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Open the container of antifreeze. Using a separate EMPTY gallon-size container, pour out HALF of the contents into the empty container, making sure not to spill any. Now, FILL the newly filled container with tap water. Fill the rest of the antifreeze with water, also. Now, you are ready to add antifreeze to your vehicle! Simply locate the radiator cap, (Don't touch it if it's hot!!) and unscrew it. Pour the desired amount of your mixed antifreeze into the radiator. Remember not to do this without proper knowledge!
You add antifreeze coolant to the radiator. Wait until you car hasn't been driven for a long while or until engine has cooled off. Then open your radiator cap. Before adding anything you will have to drain some from your radiator first. Near the bottom of your radiator there is a drain plug that you turn to let out what you already have in there. Once it drains you close it back. You can buy premixed antifreeze that you just pour straight into the radiator until its full. Remember to check the antifreeze level the next few days after you car has cooled down. Some of the coolant will remain inside the cars coolant system lowering the level of coolant in the radiator. Remember you can get scald with boiling hot water opening the radiator cap if the car motor is hot. caution!
it means you have a leak could be hose or a hole in the radiator if you didnt hit any thing i would check hoses you can buy a tool that you use to add pressuer to the system and look to see where the leak is coming from
IF YOU GOT TOO MUCH WATER IN COOLANT SYSTEM AND DONT HAVE 50 / 50 MIXTURE OF ANTIFREEZE AND WATER. WATER WILL EVAPORATE BOIL AWAY.CHECK FOR COOLANT LEAKS LOOK AT TOP AND BOTTOM RADIATOR HOSES LEAKS, CHECK FOR COOLANT LEAKS AROUND BOTH RADIATOR CONTAINER AND RADIATOR CORES LEAKING. CHECK WATER PUMP WEEP HOLE. IF LEAKING WATER NEED REPLACING, CHECK ENGINE CRANKCASE ANTIFREEZE WILL LEAK IN CRANK CASE OR LEAK IN THE INTAKE GASKET COOLANT WILL BURN WITH FUEL.MANY THINGS WILL CAUSE COOLANT LOST.
You say "when it's to the full line". If you are referring to the plastic coolant reservoir, that is not an indication of how much coolant is in the radiator. You must remove the radiator cap to check the coolant level and too add coolant. If you are pouring coolant into the reservoir, and theradiator is low, then the coolant in the reservoir is probably being pulled into the radiator after you have driven the vehicle. That doesn't mean you are losing antifreeze. It just means you need to put antifreeze in the radiator.
TO CHANGE RADIATOR FIRST YOU TURN OFF RADIO FIRST TO KEEP FROM LOSING RADIO CODE.DISCONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.RAISE FRONT OF VECHICLE SUPPORT ON JACK STANDS.REMOVE THE LOWER SPLASH SHIELDS.NOW YOU NEED TO DRAIN THE COOLING SYSTEM.CATCH COOLANT IN A LARGE DRAIN PAN.REUSE COOLANT IF ITS FAIRLY NEW.IF COOLANT VERY OLD CHANGE IT.PUT OLD COOLANT IN SOME EMPTY CONTAINER TAKE TO A GARAGE OR WHOEVER DISPOSE IT.DONT POUR ON GROUND.HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.MOVE THE AIR INTAKE DUCT PASSES OVER THE TOP RADIATOR HOSE.NOW WHEN ALL COOLANT DRAIN OUT.LOOSEN UPPER AND LOWER RADIATOR HOSE CLAMPS.THEN DETACH THE RADIATOR HOSES FROM THE FITTINGS.IF THEY ARE STUCK GRASP EACH HOSE NEAR THE END WITH A PAIR OF ADJUSTABLE PLIERS AND TWIST IT TO BREAK THE SEAL THEN PULL IT OFF REMOVE SMALL COOLANT SURGE LINES FROM TOP OF RADIATOR THAT GOES TO THE OVER FLOW RESERVOIR..DISCONNECT COOLING FAN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.THEN REMOVE THE COOLING FAN.REMOVE DISCONNECT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES GET READY TO CATCH TRANSMISSION FLUID THEN PLUG LINES. NOW UNSCREW THE FOUR BOLTS TWO ON EACH SIDE OF THE RADIATOR THAT ATTACH RADIATOR TO THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSOR CAREFULLY TIP TOP OF THE RADIATOR SLIGHTLY TOWARDS THE ENGINE.REMOVE THE UPPER RADIATOR SEAL AND LIFT RADIATOR FROM THE ENGINE.NOW IS THE TIME TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER RADIATOR HOSES WITH NEW ONES SINCE ALL COOLANT REMOVE I WOULD REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP.NOW WHEN YOU GET READY TO INSTALL NEW RADIATOR USE SHEETS OF CARD BOARD PROTECT RADIATOR FINS AND CORES FROM DAMAGE WHILE SITTING RADIATOR BACK IN PLACE.ONCE YOU GET UPPER AND LOWER HOSES IN PLACE ALSO PLACE SMALL SURGE HOSES FROM THE OVER FLOW RESERVOIR TO RADIATOR NEW THERMOSTAT AND TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES ALL HOOK UP. START POURING ANTIFREEZE IN THE RADIATOR OR OVERFLOW RESERVOIR IF RADIATOR DONT HAVE RADIATOR CAP ON IT.POUR A FULL GALLON ANTIFREEZE AND A HALF MORE IF LONG AS THE COOLANT STAYS ON THE COLD LEVEL MARK ON OVERFLOW RESERVOIR DONT OVER FILL.IF YOU POUR ANTIFREEZE IN RADIATOR KEEP POURING ANTIFREEZE UNTIL LEVEL STOP DROPPING AND LEVEL OFF AT RADIATOR TOP.START ENGINE CHECK FOR LEAKS. LET ENGINE RUN UNTIL IT WARM UP TOP RADIATOR HOSE GET HOT.WATCH COOLANT LEVEL IN RADIATOR OR COOLANT OVERFLOW RESERVOIR WHEN THERMOSTAT OPENS COOLANT LEVEL WILL DROP.ONCE YOU HAVE ENOUGH COOLANT IN THE SYSTEM COOLANT LEVEL WILL STOP DROPPING.THEN YOU READY TO GO.LET ENGINE SIT A LITTLE WHILE CHECK COOLANT LEVEL AGAIN.COOLANT LEVEL IN THE OVER FLOW RESERVOIR SHOULD BE AT HOT MARK FOR HOT ENGINE AND WHEN ENGINE COLD COOLANT LEVEL SHOULD BE AT THE COLD MARK.IF POUR ANTIFREEZE IN THE RADIATOR COOLANT LEVEL SHOULD BE AT TOP OF RADIATOR BELOW PRESSURE CAP.
This is how I like to do it. Make sure the car is parked with the front end at an upward angle. Drain the coolant from the petcock at the bottom of the radiator. Remove the upper and lower hoses at the radiator. Remove the thermostat housing, and the heater core hoses at the fire wall. Flush out the radiator by pouring fresh water into the overflow, and the hole where the thermostat was. Flush the heater core as best you can by pouring fresh water into the heater core hose connections. Let all the water drain out, then button everything back up and replace the thermostat with a new one. Refill the rad and engine by filling the coolant reservoir with a mix of 50% water and 50% antifreeze, or buy the premixed stuff from the auto parts store. (Buy 4 jugs of premix or 2 of straight antifreeze) Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature and the upper rad hose gets hot. Rev the engine a little to help get the air out of the cooling system. When the thermostat opens, the coolant level will drop in the reservoir, so top it up and replace the cap. Check for leaks, and check the coolant level for the next few days, and check for leaks. Dispose of the old coolant responsibly
remove petcock on bottom of the radiator. Then drain all the antifreeze. Then flush if necessary until clear plain water pours out. Then replace petcock and pour in 50/50 mixture until the radiator looks full. Then start and run the car with radiator cap off. It is also good to burp the top radiator hose until coolant level goes down, then keep doing this until the unit is completely full.
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