Coolant change

[E_KEL95]

Whats the best way to go about doing this, hopefully gona be changing mines this evening if I get the car back, best way to flush out the system, and the coolant to water mix would 50/50 do?

[rd070707]

I would just drop it out the bottom rad hose. I would just flush it through with water a few times then put the hose back in.

Get a 2l coke bottle and cut the bottom off and put some insulation tape around the top and wedge it in the header tank. Then the idea is to keep the bottle topped up and fill it with the bleed points open. Then start the car and bleed again. You will want to do all the bleeding with just water then drop half the water out and put your coolant in

http://306oc.co.uk/forum/thread-20731.html

[Poodle]

Use the mix specified on the bottle, its 1:3 or less for a lot of them.

[Piggy]

3litres of decent long life coolant...top up rest with clean water

[DeeTurbo]

It is 4 litres of coolant as the hdi holds 8 litres and it should be a 50-50 mix.

I have also found that green coolant keeps the system corrosion free.

[ADV_93]

So easy on a 306, run it until it's up to temperature, and you have two bleed screws in the rear hose located on the heater matrix pipes that go into the bulkhead and a screw on the thermostat housing itself mate

[Piggy]

It is 4 litres of coolant as the hdi holds 8 litres and it should be a 50-50 mix.

I have also found that green coolant keeps the system corrosion free.

You shouldnt ever need a 50/50 mix in any car in britain...
Considering motors in Sweden only run 30%

[DeeTurbo]

You shouldnt ever need a 50/50 mix in any car in britain...
Considering motors in Sweden only run 30%

Really? I thought and read it was always 50/50. It even says that in the haynes manual, not that the haynes manual is always right.

What is the issue with running a stronger mix?

[devils_fuel]

A mixture too strong will eat seals and certain metals

[Connor]

It is 4 litres of coolant as the hdi holds 8 litres and it should be a 50-50 mix.

I have also found that green coolant keeps the system corrosion free.

You shouldnt ever need a 50/50 mix in any car in britain...
Considering motors in Sweden only run 30%

You should mix it however it says on the bottle

[Toms306]

Just buy ready mixed lol....

[Piggy]

To be totally honest I always get two coolant changes for each 5ltr long life I buy...so I only ever use 2.5litres...

And once its all run up to temp and mixed in, my signet coolant tester always shows strength of down to -25c which is cold enough for britain!

[E_KEL95]

Gona do this the mora, check the bottle and it says mix to manufacturers specification so what that be 1:3? Best method be to undo the bottom rad hose and bleed screws and put hose into bottle and do this until water comes out of bleed points? Close all up a
pour in coolant and top up with water?

[rd070707]

No drop the old coolant out the bottom hose, then put it back on. Then put your coke bottle in the header tank and keep it topped up with water with the bleed points open until and steady flow of water comes out

[E_KEL95]

Ahhright ok, then what ways best to let enough water out to put the coolant in then?

[Toms306]

Shouldn't need to remove the hose, theres a drain point at the bottom of the radiator, looks just like a bleed point, but faces towards the gearbox.

[Poodle]

A lot of pattern radiators don't seem to have that drain screw, but that's definitely the better way to do it imo. Especially if you don't want coolant everywhere lol.

[JJtheHITMAN]

With (EDIT-with the cap removed when cold!!) and the car upto temp Take the top return pipe off coolant bottle and with it running let it pump its self into a bucket while you keep the header tank topped up with fresh 50/50 coolant mix, just dont let it run dry! That way theres no risk of a nasty airlock, no mess... Sorted!

[Piggy]

Whatever you do...DO NOT do the above...

If you take any hose off with the car running up to temp you will end up with 3rd degree burns

[JJtheHITMAN]

Obviously common sense tells you the cap must be off and the system not under pressure when running it up and doing it that way!! That is how i do it, several times on a daily basis without fail. Care must be taken when working with any components obviously becsuse they might be hot.

[Piggy]

Seems a very foolish way to do things...having the car up to temp but running freezing cold water through it to fluah it

[JJtheHITMAN]

Foolish? The rate of which the water comes out and thus refilling it is so slow the gradual change in temp will do no harm, especially on these engines. Temp change would be slower than if the thermostat opened under normal operating conditions! Suppose really everyone everyone has there own ways of doing things. Everyone to their own