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Help me flush my coolant and heater core pls!

11K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Altair 
#1 · (Edited)
Well im not getting any heat n my temp gauge is sitting at just a lil over 55...now i did a serch n found that this could be caused by a plugged heater core, bad thermo stat, bad temp sensor, or possibly a bad waterpump(gulp).

now im gonna replace everything BUT not the water pump! This include sensor, thermo stat and antifree but i also got a rad flush addative.

now im stuck at how to properly flush the system. i got 2 heater hose t-splitters that have a garden hose screw on one end.(like the prestone flush kit) Now what do i do with these? lol

I was thinking of doing it in this order:
-enpty rad n block of antifreez
-remove thermo stat and seal back up without no thermo stat
-turn heater on full to open the core up
-fill with water n rad flush addative, run for 10-15mins then drain
-un-attach upper rad hose and shove garden hose into rad n turn on n flush.
-remove heater core hoses n attach the t sumwhere sum how(thi sis where im stuck) im struck on how to just flush the core alone! Like what n where do these t's go n now do they work!!!

any info pls...even a full detailed description on a flush n fill of both rad n heater core :) thanks
 
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#2 ·
Copied form a magazine article...

Your cooling system should be flushed every other year. No, I'm not crazy, but with all the new chemicals they use today, it will literally eat up the rubber hoses and deteriorate the heater core, and the radiator core.

Have a drain pan under the drain plug, or the lower radiator hose, to catch the old fluid. EPA doesn't want you to let it run out onto the ground--it will contaminate Earth!

Make sure the engine is cold! Hot antifreeze burns dramatically and it will burn you, too!

If you can get to the drain plug, (sometimes it's hard to get to) you can put a piece of 3/8 inch hose onto it. Put the other end into the drain pan and open the drain plug. This will let the fluid empty into the drain pan--that way all the fluid will go into the drain pan and not spread out and drip all over the place. Remove the radiator cap.

If you want, and it's much faster, you can remove the lower radiator hose from the radiator. Use caution, though, you don't want to break the neck on the radiator--that's a no-no.

It is better to have the drain plug opened, though, when you start to flush.

A word of caution! Antifreeze/summer coolant is very toxic. Don't get it on the body paint, or on your skin. Wash it off with water! Another thing, it will kill your pets if they drink it, so keep them, and children, away from it, remember, I warned you!:)

Some vehicles have a vent plug. It's located near the thermostat housing (where the upper radiator hose is connected to). Open this to vent: the fluid will empty out better.

Now will be a good time to inspect the hoses. Look at the heater hoses: are they swelled near the clamps? Do they feel hard, or real soft? If so, replace them. The same with the upper and lower radiator hoses. If your vehicle has a by-pass hose (from the water pump to the thermostat housing) check it also. Don't be skimpy here, a little for a hose now will save a lot later. Replace the hose clamps, too, if they need replacing. I hate those "clip" type, and they are usually in need of replacing.

You can get a "flush kit" at most auto parts stores. Read the instruction as to how to install it. Most of the time you can cut the heater hose going to the water pump and install it there. They are designed to be a permanent fixture: you can leave it hooked up.

After you have installed the flush kit you need to hook up the garden hose to the fitting. It might be best for you to remove the thermostat, as cool water will close it and restrict flow.

Turn the water faucet on, not too much, and leave the radiator cap off and the drain open. If water spews from the vent plug opening, put it back in.

Crank the engine and let it idle. Watch the fluid coming from the 3/8 tubing. When the fluid is clear as water, ha, you can turn the faucet off and then turn the ignition switch off.

You may need two drain pans to catch all the fluid, plus, you will need to find a place in your city to dispose the fluid: a repair shop, or disposal plant. Do not pour it out on the ground: EPA!!!

Let the vehicle cool down. After the engine is cold you can turn the water faucet on again and re-flush. There is no need to restart the engine, just let the water run through the block, heater core, and radiator. Let this go for about two or three minutes, then you can turn the water off and remove the garden hose. Put the cap that came with the kit over the spout after you remove the garden hose...you won't have to remove the flush kit, just leave it there for the next time.

They make chemicals to flush systems that have a lot of rust and deposits in them, but this procedure will work in most cases.

Be sure you have the lower radiator hose clamp tight (if you removed it), and have the drain plug tight (remove the hose if you put one on).

Now you can add your antifreeze/summer coolant. Depending on where you live, most vehicle manufacturers recommend a 50/50 solution. Look in your owner's manual and see what they recommend. If your vehicle holds two gallons of coolant, then you want to put in one gallon of coolant and one gallon of water.

If your vehicle doesn't have a vent plug, you can fill the radiator to the top, then crank the engine. Note: If you removed the thermostat, be sure to reinstall it, I'd recommend installing a new one.

After you crank the engine, let it idle. Watch the radiator filler spout, water may overflow. If it does, put the cap back on. Feel of the upper radiator hose. When it gets warm to hot, then the thermostat has opened and you can remove the radiator cap slowly. If no water tries to escape, then you can remove it and add water.

Most vehicles of late have a plastic reservoir. After you have the radiator full you can fill the reservoir to the line on the side of the container, "full cold", with water.

Now, start the engine again and let it idle. Look for leaks (repair them if you have any) and watch the temperature gauge. If you have a light you will have to feel of the upper radiator hose to tell when the engine is at operating temperature: the hose will be very hot. Most vehicles run a 190o thermostat, so you won't be able to hold the hose very long, unless you're a hot-metal worker. :)
 
#3 ·
just did the flush today...turns out nothing was plugged but i did it n e ways and also replaced all the hoses..turns out the problem was the thermostat as predicted...it was sooo bad it was rusted to the block i had to use a pliers to break it out. Blows hot now! n runs a lil below 100! WOOT
 
#5 ·
Not hard at all. Just plan on investing a couple hours into this job. The actual manual labor part of it is minimal.
 
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