The Trainer #2: Cooling System Service

[@monstersquashracing]

Hey Pete, just wanted to say thanks for everything. you have help a lot of us techs to provide proper and efficient service to our customers. We thank you and so do our customers.

[@MotorAgeMagazine]

Thank you!

[@MotorAgeMagazine]

Glad you found it helpful! Bookmark us and check back each month for new additions and visit our main site at MotorAge.com!

[@LSmiata]

Great Video....many dealers can and should learn! Ex: Had PPI done on my 2012 Mercedes GL350 Bluetec. 3 months later, while at the dealer, the "coolant" froze and burned off the serpentine belt! The dealer never checked the coolant on a PPI GRRR! Could have lost the engine! Mr .P

[@MrJoel8959]

Come on Pete! Tell the truth. The terms like “Lifetime Coolants” are from the professional B.S artists in the marketing department of the auto makers.

[@F.Krueger-cs4vk]

My information goes against this excellent video, but its the best i can do with limited resources. I dont have a proper cooling service flush/recharge machine. I use tap water via a garden hose. Remove one heater hose from engine side. Insert garden hose into heater hose. Slide heat control to "hot". That opens heater tap to allow coolant to enter heater core in vehicle dash area. Remove radiator or expansion tank cap. Loosen bottom radiator hose clamp, where it attaches to radiator but dont remove bottom hose from radiator yet. If you really want to do a better flush job, remove thermostat. Some engine designs, are a pain in the ass to access/remove thermostat. Turn tap on slowly, make sure garden hose doesn't pop out of the heater hose from water pressure/ hold it by hand or secure with hose clamp. Water will enter heater core, exit 2nd heater hose into engine block & cylinder head. Depending whether you have removed thermostat or not & thermostat location. Some thermostats are located near where top hose attaches to engine or near where bottom hose attaches to engine. Water cannot by pass closed thermostat, but it will reverse flush around head/block/enter radiator & exit out where radiator cap attaches which you have already removed. Keep tap on till contents flow clean out of the top of radiator. Then grab bottom radiator hose/remove from radiator till all contents flow/empty from head or block depending where thermostat is located. Then refit hose to radiator till contents flow out top of radiator is clean. Repeat procedure till contents flow clean top & bottom. Turn tap off/remove garden hose from heater core hose/secure bottom hose to radiator. I use a concentrated anti/freeze boil coolant. If you can find out the capacity of your cooling system, it would handy to know. Example, 10 liter cooling system capacity, add 5 liters of concentrate. I usually get family member or friend to help me. Someone pours the concerntrate into radiator or expansion tank till all concerntrate is emptied into system. Then top up with tap water. When contents bleed air out of head, block & heater hose, reattach/secure heater hose. Let your engine idle , you may need to add a little extra water as the engine warms/ thermostat opens/bleeds final air from system. If contents start to spill out, attach radiator or expansion tank cap immediately. Let engine idle till top & bottom hoses feel hot. Electic radiator fan may switch on. Once top/bottom hoses are hot, switch engine off & let cool till hoses have no more pressure. Top up with water as required. I flush/recharge my cooling system every 2 years irrespective of mileage. Never had any major engine problems. My 30 year old vehicle has done over 450 thousand kilometres. Usually replace radiator every 8 to 10 years as its plastic. Change water pump every 100 thousand when i replace the timing belt. I use test strips to check my coolant acidity, reserve alkalinity, boil point. Works ok. Cheers from 🇦🇺

[@colinellicott9737]

Watched several inconsistent videos on this now. 0.2VDC or 0.35VDC or 0.02VDC????? Where do you guys get thee numbers from and how do they correlate to pH?

[@MotorAgeMagazine]

This might help: www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/the-invisible-enemy/

[@bbmd2200]

Hello, Sir. Does the coolant have to be too acidic for electrolysis resulting from a bad ground to find a path through the radiator? ( Can you have bad ground electrolysis without chemical electrolysis?) Thank you.

[@MotorAgeMagazine]

The presence of stray voltage in the coolant can be caused by two primary factors - the high acidity of the coolant from degradation of the inhibitor package or poor vehicle electrical grounds. Bad grounds can also lead to the rapid loss of the inhibitors as well, so you need to make sure that both potential causes are corrected.

[@bbmd2200]

Thank you, Sir.I always thought that the radiator could only be used as a ground path if the coolant was too acidic from chemical electrolysis. Apparently, even if the coolant is chemically tested good, the radiator can still be used as a ground path if you have a bad ground.

[@MotorAgeMagazine]

@@bbmd2200 Not the radiator...the engine block via the coolant flowing in it.

[@andrewmcmillan484]

It's more accurate to state that, "Electricity takes all paths to ground, not just the fastest path to ground. If you give Electricity a path to ground wether intentional or unintentional it will take all of them.

[@elora2525]

How does the refractometer calibrate and what sample is needed? My refractometer didn't came with a sample.

[@MotorAgeMagazine]

For coolant testing, you can calibrate with distilled water - tap water, in a pinch.