Radiator Flush

**IANOC** · 09-22-2003 12:27 PM

hi all
anyone got a guide or give instructions on how to drain the RAD and refill it with coolant
does it have to be 50/50
how to do it without getting airlocks
thanx

**GV27** · 09-22-2003 12:48 PM

Please see page 18 of trhe PDF in the Periodic Maintenance sticky ath the top of this forum.

**IANOC** · 09-22-2003 05:04 PM

cheers thx

**SD_GR** · 09-22-2003 05:36 PM

Originally posted by IANOC

how to do it without getting airlocks
thanx

Burp the system. Leave the rad cap off until you see the coolant circulate, and keep on topping off the level until it no longer drops or it's next week, whichever comes first. Then cap it, check for leaks, and off you go.

**KurleeDaddeeWRX** · 09-22-2003 05:53 PM

Originally posted by IANOC
how to do it without getting airlocks
thanx

It also helps to run the heater on full heat and full blast when the engine is up to operating temperature after the refill. This will fill the heater core portion of the coolant system. Do it now, or don't be suprised when you turn on your heater first thing this winter, then look at your coolant and see that its low.

I just did my coolant flush on my car a little less than a month ago.

**IANOC** · 09-26-2003 09:28 AM

well i filled it up but now i think there is a big airlock in the rad cause there is no heat coming out when i put the heater on full blast. do yu mean take off the cap while the engine is running cause isnt that how airlocks get in.im stumped the level isnt changing when i check it
a mechanic told me fill it up on with cap run engine for 10mins turn off engine leave for bout 20 mins open cap check level fill if needed replace cap repeat procedure if needed.what do i do to get rid of this airlock
thanx

**KurleeDaddeeWRX** · 09-26-2003 10:15 PM

Originally posted by IANOC
well i filled it up but now i think there is a big airlock in the rad cause there is no heat coming out when i put the heater on full blast. do yu mean take off the cap while the engine is running cause isnt that how airlocks get in.im stumped the level isnt changing when i check it
a mechanic told me fill it up on with cap run engine for 10mins turn off engine leave for bout 20 mins open cap check level fill if needed replace cap repeat procedure if needed.what do i do to get rid of this airlock
thanx

After turning on your heater full blast, did the coolant level in the filler go down any? It should have gone down a bit. If the level of coolant in the filler is low, fill with coolant back up to the top of the filler. Now take the top radiator hose and squeeze it a few times. This will allow air bubble to be pulled out of the radiator core and out through the filler. Try this a few times during the week on a cold motor.

Also look at your over flow tank by the battery. If this is low, the coolant system is using that coolant as well. Fill up to the max level and you are set.

This whole process of checking your coolant might take a few times, and might get annoying, but this is the proper procedure for doing a coolant flush and fill.

**metroplex** · 09-29-2003 11:46 AM

The late model Fords have a new cooling system that does not require you to bleed the cooling system like before (leave cap off and run engine) because it automatically degases the system.

It works fairly well, but I've never had an air bubble problem in the old Ford either.

**KanosWRX** · 04-10-2004 01:56 PM

Are you supposed to run your car with the radiator cap off? Just want to make sure we are talking about the same radiator cap, the one right above the turbo. I didn't think you were supposed to run the car with that off. anyways I have been working on changing my coolant today, drained about 6.2 litters, so about 1.5 was still in there, not that bad. But now I filled it up as much as it can go right now and that was only about 3.3 litters, a little less then a gallon of my mixture. so now the car has about 4.8 litters of coolant. I let the car run until the fans came on for a minute which means it was fully warmed up. I will take the radiator cap (the one above the turbo) off in about 20-30 minutes once it cools down again and hopefully it will take more coolant. also I never got heat to come out the vents even though it was on full blast.