Coolant Drain/Fill Question

[thatryan]

Want to drain and fill my coolant, wondering how much the radiator holds? I know specs say the cooling system is 16.6 quarts, but how much will come out of a drain so I have enough on hand?

Also, I am assuming DexCool from dealer is concentrate and not pre mixed right? How do you guys mix to ensure 50/50? Do you mix into a spare bottle or something first?

Thanks!

[mookdoc6]

20 hours ago, thatryan said:

Want to drain and fill my coolant, wondering how much the radiator holds? I know specs say the cooling system is 16.6 quarts, but how much will come out of a drain so I have enough on hand?

Also, I am assuming DexCool from dealer is concentrate and not pre mixed right? How do you guys mix to ensure 50/50? Do you mix into a spare bottle or something first?

Thanks!

Buy 2ty concentrate dealer.  After you reconnect the bottom hose fill her up!  Always shake the concentrate jugs really good prior to dumping into radiator.  Dump 1qty Jug in....fill the empty concentrate jug up with distilled water which is what I do...but garden hose will work fine.  Repeat process using spent concentrate jug to measure in 1/2 coolant & 1/2 water etc. and dump into radiator wait minute bounce the front end and get trapped air out.  You should have little bit left in that jug and use it to fill reservoir tank.  Now take remaining concentrate jug which should have 1/2 already in it and fill that up with distilled to full amount.  Fill remaining reservoir tank up to cold line and drive truck until operating temp and bring back cool down completely and fill if need to get back to line now that air is out.  Some guys like 60/40 depending where you live but DON'T deviate from 50/50 or 60/40 imo.

 

Also, I am anal and Coolant is one thing not sure why?  Anyway, clean the system thoroughly FIRST!  Now I remember all the distilled jugs of water the kiddie pools, the Flushing 3qty times in 1week only to have oil mixed brown coolant again?  Yeah...now I pay 89.00 bucks for system flush and fill even though it irks me to not do myself and get it exactly correct!  Like the last schmuch who filled mine and overfilled it!

Edited October 8, 2019 by mookdoc6

[Black02Silverado]

Most just do a drain and fill.  Two gallons for the most part will work if all you are doing is draining the radiator.  

 

I used AMSOIL's coolant that is already a 50/50 mix in the gallon container.  ANTPC1G   I used this in my 2002 Silverado when I replaced all the hoses 4yrs ago, which reminds me I will need to change out the fluid next year.  I didn't replace the thermostat and probably taking a chance but to me if it isn't broke don't fix it.  

 

I went a different route on my diesel Cruze and used the "eco friendly"  Low toxicity Propylene Glycol coolant and antifreeze ANT1G.  This I mixed.  Got an empty gallon container and poured half in it and filled both up with distilled water.

[newdude]

1 hour ago, thatryan said:

Want to drain and fill my coolant, wondering how much the radiator holds? I know specs say the cooling system is 16.6 quarts, but how much will come out of a drain so I have enough on hand?

Also, I am assuming DexCool from dealer is concentrate and not pre mixed right? How do you guys mix to ensure 50/50? Do you mix into a spare bottle or something first? 

Thanks!

 

Most dealers should have both concentrate and premix.  If they are Volt/Bolt certified, they have to have the premix on hand for those as the premix is de-ionized for hybrid use.  It will be cheaper to get concentrate however. 

 

Distilled or de-ionized water is still a good idea.  GM was in the distilled camp until recently.  They now just call for drinking water. 

Edited October 7, 2019 by newdude

[beetle]

My easy method: Once a year, I simply drain and flush the overflow tank and refill with Dex-cool 50/50. It requires about 2/3 of a gallon. Doing it like that for years, never had a cooling system issue.

Edited October 8, 2019 by txab
dexos to Dex-cool

[Bob2C]

My easy method: Once a year, I simply drain and flush the overflow tank and refill with Dexos 50/50. It requires about 2/3 of a gallon. Doing it like that for years, never had a cooling system issue.

Now that’s an interesting approach. I like it


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[CamGTP]

I like using my garden hose, works good.

 

[Black02Silverado]

6 hours ago, CamGTP said:

I like using my garden hose, works good.

 

Here lately you hear more use of just plane tap water and nobody is having issues.  Interesting to see and hear.  I would imagine municipal water has come a long way over the years like oil.  Sure there will be minerals in it, but how much and how does it effect the coolant system?  If you think about it, when was the last time you heard anyone complain that their coolant system failed due to using tap water? 

[mookdoc6]

4 hours ago, Black02Silverado said:

Here lately you hear more use of just plane tap water and nobody is having issues.  Interesting to see and hear.  I would imagine municipal water has come a long way over the years like oil.  Sure there will be minerals in it, but how much and how does it effect the coolant system?  If you think about it, when was the last time you heard anyone complain that their coolant system failed due to using tap water? 

Probably true and most concerning would be well water and probably not local municipality.  

[Eddie 70]

I can buy a couple of gallons of distilled/demineralized  water at Walmart or the grocery store for a few bucks. Seems like it is about $1 a gallon. It's all I ever use in mine when doing antifreeze flush or drains. If I want to flush the system good. I will pull the lower hose and drain everything I can get out. Use the water hose and leave the bottom hose off and let the hose run in the fill for a bit to flush everything out good. Fill it with hose water and run it around the block til the thermostat opens and then drain again. This time fill with distilled/demineralized water and run it till the thermostat opens. Drain the system again. Pour a gallon of non-premixed antifreeze in. Pour a gallon of distilled/demineralized water in.

 

I haven't had to do this truck yet, the radiator devoloped a crack and it was replaced around 95k miles. Currently has almost 110k.

Edited October 8, 2019 by Eddie 70

[CamGTP]

I will admit that if I am doing work on a REALLLLLLLLLLY nice car with a super expensive engine and overall fussy thing to deal with, I will use distilled water.

 

For my GM stuff and whatever else run of the mill car, the garden hose or the laundry room sink water.

 

I mean who doesn't like the taste of hose water that tastes like rubber and a little bit a mineral flavor.

[16LT4]

Tap water is perfectly safe, just ask all the scale on the shower walls and that one wayward shower head orifice. 

[GN2018]

On 10/7/2019 at 2:14 PM, beetle said:

My easy method: Once a year, I simply drain and flush the overflow tank and refill with Dex-cool 50/50. It requires about 2/3 of a gallon. Doing it like that for years, never had a cooling system issue.

Does that coolant actually recycle into the radiator or is it just an overflow?  Seems like the amount of new fluid that actually makes it back into the main system would be minimal.

[CamGTP]

It gets cycled because there is no radiator cap, making the tank the cap and all the coolant over time moves in and out of the tank.