Routine Maintenance: Radiator Flush

CPJames19

Does anyone know how to drain the radiator on a 97 Vauxhall Corsa Merit?

optimus_primera

drop the bottom hose

CPJames19

Where is the bottom hose?

benham3160

Drop a dishwasher tablet in the expansion tank and drive it for a few miles, then as said pull off the bottom hose.

Regards,
Andy

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

CPJames19 wrote: »

Where is the bottom hose?

Its at the bottom of the radiator. Where else would it be?

Wig

First of all start the car and put the interior heating to hot, then after a couple of minutes stop the car leaving the heating on.

Look at the bottom of the radiator usually on the passenger side of the radiator you might spot a small tap which if you undo will be a drain plug, unscrew it and the coolant will start to pour out.

If there is no drain plug, then there will be two large diameter rubber hoses goin to your radiator one goes in at the top the other is attached at the bottom, these are held on with jubilee cllips, unscrew the clip on the bottom hose, and pull the hose off the radiator. Re attach and tighten when the coolant stops flowing out. You can choose to refit the hose fill with just clean water drive for 5 - 10 miles then drain again, then put the new coolant in.

For the sake of the environment try to capture as much of the coolant as possible and then flush it down the loo - the water treatment works are able to deal with the antifreeze safely.

goldspanners

Wig wrote: »

Look at the bottom of the radiator usually on the passenger side of the radiator you might spot a small tap which if you undo will be a drain plug, unscrew it and the coolant will start to pour out.

do not do this.

if you do you risk breaking it in the radiator or even worse taking it out and never getting it to seal properly again.

always drain coolant by removing the bottom radiator hose.