6,000 miles and not replacing the filter. Actually dumber as you're only replacing 50% of the old coolant vs. 80% of the oil.
5 days later the rear coolant crossover starts leaking
who cares
who cares
Whatever you say!
