Lapis_Blue

i am just crusing along and bing! add coolant light comes on. ok... get home, let it cool down and open up the radiator. i almost threw the cap. in there was a chunky brown liquid that resembled baby ****. mixed with something i cant come up with right now. eww... so i need to flush the system. only problem? i have no idea how. any help?

ioTus

um, ew. That sounds like there is a problem!!! I had my coolant system flushed by the local mechanics. Then my car started overheating after that.



So my only advice, DONT let someone else do it.



Sorry i couldnt help much more.

1gendreemer

You can flush the radiator yourself very easily. Just take the lower hose off and run water from the hose through the cap. There's "cooling system flush" stuff you can buy at any auto parts store too. When you take off that lower hose, you're gonna lose most of the collant out of the motor too so it's a good time to do that as well....though I don't know enough about how to do that safely to give you advice. Just flushing the radiator and draining the rest should clean it out a good bit though....I know mine ran cooler afterwards. If it has a problem overheating afterwards you probably just have air in the system and need to prime and fill it with more coolant.

Lapis_Blue

ah thank you tons! its 9:30 pm here so im thinking first thing in the morning i have some work to do

drifter

Brown chunky stuff = rust.



Check your resoviour (sp?) is clean and as suggested do a flush out. Make sure there is no leaks.

Jeff20B

I guess you don't have watered-down Yoohoo. Heh, yours is much worse.

defprun

My rad has a little plastic plug that is undone to drain the fluid...I guess taking off the lower rad hose is better to flush everything out?

ColinRX7

You should drain the rad at the drain plug and drain the motor (there should be a drain plug by the motor mount on the spark plug side).



Then refill with just straight (clean) water, drive around for a bit (when at operating temperature), drain it, repeat as neccessary, refill with the desired mix you want when you are done.



Hotter water is more effective at cleaning inside than just running a hose through the system.

1gendreemer

That's a great method...mine sux!!

ColinRX7

Hose method probably would be just as good if you could run warmer water though the system.