[omw41]

2008 Solstice Base Premium-Approx 32K on the clock : I want to drain and refill my coolant. I am having no problems and things are running correct, but I read I should do it at 32k to help prevent possible water pump and seal damage. I have seen the DM Video on refilling, so I'm good there. What I want to know is do I have to do the water-pump/block drain too? Should I even mess with doing it at all?

 

[2.4solstice06]

It really all depends on how mechanically inclined u are. All you really have to do is drain the radiator via the pet cock and fill the system back up with strait water and run it to flush the system, then drain and repeat, and finally fill with long life coolant and bleed the system.

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[chickenwire]

Agree with the above. The refill is trickier than the drain, for certain. I followed DDM's process for the refill and had no problems at all.

 

[timlange3]

I have heard from several mechanics I trust that one should use a coolant system flushing product, not just plain water, to clean the system before refilling with coolant.

 

[omw41]

Got it. I am going to do it.

 

[2.4solstice06]

I don't disagree with flushing products, but at 35k, there is going to be virtually no corrosion or crap in the cooling system. I'm weary about putting things in my cooling system after seeing the effects of stop leak, not that stop leak is anything like coolant flush solution, but you catch my drift.

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[omw41]

I don't disagree with flushing products, but at 35k, there is going to be virtually no corrosion or crap in the cooling system. I'm weary about putting things in my cooling system after seeing the effects of stop leak, not that stop leak is anything like coolant flush solution, but you catch my drift.

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So, you would just flush with the hose? Can't I just stick the garden hose in there and flush through the rad petcock until the water is clear?

 

[chickenwire]

Whatever you use to flush with, you need to run the engine to get a thorough flush through all the cooling passages. If you just pour in the radiator and out the bottom you'll only flush the radiator.

 

[2.4solstice06]

Chicken wire is right, if you wanted to flush the engine with the hose, you wild have to pull the thermostat... I would just drain the system, fill it with water, run it up to NOT so the thermostat opens, then drain the water and fill with the proper mix of coolant

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[omw41]

Chicken wire is right, if you wanted to flush the engine with the hose, you wild have to pull the thermostat... I would just drain the system, fill it with water, run it up to NOT so the thermostat opens, then drain the water and fill with the proper mix of coolant

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OK. Sounds good. How long before the thermo opens on a cold car?

 

[chickenwire]

I would run it until the tstat DOES open - otherwise you wouldn't flush what was in the heater core. Run it until you feel heat blowing into the interior.

 

[LatinVenom]

Our thermostat opens at about 180 degrees.

 

[omw41]

Got it. Thanks guys.

 

[Shadofax]

I would run it until the tstat DOES open - otherwise you wouldn't flush what was in the heater core. Run it until you feel heat blowing into the interior.

Which brings up one other point, once you're at that 180* let it run a few minutes and turn the heater on. This is why I'd use a mild prestone flush....as I recall they make a regular one and one for "abused" systems. If you're going to all this effort don't just run water through it, and really, if you want to be super picky, garden hose water is going to have heavy particles in it, it's not like it's distilled/purified, which is what you probably should use at least for the final refill, unless you buy a premixed solution (which some state uses purified water). So now you've got the flush circulated throughout the radiator, block, and heater core (heater cores can go bad just like radiators).

 

[omw41]

Which brings up one other point, once you're at that 180* let it run a few minutes and turn the heater on. This is why I'd use a mild prestone flush....as I recall they make a regular one and one for "abused" systems. If you're going to all this effort don't just run water through it, and really, if you want to be super picky, garden hose water is going to have heavy particles in it, it's not like it's distilled/purified, which is what you probably should use at least for the final refill, unless you buy a premixed solution (which some state uses purified water). So now you've got the flush circulated throughout the radiator, block, and heater core (heater cores can go bad just like radiators).

Yeah. I've already stocked up on six gallons of distilled water. I'm on the fence about the flush, but I was thinking the same way you did. I bought some Peak Flush (they were out of Prestone), in case I man up and do it. I bought one gallon of straight anti-freeze and I think I need two. I'm waiting until the 15th to get the other gallon and do the job.

 

[Shadofax]

I've got a little time left before I do this...june 2014 would be around 5 yrs, and the maint. schedule says 150k or 5 yrs, whichever comes first. Seeing as we might be around 7000 miles by then, I guess it's going to be 5 yrs. If I do this myself it will probably be fall of this year. I guess if a dealer is going to charge $100+ for this service I'll be doing it myself. Flush is not a biggie to me. If the radiator has a petcock that makes it easy, it's catching all the fluid so it's not running all down the street drains. And it's always a messy job.

 

[Shadofax]

So Dexcool, is this article old news, I've been in the world of Ford many years and had not heard of this issue?

GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool

 

[kwtoxman]

I'm reading with interest because I'm doing this shortly. In the next 4 weeks or so.

I already have the GM coolant premixed, distilled water (lots), and the coolant check valves to install.

The car is lowered so I bought 8 one-foot sections of 2X8" to put under the tires (2 per tire).

So plan will be the following from what I understand:

Heat up car to 180 (82+C) with heater on to hot, turn off car, open petcock and take off rad cap and coolant fill cap. Drain.

Then close petcock, fill with distilled water and a bit of prestone flush (or whatever), put the rad cap back on, then run the car to same temp again.

Then drain and add some more distilled water during draining to further flush. Add check valves. Then refill car and finish refill as per DDM video.

 

[TomatoSoup]

So Dexcool, is this article old news, I've been in the world of Ford many years and had not heard of this issue?

GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool

It's very difficult to get away from Dexcool. Pretty-much think the ship has sailed by now (i.e. everyone is using similar formulations).

See: So, changing coolant and don't want Dex-Cool? Read on, you may be surprised...

 

[TomatoSoup]

Heat up car to 180 (82+C) with heater on to hot, turn off car, open petcock and take off rad cap and coolant fill cap. Drain.

So I understand why your would do this - to open the thermostat - but still I would think this is pretty risky to do, especially with a pressurized system like ours.

Anyone with more experience chime in here?