Thread: Coolant refill

1. Fill it up to cold level.

2. Take the small overflow hose off the radiator. Blow through it to ensure no blockages.

3. Have your coolant/water at the ready and start the engine with overflow tank cap off. The level will drop so you'll need to be ready to top it up as necessary until the radiator is full.

4. Use your hand to high-idle the motor (about 2000rpm is enough).

5. Once the radiator is full there will be a constant flow out of the overflow port on the radiator, you can then put the hose back on and nip it up.

6. Once the thermostat opens you will find the coolant level may start to come up as the temp increases, if it gets too high simply turn the motor off. You can begin to fluctuate the revs between idle and 2500rpm now to "blast" the air out of the head pockets.

7. Once the level either gets too high, or the level stops dropping (usually only 5mins into this procedure), let the engine cool for 30mins to an hour and then top it up again and repeat the steps from step 3 on. Normally ill do it three or four times to make sure I've bled all the air.

I normally park on flat ground, not necessarily nose up or anything...

Hope this helps!

Cheers
Keithy

HI

Having done this a few times now, don't ask why, the procedure in RAVE works perfectly, I initially jacked up the front drivers side, but the last time i didn't even bother to do that

Steve

Thanks guys!

Hi all.
So after successfully refilling the coolant and going for a short run or two I heard what sounded like a strange amount of pressure in the cooling system l waited for the noise to stop and I checked the other levels only to discover.......... milky engine oil. Oh no!
Back to the mechanic it goes on the back of a truck. I'm thinking head gaskets but we will see.

Ouch! Was it pressurising before you did the coolant change?

It wasn't, at least I hadn't noticed it was anyway. It had only done about 20k from the workshop.

That's no good mate!

It's so frustrating mate. Just spent $3k on it trying to sort out the heating issue and it comes out and is supposedly fixed. Drive up the road and the fan detonates. Luckily I was only 500yds from home so it didn't get hot at all. Replaced everything and then find water in the oil. So frustrating!