Is it possible to do a complete, cooling system flush at home?

Most people think they've changed their antifreeze/coolant when they drain and refill their radiator, but that's only about 1/2 of the job. The other half is still in the block and heater core, so I'm wondering if it is possible to do a complete coolant change at home by myself?

Ed

 

Drain, fill with distilled water, run the engine for a bit, drain again, fill with distilled water. Keep doing that process till water is pretty clear. Fill radiator with coolant. Depending how much water is in the block top off with antifreeze to get the 50/50 ratio.

 

They make these, but I would NEVER use one.

http://www.prestone.com/products/print/461?popup=1

Can't believe they actually make these and tell you to put in tap water. About the worst thing you could do. It might not affect it a LOT because you're adding a ton of distilled water and antifreeze and will only have a smaller portion of tap left in there. But I will never put tap into mine. Plus these things are plastic and I don't imagine they would last more than a few years.
One thing I did, was force compressed air through it. It got out a little more but not all I'm sure. Most of the time if it's not too bad or rusty colored or mixed, it will be fine. Mine still looks bright green just like it is in the bottle. And when I bought the truck it was exactly that(mixed and rusty looking). That's all that really matters. If you really want it done properly, take it to a shop. It's not that expensive if you shop around. $35-$50, or $100 or more at the dealer I'm guessing, and only needs done once in a great while if you keep up with it like 2/3 years maybe. Don't recall what the interval is, longer for extended life coolant like 5 years I think. I think your best bet is to do what was suggested about just cycling a bunch of distilled water through it. Never thought of this myself so I may have to try this. It's cheap and a little more time consuming. But would work on a lazy day where you don't wanna do much. I think it'll be difficult figuring out the right ratio though. I really want to look into trying to use some kind of electric water pump to use. Could be a good tool mod

 

I believe you also want to have your heater on full blast & hot setting if you are doing the engine on/off/drain cycling suggestion.

 

Get a Chilton. It explains step by step how to do it.

 

I just did the wife's Tahoe with rear air. I bought several gallons of the cheap distilled water from Walmart and filled and drained until it was clear, cool thing about it was, it had a 17mm threaded "freeze plug" that allows you to drain the block each time. The hardest part was the wait for it to cool for a drain and refill.

The Tacoma can't be much harder.

 

I did mine at home, and I went with toyota coolant.

 

just wash it off the driveway when you are done, if it puddles anywhere dogs will drink it and antifreeze makes them get very sick

a plus if its the neighbors mutt but not if its yours

 

Coolant flush is now a job I recommend folks to have done by a shop, so that the waste coolant doesn't go into the storm drains.

 

For those trying to save money on coolant but want Toyota Spec Coolant, Get Pentosin Engine Coolant Pentofrost A1 : Part# PF-A1-1. Available at Oriellys. Its NOT 50/50 so more bang for your buck. just mix with distilled water. If you dont want to mix, you can get Zerex coolant for asian vehicles. I did alot of research on this about a year ago and found that these were essentially identical to what Toyota sells.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1s...antifreeze-coolant-aftermarket-selection.html

Also, do the environment a favor and save the coolant/distilled water you flush from your vehicle. Drain it in a bucket and empty it in Soda/juice/old coolant/water jugs. When youre done with the job, take it all to your county or cities hazardous waste recycling area. If there isnt one nearby or its too inconvenient - then label the jugs "engine coolant" and drop them off in front of Walmart's Garage after hours being sure that the cameras dont catch your license plate. They have to dispose of coolant correctly anyhow as they do flushes and lets face it --- no body really feels bad about doing that to Walmart.

 

Watch the compressed air flush thru the system,,it's designed to have water weight on both sides of some seals in places to keep things sealed. You hard pressurize that system,,and you are just asking for it. Rad cap holds about 13psi till it vents. I wouldn't exceed that by very far at all.

Same with the OLD Prestone flush and fill kit. If you have a water head pressure at the outside faucet of say,,100psi,,and you slap the rad cap on and seal up the system while filling it thru the Prestone T,,,,you can blow seals that way as well. CAP ALWAYS OFF with those old or new kits and use your head,, ahead of time.


The sure fire way with no mech/hydro issues, is to drain and refill several times. Drive till hot, Rinse and repeat(insert patience), until it flows clean and clear, then add you favorite Kool aid for the final fill. Done and done safe.

 

I don't think I'll ever understand why people love to hate and/or bash WalMart.



Ed

 

I think this is much simpler, and I prefer it to adding water to the engine block. Even distilled water is water, and will further dilute the final coolant you put in the vehicle.

Buy about 5 gallons of the lowest cost 50/50 mix your local auto parts store carries - usually it's own branded jug. I bought AutoZone coolant for something like $10 a jug. I think. Anyway, get 5 of them.

You can opt to remove your t-stat for immediate circulation, then replace it when done, or leave it in and allow the engine to get to temp and circulate, your call.

Re-fill the radiator with the cheap stuff, run the engine long enough to circ the coolant. Drain the radiator. Repeat. Do this for all 5 gallons. After you have run through the fifth gallon, when you refill, put in whatever you consider to be the "good stuff", burp the system, be happy.

I asked Jiffy Lube how much to flush the cooling system. $149. All they do is power flush 5 gallons of coolant through the system. My method cost a round $50, and Jiffy Lube took all that old coolant (conveniently put back into the cheap jugs) for free to dispose of.

Distilled water is cheaper, but I did not want to leave any of that in the engine block. My method leaves only coolant in the engine block, no pure water. And I hesitate to power flush it, as you never know how your water pump may fair at the end of that routine. But that's just me.

 

Check your oil/lube franchises. Jiffy Lube will take coolant for free. Mine does anyway.

 

Just wanted to point out that the 50/50 mix you buy contains 50% water and 50% Coolant. This is the ideal ratio. Too much (or too little) coolant will lower the boiling point & raise the freezing point of your antifreeze. About 70% coolant/30% water is about the highest ratio you can go before you begin to lower the protection of the coolant.

Here's a snippit from the FSM


I reccomend using Pentosin Pentofrost A1 Coolant. It is the same stuff as the Toyota Red Coolant but cheaper. You can get it at Oriellys. Use distilled water to mix.
http://www.pentosin.net/specsheets/Pentofrost_spec_A1.pdf

After a flush and drain of my cooling system with Distilled water - I mix the coolant in my radiator by using a red solo cup. 1 cup coolant, then 1 cup distilled water, Another cup coolant, then another cup distilled water, until both the radiator and overfill jug are full. Be sure to burp the system.

 

I did not know this! Now I wont have to do anymore late night Spec Ops at Walmart. Thank you for this Tip!!!

 

I think some people are misunderstanding the 50/50 and full strength coolant. If you buy the 50/50, then there's no need to add any distilled water. If you are flushing with pure distilled water until there's nothing left but water, then you'll want to add the full strength stuff to even it out after draining. But it'll be hard to figure out that ratio. If you can figure out how much is left inside the block then you can add the correct amount of full strength. Easiest way to do that would be to drain the water out into gallon jugs and however much you drained out then you add. Then the leftover you add should be mixed 50/50. I buy the full strength because it's cheaper than the 50/50 and buying distilled water. So then I just mix it into new jugs myself with water and the full strength making it 50/50. Then I top it off with that.

Edit: However much you drain out you do NOT put in full strength. You divide what's left in the block and that's what you add. THEN you can continue to make your 50/50 and put that in.

 

I used one on an old ranger I had, it actually worked pretty well. As far as how long it lasts, for only a few bucks I wouldn't expect it to last too long anyways, but its cheap enough to easily buy another.

That being said, I won't use one on my Tacoma for many reasons, mostly because like you said its not all that expensive (or at least I can afford it more now than when I had my Ranger).

 

Agreed, Walmart is great if you understand you are not going there for high end durable quality goods, but rather you are going there for an affordable product that gets the job done at a great value.

Plus I have found they have the best price on Mobil 1.

 

What I've always found most interesting is just how many people are 100%, complete textbook definitions of the word "hypocrite". They want to buy a given product at the best possible price but they're mad (for some underlying reason) that WalMart is the store that has the lowest price. They'll bash WalMart...but they'll still shop there even in some instances when they could shop elsewhere.

WalMart has done what most people in business would like to do - they started from the ground up and have blossomed into a leader, and that makes a lot of people green with envy.

If people ever read Sam Waltons' book, I think they'd find it interesting to hear HIS side of his business and how much bashing and badgering his family has taken over the years. And all for what?...because they're jealous he did something they haven't - he has succeeded and prospered.

And no - I don't work for WalMart, never have nor do I have any family members who do, I don't know anyone who works for WalMart, etc., etc.

Ed