Attention! Do not allow antifreeze to come into contact with exposed areas of the body and painted surfaces of the car. Wash off accidental splashes with plenty of water without delay. Remember that antifreeze is a highly toxic liquid and getting it into the body, even in small quantities, is fraught with the most serious consequences (up to death). Never leave antifreeze stored in a loosely sealed container and clean up spilled coolant on the floor without delay. Remember that the sweet smell of antifreeze can attract the attention of children and animals. Consult your local authorities for disposal of used coolant. In many regions of the world, special points have been set up to receive various types of detention. Never drain old coolant down the drain and onto the ground!
Recently, non-toxic grades of antifreeze have been developed, but they also require care in handling. Regularly, in accordance with the vehicle's routine maintenance schedule, the cooling system should be emptied, flushed and filled with a fresh mixture of antifreeze and water. This kind of maintenance helps to prevent the development of corrosion inside the cooling path and significantly increases the efficiency of the system.
During maintenance, the condition of all system hoses and the radiator filler cap must also be checked (see Section Checking the Condition of the Cooling System Components). Defective components must be replaced.
Remember the precautions to be taken when servicing the cooling system (see warning at the beginning of Section).
Emptying
1. Apply the parking brake and chock the wheels. The direct execution of maintenance procedures should be started only after the engine has completely cooled down, i.e. at least a few hours after the end of the trip.
2. After waiting for the final cooling of the engine, remove the caps from the radiator neck and expansion tank.
3. To release the coolant from the radiator, remove the drain plug at the bottom of the radiator. If the cork "got used to", or not provided at all, disconnect the lower hose from the radiator and drain the liquid through it.
Note. The coolant should be drained into a drain container of the appropriate volume, which must be prepared in advance. Avoid getting antifreeze in your eyes and on exposed skin. 4. After the coolant has drained from the radiator, remove the lower hose of the latter and drain the remaining coolant from the top of the engine block.
5. While the liquid is draining from the block, disconnect the hose from the expansion tank and remove the last (see chapter Cooling, heating systems). Rinse tank with clean water (if necessary - with soap). Clean the level marks on the sides of the tank.
6. Check the condition of the radiator hoses and hoses of the heating system, as well as the clamps of their fastening on fittings and branch pipes (if necessary, see Section Checking the Condition of the Cooling System Components).
7. Replace damaged components (if necessary, see chapter Cooling, heating systems).
Flushing
1. After draining the system, remove the thermostat from the engine, remove it from the casing and install the latter back in its original place (empty). The system is now ready for flushing.
2. Reinstall the lower radiator hose and tighten the radiator drain plug. Turn the interior heating control knob to maximum heat to ensure that the heater heat exchanger is also flushed.
3. Disconnect the top hose from the radiator and insert a garden hose into the last one. Turn on the water supply and continue flushing until a clean, clear stream comes out of the top hose. 4. In cases of particularly severe contamination or impaired patency of the radiator, remove the last (see chapter Cooling, heating systems) and deliver it for refurbishment and service to a car service workshop.
5. Corrosion products and dense deposits are removed from the cooling system path by chemical treatment - follow the instructions of the manufacturers of the cleaning agent you purchased.
Note. With regular system flushing and coolant replacement procedures, the need for chemical treatment of the tract should not arise.
Refueling
1. Reinstall the thermostat and expansion tank, connect all hoses to the radiator.
2. Move the interior heating control knob to maximum heating.
3. Slowly fill the radiator with fresh, proportioned (see specs) mixture of antifreeze and water. Continue filling until the liquid level rises to the lower cut of the filler neck. Add coolant to the expansion tank until the level reaches the FULL COLD mark. Wait five minutes and recheck the coolant level in the radiator, adjust if necessary.
4. Without installing a cap on the radiator, start the engine and warm it up until the thermostat valve opens (the liquid should begin to circulate through the radiator, while the upper hose of the latter will warm up).
5. Stop the engine and let it cool down. Add a little more fluid to the radiator, bringing its level to the lower cut of the filler neck.
6. By squeezing the upper radiator hose, bleed the air out of it, if necessary, add a little more coolant. Reinstall the radiator cap.
7. Turn the supply air temperature and fan speed selection knobs to maximum performance.
8. Start the engine, warm it up to normal operating temperature and check the system for signs of leaks.