I have a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire. I need to replace coolant water. Can I do it myself? How? thx...?

Question

When I was having my oil changed, they check all other liquid in the car. This guy told me coolant water needs to replaced since it is kinda dirty. They charge 70 bucks for it. A gallon of coolant is $10. I am a college student so every dollar counts. Does anyone know if I can do it myself and if so, describe how. Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

Econ, does your car have over 100.000 on it? Today's antifreeze is good for that many mi.. The price they want is high compared to the mid west( the Oh,Ky Ind,Tenn,W. Va cause we have both dealers and auto parts suppliers / corner garages that offer a $49.95 Flush & Fill. So, ya might want to shop around for a better price( This not only replaces antifreeze but flushes out the heater core and any corrosion built up in the engine block and radiator). OK, if ya just want to replace the antifreeze in your radiator look underneath the car on (can't remember which side) and on the bottom of the radiator( actually it is on the side of the radiator facing towards th engine) is what is called a "petcock". It is a T-handle shaped screw screwed into your radiator and you back it off counter -clock wise to loosen it and ya drain the radiator this way, or you can just take the bottom radiator hose off and just let it gush out the bottom inlet. Take the garden hose and let it run from the radiator cap opening out the bottom hose outlet for about 5 min to flush the radiator and let all the water drain out. Either close the petcock or replace the radiator hose and tighten up the clamp on the hose. Now pour in a gallon of pure antifreeze till it tops off or ya run out of the bottled stuff and add water to top off the radiator. Now, start the engine,turn on the heater full blast( defroster and all set on th highest temp.). Wait for the thermostat to open and add more water (The water / antifreeze level will drop in the radiator when this happens , oh yea , leave the rad. cap off when doing this so you can see the level of water / antifreeze drop down) and top it off with more water*(use distilled water cause tap water contains hard minerals and will clog up the radiator over time) . Don't worry about the over flow jug unless it is low/ empty. In that case, buy another jug of the 50 / 50 mix antifreeze to top it off to the proper level marked on the side of the jug,.( I forgot to tell you when buying the antifreeze buy what is compatible with the yellow antifreeze or the new 100,000 mi antifreeze and buy just the pure stuff to pour in the radiator and use the 50 / 50 mix for the overflow jug)

Answer 2

Find the lower radiator hose and loosen the clamp that holds it. Pull the hose off and drain the fluid. Do this when the engine is cold and remove the radiator cap first to relieve the pressure on the system.

Once the fluid has drained out, reinstall the lower radiator hose and tighten the clamp. Pour in a mixture of 50/50 coolant and water. It is a good idea to premix the coolant before you put it in, that way you know you have the correct amount in the system.

good luck.

Answer 3

there is a drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. its usually plastic and a different color than the rest of the radiator. you should be able to turn it loose with your hands. MAKE SURE THE ENGINE IS COLD!!!!! you will find this plug by looking from the under the front bumper of your car. you may have to move the splash gaurd out of your way. be sure to replace everything so as not to cause yourself future problems. after all is drained, repace w/ new coolant using 50water50coolant. last but not least if the plug has a rubber ring (o-ring) on it be sure that it is in good condition or else the new coolant you spend $8-$15 on will just leak out

Answer 4

Find the plug on the bottom of the radiator, remove it, drain coolant into container, replace plug, depending on where you are and the weather that will decide what mix of coolant/water you should use, it is actually on the gallon of coolant. It is a really easy job shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes. Oh yeah do it when your engine isn't that hot.

Answer 5

Basically, you drain the radiator from a valve underneath (called a petcock). Then you run a garden hose into the radiator until it's clear. Finally, fill it up with the recommended mix of antifreeze and water. The link below is more detailed and has all the safety and environment mumbo jumbo in it.