98-00 GS400 Compressed Air Coolant Flush/Fill Process
08-13-03, 07:22 AM
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98-00 GS400 Compressed Air Coolant Flush/Fill Process
I haven't found a thorough DIY on a compressed air flush / fill anitfreeze for the 98-00 GS400, so I'll quickly jot down the process I used last night. Sorry I don't have pics because I didn't have time to wash my hands every time I wanted to handle my dig. camera...lol.
This process never introduces tap (or well) water into the cooling system as a "flush". This is superior to a tap water flush because minerals in tap and well water will act as corrosive agents in your cooling system.
Coolant system capacity: 2.45 gals
Items Required:
Metric socket and wrench
Long needle nose pliers w/30 degree bend
Channel-loc pliers
1 gal. Toyota Red (ext. life) AntiFreeze (paid $12.95)
1 gal. Distilled Water (paid $0.85)
1 bottle Red Line Water Wetter ($8.00, optional)
2 large catch basins (i.e. oil pan)
Funnel
Compressed Air (50-60 psi)
Jack and jack stands
Time Required
1 hour
Process
1. Raise the front of the car and place on jack stands, remove plastic belly pan under engine.
2. The engine must be lukewarm to cool - do NOT attempt this procedure with a hot engine as you will likely get burned.
3. Locate the white plastic petcock valve located at the bottom of the radiator, driver's side. Place a catch pan under the valve.
4. Open the drain valve by hand. Do not completely remove the valve (back completely out) as it will likely end up in your pan of used coolant (not fun to fish out).
5. Place a catch pan under the lower radiator hose. Remove lower radiator hose at the radiator (passenger side, under car).
5. Remove the radiator cap
6. Place the compressed air nozzle in the radiator neck (where you removed the cap). Prevent air from escaping back through the neck by placing a rag around the neck and air nozzle. Blow compressed air into the radiator to flush the majority of coolant out of the radiator through drain valve.
7. Close the radiator petcock drain vavle. Tighten by hand.
8. Remove the upper (driver side, from top) and lower radiator hose (passenger side, from below) at the radiator.
9. Locate the small coolant hose that connects the thermostat housing to the intake. This small ID rubber hose is at the front of the engine, below the throttle body to the right (as you look at the engine). Disconnect the hose at the end opposite the thermostat housing.
10. Blow compressed air through the open end of the small coolant hose and then the open housing that is near the intake.
11. Locate the two heater core coolant hoses located at the firewall behind the intake cover (left of center). Remove the hose closest to the driver at the fiewall (heater core fitting).
12. Blow compressed air into the open end of the heater core hose. This will flush coolant from the engine block.
Note: you're gonna get some antifreeze coming out of the disconnected hoses at the front of the engine. If you strategically place those drain pans underneath the front of the car, you should catch most of it. It is a little messy and it will get on the fan shroud, etc. but nothing that can't be sprayed off with a hose afterwards.
13. Disconnect small coolant overflow hose at the radiator neck (cap area). route hose through fan shroud and extend towards bottom of car so the overflow will drain.
14. Reconnect all hoses (@ heater core, thermostat housing, upper and lower radiator, and overflow).
15. Fill an empty 1 gal. jug clean) with 50/50 to 60/40 mix of antifreeze and distilled water.
16. Place the funnel in the radiator fill neck (at cap)
17. Empty bottle of Red Line Water Wetter into radiator (optional)
18. SLOWLY fill radiator with mix of antifreeze / distilled water until coolant level reaches the top of radiator neck. I filled a total of 1.75 gallons of mix + bottle of Water Wetter. This tells me I flushed ~75% of the cooling system capacity (that's pretty darn good).
19. Attach radiator cap. Start engine, check for leaks, watch temperature gage.
20. Attach plastic belly pan if no leaks and temp gage stays in normal zone.
21. Lower car off jack stands.
22.. Drive car. Once again, keep an eye on temp gage. Allow engine to cool. Open radiator cap, top off coolant with pre-mixed coolant.to top of radiator neck.
23. With engine cold, spray off any areas in engine bay that received splash from antifreeze during flush process.
This process never introduces tap (or well) water into the cooling system as a "flush". This is superior to a tap water flush because minerals in tap and well water will act as corrosive agents in your cooling system.
Coolant system capacity: 2.45 gals
Items Required:
Metric socket and wrench
Long needle nose pliers w/30 degree bend
Channel-loc pliers
1 gal. Toyota Red (ext. life) AntiFreeze (paid $12.95)
1 gal. Distilled Water (paid $0.85)
1 bottle Red Line Water Wetter ($8.00, optional)
2 large catch basins (i.e. oil pan)
Funnel
Compressed Air (50-60 psi)
Jack and jack stands
Time Required
1 hour
Process
1. Raise the front of the car and place on jack stands, remove plastic belly pan under engine.
2. The engine must be lukewarm to cool - do NOT attempt this procedure with a hot engine as you will likely get burned.
3. Locate the white plastic petcock valve located at the bottom of the radiator, driver's side. Place a catch pan under the valve.
4. Open the drain valve by hand. Do not completely remove the valve (back completely out) as it will likely end up in your pan of used coolant (not fun to fish out).
5. Place a catch pan under the lower radiator hose. Remove lower radiator hose at the radiator (passenger side, under car).
5. Remove the radiator cap
6. Place the compressed air nozzle in the radiator neck (where you removed the cap). Prevent air from escaping back through the neck by placing a rag around the neck and air nozzle. Blow compressed air into the radiator to flush the majority of coolant out of the radiator through drain valve.
7. Close the radiator petcock drain vavle. Tighten by hand.
8. Remove the upper (driver side, from top) and lower radiator hose (passenger side, from below) at the radiator.
9. Locate the small coolant hose that connects the thermostat housing to the intake. This small ID rubber hose is at the front of the engine, below the throttle body to the right (as you look at the engine). Disconnect the hose at the end opposite the thermostat housing.
10. Blow compressed air through the open end of the small coolant hose and then the open housing that is near the intake.
11. Locate the two heater core coolant hoses located at the firewall behind the intake cover (left of center). Remove the hose closest to the driver at the fiewall (heater core fitting).
12. Blow compressed air into the open end of the heater core hose. This will flush coolant from the engine block.
Note: you're gonna get some antifreeze coming out of the disconnected hoses at the front of the engine. If you strategically place those drain pans underneath the front of the car, you should catch most of it. It is a little messy and it will get on the fan shroud, etc. but nothing that can't be sprayed off with a hose afterwards.
13. Disconnect small coolant overflow hose at the radiator neck (cap area). route hose through fan shroud and extend towards bottom of car so the overflow will drain.
14. Reconnect all hoses (@ heater core, thermostat housing, upper and lower radiator, and overflow).
15. Fill an empty 1 gal. jug clean) with 50/50 to 60/40 mix of antifreeze and distilled water.
16. Place the funnel in the radiator fill neck (at cap)
17. Empty bottle of Red Line Water Wetter into radiator (optional)
18. SLOWLY fill radiator with mix of antifreeze / distilled water until coolant level reaches the top of radiator neck. I filled a total of 1.75 gallons of mix + bottle of Water Wetter. This tells me I flushed ~75% of the cooling system capacity (that's pretty darn good).
19. Attach radiator cap. Start engine, check for leaks, watch temperature gage.
20. Attach plastic belly pan if no leaks and temp gage stays in normal zone.
21. Lower car off jack stands.
22.. Drive car. Once again, keep an eye on temp gage. Allow engine to cool. Open radiator cap, top off coolant with pre-mixed coolant.to top of radiator neck.
23. With engine cold, spray off any areas in engine bay that received splash from antifreeze during flush process.
Last edited by tomtnc; 08-13-03 at 07:25 AM.
11-07-03, 10:33 AM
#4
Racer
75% is indeed a very good percentage, Tom. The total capacity of my SC400 is 11.4 quarts, and I could only drain out 4.75 quarts at most conventionally. Using the "compressed air" of my shop vac (a far cry from the 50-60 psi you had), I was able to get another quart or two out, but I did not remove as many hoses as you did (I mostly blew through the opening at the top front of the engine, in the housing that the large radiator hose connects to). So I was only able to remove about 50% of the mixed coolant that way.
09-15-07, 10:15 PM
#5
Racer
Five Years Later.......
Well, as the Dex-Cool label says "150,000 miles or 5 years", so I blew out what I could today and added almost another gallon of DexCool and almost another gallon of distilled water.
Somehow, about 7 quarts of used coolant came out by just following steps 5 and 6 above, along with blowing out the top front center coolant filler hole. I forgot to turn on the heater - maybe more could have come out.
I think the key was having some patience (it didn't all come out at once- I guess it had to build up some pressure) and making a good seal with a rag around those irregular openings.
Five years ago I had to go through this procedure several times to fully flush out everything because I was switching coolant types. This time, all I was doing was refreshing it, so it was a much quicker (but still messy) job.
I tried once again to find those engine block drain plugs, but once again, I gave up. At least the "blow out" technique allows you to use up almost a full gallon of coolant and almost a full gallon of distilled water - that's a darn good refresh ratio.
Somehow, about 7 quarts of used coolant came out by just following steps 5 and 6 above, along with blowing out the top front center coolant filler hole. I forgot to turn on the heater - maybe more could have come out.
I think the key was having some patience (it didn't all come out at once- I guess it had to build up some pressure) and making a good seal with a rag around those irregular openings.
Five years ago I had to go through this procedure several times to fully flush out everything because I was switching coolant types. This time, all I was doing was refreshing it, so it was a much quicker (but still messy) job.
I tried once again to find those engine block drain plugs, but once again, I gave up. At least the "blow out" technique allows you to use up almost a full gallon of coolant and almost a full gallon of distilled water - that's a darn good refresh ratio.
09-19-07, 12:48 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
Well, as the Dex-Cool label says "150,000 miles or 5 years", so I blew out what I could today and added almost another gallon of DexCool and almost another gallon of distilled water.
Somehow, about 7 quarts of used coolant came out by just following steps 5 and 6 above, along with blowing out the top front center coolant filler hole. I forgot to turn on the heater - maybe more could have come out.
I think the key was having some patience (it didn't all come out at once- I guess it had to build up some pressure) and making a good seal with a rag around those irregular openings.
Five years ago I had to go through this procedure several times to fully flush out everything because I was switching coolant types. This time, all I was doing was refreshing it, so it was a much quicker (but still messy) job.
I tried once again to find those engine block drain plugs, but once again, I gave up. At least the "blow out" technique allows you to use up almost a full gallon of coolant and almost a full gallon of distilled water - that's a darn good refresh ratio.
Somehow, about 7 quarts of used coolant came out by just following steps 5 and 6 above, along with blowing out the top front center coolant filler hole. I forgot to turn on the heater - maybe more could have come out.
I think the key was having some patience (it didn't all come out at once- I guess it had to build up some pressure) and making a good seal with a rag around those irregular openings.
Five years ago I had to go through this procedure several times to fully flush out everything because I was switching coolant types. This time, all I was doing was refreshing it, so it was a much quicker (but still messy) job.
I tried once again to find those engine block drain plugs, but once again, I gave up. At least the "blow out" technique allows you to use up almost a full gallon of coolant and almost a full gallon of distilled water - that's a darn good refresh ratio.
09-20-07, 12:48 AM
#7
Racer
It's very rare that you find a post from a SC owner that has accessed the drain *****, which is why there are so many threads about alternative coolant change methods (like this one).
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09-20-07, 06:35 PM
#8
ok, two problems...
one - you refer to this as a flush, where it barely qualifies as a drain and fill...
two - you refer to our coolant as "dexcool" Dexcool in our systems will quickly erode anything plastic or rubber, and is not designed to work with our water pumps... our systems use a organic/ethylene glycol blend coolant - if anything, standard E/G green coolant would be the option over toyota red/pink - not dexcool...
one - you refer to this as a flush, where it barely qualifies as a drain and fill...
two - you refer to our coolant as "dexcool" Dexcool in our systems will quickly erode anything plastic or rubber, and is not designed to work with our water pumps... our systems use a organic/ethylene glycol blend coolant - if anything, standard E/G green coolant would be the option over toyota red/pink - not dexcool...
09-20-07, 09:37 PM
#9
Racer
ok, two problems...
one- I never said what I did last week was a flush.
What I went through 5 years ago was a flush.
That's when I converted over to DexCool.
I posted what I did in other threads- search and see.
two - The urban myth of damage to cooling systems solely through the use of DexCool has taken on 9/11 conspiracy proportions.
Believe all the negative posts you want, but here is one with nothing but positive results- the stuff is great.
But I never told anyone else to use it, and I never dissed anyone who lightened their wallets on Toyota Red.
If you don't want to use it, fine with me, but nothing is being "quickly eroded" - I'm on 5+ years with it and, as you can see above, I just reenlisted for another 5.
And I never said it was "our" coolant.
I can stand by what I said, but not on what I didn't say.
So you might want to DexCool it on the misquotes.
one- I never said what I did last week was a flush.
What I went through 5 years ago was a flush.
That's when I converted over to DexCool.
I posted what I did in other threads- search and see.
two - The urban myth of damage to cooling systems solely through the use of DexCool has taken on 9/11 conspiracy proportions.
Believe all the negative posts you want, but here is one with nothing but positive results- the stuff is great.
But I never told anyone else to use it, and I never dissed anyone who lightened their wallets on Toyota Red.
If you don't want to use it, fine with me, but nothing is being "quickly eroded" - I'm on 5+ years with it and, as you can see above, I just reenlisted for another 5.
And I never said it was "our" coolant.
I can stand by what I said, but not on what I didn't say.
So you might want to DexCool it on the misquotes.
09-20-07, 10:49 PM
#10
ok, two problems...
one- I never said what I did last week was a flush.
What I went through 5 years ago was a flush.
That's when I converted over to DexCool.
I posted what I did in other threads- search and see.
two - The urban myth of damage to cooling systems solely through the use of DexCool has taken on 9/11 conspiracy proportions.
Believe all the negative posts you want, but here is one with nothing but positive results- the stuff is great.
But I never told anyone else to use it, and I never dissed anyone who lightened their wallets on Toyota Red.
If you don't want to use it, fine with me, but nothing is being "quickly eroded" - I'm on 5+ years with it and, as you can see above, I just reenlisted for another 5.
And I never said it was "our" coolant.
I can stand by what I said, but not on what I didn't say.
So you might want to DexCool it on the misquotes.
one- I never said what I did last week was a flush.
What I went through 5 years ago was a flush.
That's when I converted over to DexCool.
I posted what I did in other threads- search and see.
two - The urban myth of damage to cooling systems solely through the use of DexCool has taken on 9/11 conspiracy proportions.
Believe all the negative posts you want, but here is one with nothing but positive results- the stuff is great.
But I never told anyone else to use it, and I never dissed anyone who lightened their wallets on Toyota Red.
If you don't want to use it, fine with me, but nothing is being "quickly eroded" - I'm on 5+ years with it and, as you can see above, I just reenlisted for another 5.
And I never said it was "our" coolant.
I can stand by what I said, but not on what I didn't say.
So you might want to DexCool it on the misquotes.
If there is nothing wrong with dexcool, then why do automotive service magazines recommend ONLY using it on GM products, and even then, they stress that there is nothing wrong with E/G coolant...
I'm sorry you took offense to what I said, but, unfortunately it is true. Dexcool is known to erode parts not designed for it, not to mention, even some factory GM cars have issues with it. I've posted articles here regarding how bad dexcool is previously, maybe I can find it before... I just don't want anyone else putting the wrong stuff in their vehicle...
edit: for the record, I deal with all types of coolant on a daily basis... dexcool is horrible... it looks good on paper, but in real life, we open more radiator caps that have almost solidified dexcool underneath the cap than all other types of coolant combined... Even on an unopened factory chevy system with dexcool in it,we have noted dirty,contaminated, cooling systems with as low as 35,000 miles on the vehicle... Most are dirty and contaminated by 50,000 miles... That takes away any benefit you might have gotten (longevity)...
Last edited by mitsuguy; 09-20-07 at 10:52 PM.
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