Changing the coolant

[thasty]

Anyone have a write up or just steps i need to take when changing the collant? I checked the coolant, while it is green, it is very dirty looking, greenish brown... i hear the headgaskets go if not changed.

 

1995 monte Z34

Thanks.

[DiscoStudd]

If you're not into the whole "environmentally friendly" thing, grab a garden hose and let it inundate your driveway (although I find that the closer you get to a storm sewer drain, the less you have to worry about your neighbors snitching on you for dumping coolant onto the ground. ) Next, remove the lower radiator hose from the radiator and let the coolant drain into the "river" you created (a less conspicuous/more PC way to do it would be to suck the old coolant out with a shop vac.) When everything's out, stuff the garden hose inside the rad hose and let it backflush all the old crap out of the motor and radiator. Remove the garden hose and let the water drain back out of the engine/radiator. Reconnect the hose and fill the radiator with 50% of your system's capacity (check the owners manual) of STRAIGHT ANTIFREEZE. Lemme say that again: straight antifreeze. After you add the antifreeze, top the system off with water. This way you get the proper 50/50 mix after leaving some water in the system after flushing it.

 

To bleed the system, leave the radiator cap off and start the car. Let it run for a couple of minutes, and when you see the coolant level drop inside the radiator, pour in a 50/50 mix to top it off (while it's running.) When the level stabilizes, shut off the engine and replace the radiator cap. Add coolant to the reservoir (50/50) and fill it a bit past the "FULL COLD" mark to compensate for any air pockets that may remain.