Repair and maintenance of the car may be needed by any novice car enthusiast. If you become the owner of a car, you, of course, may have questions about how to properly do certain operations for servicing the car. How to drain the coolant if you notice that the air conditioning system is not working properly? The answer to this question can be found in this article.

When should a radiator or cooling system upgrade work be done? The operating time of the cooling system is limited by the fact that the coolant very often requires replacement. Most often, such a replacement becomes necessary when it is necessary to replace the radiator, thermostat, or it is time to replace it after the maximum permissible period of vehicle mileage has expired.

The following reasons, due to which this issue will have to be faced, is a decrease in heat transfer, the appearance of foam, or in other words, the development of the properties of a coolant over time. In order for the engine to work in the correct mode, such a fluid must be changed.

The service life of the coolant depends on its composition. Antifreeze, simple in composition, which is developed on the basis of silicate additives, works for 2-3 years. Carboxylated fluids can last up to 5 years. You can find out the composition of this or that type of antifreeze on the label. However, despite these qualities, antifreeze should be changed every 45,000 kilometers, especially if you prefer driving on country roads. However, there is no guarantee that you will not have to change the antifreeze without even driving the set mileage. After all, exhaust gases and air can get into "Tosol", in which case preventive replacement will be mandatory.

If antifreeze is mixed with water, it can "age", and this can also be determined in several ways:

How to do it

Like any other operation related to the operation of the engine or air conditioner, it is easiest to perform the replacement step by step. By performing the steps one by one, you can speed up the replacement process, thereby saving your personal time. Replacing antifreeze in the radiator and in the engine is a different process.

How to drain the coolant from the radiator?

1. Working according to the correct scheme, the engine protection is removed first.
2. Then the heater tap opens. For this, the stove regulator is moved to the extreme right position. For clarity, this is the hottest temperature.
3. The cover of the expansion tank is opened in the third step. Some manuals advise not to open this lid as liquid may spill out. What to do - it's best to decide for yourself.
4. A basin is installed under the radiator.
5. Further under the hood is the drain plug, but it opens neatly. Otherwise, you can fill the generator with it, which is undesirable.
6. After 10 minutes you can start replacing the "Tosola" in the engine.

How to drain the coolant from the engine?

1. The first thing to do is to protect the engine and the ground under it from the Tosola strait. To do this, we put a basin under the engine.
2. Then we find the drain plug, which is located under the ignition block. The whole module can be removed if necessary.
3. We drain the coolant completely.
4. After letting the engine settle after draining, which should not take more than 10 minutes, we put the covers and the plug in place so as not to lose the necessary parts.
5. The drain holes are cleaned with a clean cloth.
6. The process is over, and you can start any other operations.

Video "Do-it-yourself coolant replacement"

This video shows the process self replacement antifreeze.

Periodic maintenance of the vehicle requires changing the coolant in the system. This must be done in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer of the consumable and the machine itself. If desired, the owner vehicle can carry out the whole procedure on his own.

To do this, he must find out where the drain plug of the radiator and cylinder block coolant is located, and also consider the sequence of all the work. It is not difficult to drain the refrigerant from the system.

Why change the refrigerant?

Studying the question of where the coolant drain plug is located, how the entire procedure for replacing the contents of the system takes place, you must first understand what it is for.

Antifreeze in the system becomes obsolete over time. The additives included in its composition are produced. This leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the coolant. If the antifreeze is not changed in time, the engine will overheat. This can lead to damage. Therefore, when wondering whether it is necessary to drain the coolant, know that the answer will be yes. This must be done without fail.

This procedure must also be carried out in the case of replacing the radiator or thermostat. Having enough free time, the driver can carry out the entire procedure on his own.

When do you need to drain the refrigerant?

The coolant is drained after the expiration of the refrigerant service life. Depending on the manufacturer, it can be from 2 to 5 years. For example, antifreeze requires replacement every 2 years. Antifreeze from a trusted manufacturer can successfully perform its functions for 5 years.

Coolant manufacturers can also indicate the durability of their vehicles in kilometers. This figure can be 20-60 thousand km. In this case, the operating conditions of the vehicle should be taken into account. All consumables should be replaced more frequently if the motor is operating under loaded conditions.

To understand when it is time to change antifreeze, you should evaluate it appearance... If it has changed its original color, a foam or brown tint appears, the additives no longer cope with their tasks. Antifreeze must be drained.

Training

To understand how to drain the coolant, you need to consider the procedure in stages. First you need to study the instruction manual for your car. There, the location of the drain plugs is discussed in detail.

You will need to prepare a set of keys. You also need to prepare a spacious container. It can be a bowl with a volume of at least 8 liters. You should also take care of the presence of rags.

First you need to pay attention to the radiator. The work begins with him. In the operating instructions, you need to find where the drain plug of the coolant of this system is located. This is usually easy. The drain plug on the radiator reservoir is usually made of plastic.

Only then is the fluid drained from the engine. The plug can be located on the cylinder block. It is unscrewed with the appropriate key. Work is done with a cold engine.

Dismantling the radiator

The replacement of the coolant for VAZ, Mercedes, Ford and other car brands takes place according to the manufacturer's instructions. This operation is started from the radiator. To do this, remove the engine protection. This becomes possible if you unscrew the 4 fasteners using the appropriate keys.

To unscrew the radiator tap, a simple procedure must be followed. The stove temperature regulator, which is located in the passenger compartment, must be moved to the right extreme position. It corresponds to the hottest air supplied by the heater.

Next, you need to unscrew the cap on the expansion tank. Some manufacturers do not recommend this, as the liquid will spray in different directions. Therefore, the driver decides on the appropriateness of such a procedure independently.

Then the process of disassembling the radiator system goes to the next level. Next, you need to drain the antifreeze.

Draining antifreeze from the radiator

After the above procedure has been performed, you need to prepare a basin. It is placed under the radiator. You can use any convenient container. The main thing is that its capacity is appropriate.

After that, the driver must look under the hood. Find the radiator coolant valve here. This will help the manufacturer's instructions. Unscrew the plug slowly and carefully. In this case, the liquid is drained into a basin. If this action is taken quickly, there is a possibility that antifreeze will get on the generator.

Then the system is left for 10 minutes. She must be allowed to settle. After that, you can proceed to drain the coolant from the engine. This action must be carried out carefully. Always have rags and the necessary tools at hand.

Unscrewing the engine plug

After all the liquid has been drained from the radiator, you can pay attention to the engine. Under it you need to substitute the same container that was used in the previous operation.

Next, the driver must find where the coolant drain plug is located on the engine block. It is located in front of the cylinder block, below the level of the ignition coil. To understand where the plug is located, you need to refer to the instruction diagram.

The ignition module can be removed if necessary. In some cases, it interferes somewhat. Therefore, it can be dismantled in accordance with the instructions.

Draining fluid from the engine

When the whole procedure presented above is done, you need to substitute a basin under the hole in the cylinder block. All the liquid is drained into it. The system must be allowed to settle for 10 minutes. This is a necessary condition that requires draining the coolant.

In the process of work, you need to monitor the safety of all parts of the mechanism. In order not to lose them, you need to screw all the components of the system back immediately after draining. The drain holes should be wiped with a clean cloth. If necessary, worn out oil seals require replacement.

After that, the process of removing the old fluid can be considered complete. If desired, you can flush the system with a special agent or distilled water. This procedure is performed after all plugs have been screwed back.

Water is added to flush the system. The engine warms up and shuts down. After 7 minutes, distilled water is drained from the system according to the previous technology. Such actions are performed several times until the water becomes clear when draining.

Pouring new antifreeze

Knowing how to drain the coolant, you need to consider the procedure for adding new refrigerant. To do this, screw all the plugs tightly. On the throttle assembly, unscrew the hose. Next, a new antifreeze is poured into the system. This procedure is carried out until refrigerant flows from the hose. This indicates a sufficient amount of antifreeze in the system.

Next, the hose must be set to its original position. It is well pressed with a clamp. Add liquid to the tank to the maximum mark. Then the lid is closed. To check the system, you need to start the engine and the interior heater. After the system has warmed up, the engine must be turned off. If necessary, you can add the agent inside the tank. This simple procedure will significantly extend the life of the engine and cooling system of any car.

Knowing from the manufacturer's instructions vehicle, where the drain plug of the coolant is located, as well as having studied the procedure for draining the used refrigerant, each car owner will be able to carry out maintenance of this system on time. This approach will extend the life of the machine, as well as enable the engine to work fully and durably.

For long-term and efficient operation of vehicle systems that use fluids, they must be changed periodically. The technical documentation of the car does not always indicate the requirements, when and what needs to be replaced, you yourself must understand that there is a limited service life. When working, any mechanical system over time, peeling of rubber, micro-particles of metal shavings and other debris form. This is why you must sometimes replace all fluids. Antifreeze - liquid for the engine cooling system is no exception. Besides maintaining temperature regime at the required level, this type of fluid takes part in heating the radiator of the interior heating system. When circulating through the system, antifreeze participates in the lubrication of the pump parts of the cooling system, and also prevents the formation of rust.

When to drain antifreeze from the engine block

Replacing antifreeze or antifreeze with your own hands will not be a problem for an ordinary car enthusiast. It is necessary to drain the liquid in such cases:

• Before replacing a car radiator.
• When changing the coolant seasonally.
• When installing a new thermostat.

This system is carried out in 2 stages, since the liquid is contained in the radiator and in the engine cooling system.

How to Drain Antifreeze from an Engine Block - Step 1

Before pouring new fluid into the cooling system, you must drain the old one. Let's see how antifreeze is drained. To drain the working fluid, most cars have a drain plug in the cooling system. It is installed at the lowest point of the system, at one of the lower corners of the radiator. The drain plug may not be provided on some car models. In such cases, in order to drain the old fluid, it is necessary to disconnect one of the cooling system pipes connected to the radiator.

Please note that in no case should antifreeze be drained on a hot engine. When the liquid is heated, it expands, which means that the pressure inside the system rises. What for? The high pressure prevents the liquid from evaporating in the system. If in such a situation you remove the hose or open the drain plug, then the pressure in the system will equal the atmospheric pressure, which will lead to the formation of a powerful jet of steam.

Only after the engine has completely cooled down can the fluid be drained. Unscrew the cap located on the coolant expansion tank. Open the drain plug or disconnect the pipe. Wait for all the antifreeze to drain out. Please note that a certain amount of fluid is located below the level of the drain hole (interior heating radiator). Without performing additional operations, you cannot remove this liquid from the cooling system.

How to Drain Antifreeze from an Engine Block - Step 2

To drain the remaining coolant, follow these steps:

• Using a spanner wrench, unscrew the drain plug located under the ignition unit.
• Wait about 10 minutes for the antifreeze to drain.
• Wipe the plug, assess the condition of the seals. Replace them if necessary and screw the cap back on.

Note that antifreeze is an active chemical. It has a sweetish smell that might attract pets or children! It must be drained into tightly closed containers. It is strongly not recommended to simply drain onto the ground.

Filling with new coolant

Only after completely draining the old antifreeze can you start pouring a new one. The manufacturer and brand of the substance must comply with the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer. Using additional additives can negatively affect the formation of rust in the radiator or cylinder block.

The level of the filled-in antifreeze should be between the min and max marks on the expansion tank. After replacing antifreeze, air pockets may form. To get rid of them, you need to slightly loosen the pipe clamp. Fill in coolant carefully and gradually. After completing all the work, start the engine and set the stove level to the maximum mode. If the heat does not come, then you have not gotten rid of all the air locks, which will cause the engine to overheat.

Workers technical fluids in the car are subject to mandatory timely replacement... During operation, impurities, deposits and metal chips accumulate in fluids. Also, the liquids themselves tend to lose their protective and other beneficial properties over time. Liquid (antifreeze, antifreeze) is no exception. The main task of the specified working fluid is to maintain a given working temperature engine by removing heat as a result of continuous circulation through the cooling system. Also, the coolant (coolant) provides heating of the heater for heating the interior of the vehicle.

An additional function of the coolant is lubrication and protection of parts against corrosion. The fluid contains a package of special additives to lubricate and prevent the formation of rust in the cooling jacket of the engine block. It is recommended to change antifreeze every 3 years.

Read in this article

Removing the used coolant from the system

Replacing the coolant involves draining the used material. Remember that antifreeze is a harmful chemical with a sweet smell. The coolant is drained into sealable containers and then disposed of!

Before starting work, the vehicle must be parked on a level horizontal surface. In this position, the liquid will drain faster, and the amount of residues in the cooling system and pipelines is also minimized. Structurally, a special drain plug is often provided in the cooling system to remove the spent liquid. This antifreeze drain plug is located at the lowest points of the cooling system (near the bottom corners of the cooling system radiator).

There are also car models in which the specified coolant drain plug is absent. To remove fluid in such machines, you will need to disconnect the lower pipe of the system engine coolingconnected to the radiator.

1. Please note that it is strictly forbidden to drain the coolant from the system on a hot engine. The fact is that with the heating of the liquid in the cooling system, the pressure rises in parallel. Due to this pressure, the liquid does not boil. If you unscrew the drain plug or remove the hose from the radiator, then the pressure drops to atmospheric level, and the hot liquid will burst out in the form of steam.
2. At the very beginning, you need to let the motor cool down, after which you will need to unscrew the cap of the expansion tank of the cooling system. Next, we prepare a container for draining. After that, the drain plug is turned off or the pipe is removed from the radiator, and spent antifreeze or antifreeze begins to flow into a previously prepared container. This removes most of the fluid from the system.

We add that if you change the coolant according to the regulations, regularly flush the system with distilled water before filling in a new fluid, do not worry about the compatibility of the remnants of the old fluid and the new one, then this method will be enough.

In this case, the remaining coolant with this method of draining remains, since there are sections in the cooling system that are located below the place where the drain plug is installed (radiator for the interior heater, etc.). To completely remove the working coolant from the engine cooling system and channels in the cylinder block (cooling jacket), additional manipulations will be required.

Complete draining of antifreeze

To answer the question of how to drain antifreeze from completely, it is necessary to take into account design features cooling systems. This hydraulic system has separate sections, from where it will not be possible to drain the fluid by gravity. Part of the coolant remains in the cooling channels in the cylinder block, which are angled.

To remove such residues of antifreeze from the block, it will be necessary to create pressure in the system. The pressure will displace the remaining coolant in the channels, thereby ensuring a complete drain of the antifreeze.

• To accomplish the task, you must wait until the liquid is completely drained from the drain hole, after which you do not need to screw the drain plug. You will only need to tighten the cap on the expansion tank. After that, in the car's interior, the stove is turned on to the maximum and the engine is started.
• The engine is started for only a couple of minutes and the process is carefully monitored, since the risk of overheating the internal combustion engine without coolant in the system is very high. Overheating can lead to deformation of the engine block, engine seizure or other damaging consequences. Even if liquid continues to flow out of the drain hole when the engine is running, the engine still needs to be turned off without waiting for a complete drain. After that, the motor must be allowed to cool for about 20 minutes, and then the start is repeated again, but for no more than a couple of minutes.
• Stopping the flow of antifreeze will indicate that the remaining fluid has drained from the cylinder block. Now the drain plug can be tightened (if the radiator pipes were removed, then they are returned to their place and the reliability of the fastening is checked).

Filling with fresh coolant

The final stage is filling with fresh coolant in accordance with all recommendations and in compliance with the proportions in the case of self-dilution of the concentrate.

• Pour new coolant into expansion tankfilling it up to the "maximum" mark.
• Further, it is recommended to tighten the lid on the tank, and the motor itself can be started. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that the heater in the cabin must be turned on.
• As a result of the first start of the engine, the pump will start working, the liquid is evenly distributed throughout the system, the level in the tank will decrease noticeably. This is due to the fact that on a damped machine, when pouring antifreeze, all pipelines and the total volume of the cooling system cannot be completely and immediately filled.
• When the level in the reservoir drops to a minimum, the engine is turned off. Then you will need to top up the coolant again to the maximum mark by unscrewing the tank cap again. After refilling, screw the cover back on and start the engine again. This procedure must be repeated until the liquid level in the expansion tank stops dropping after a test run of the engine.
• It is also recommended separately to make a final check of the coolant level after replacement after 1-2 days of car operation.

Read also

How often antifreeze replacement is required. Self-flushing of the cooling system from dirt, scale and rust. Means for flushing the engine cooling system.

This article was published primarily at the request of a visitor to our site named Vladimir, who recently became the proud owner of a car of the brand VAZ-2107.And, of course, he immediately had questions related to renovation and maintenance your car, the answers to which he decided to find on the Internet (in particular on this site). Well, to help a person who wants competently conduct DIY car repair, holy cause! The question was - How to replace the coolant in a VAZ-2107 car? You can familiarize yourself with the answer to it by clicking on the link - read in full. ... I think this article will be useful to owners of other cars of the brand VAZ... Since the process replacing antifreeze or antifreeze in a VAZ 2107 car almost no different from the process coolant replacement in other cars of the brand VAZ of the Zhiguli family (such as VAZ-2101, VAZ-2104, VAZ-2105, VAZ-2106).

First, let's decide on the quantity and type coolant, which we will fill in the car. As for the quantity, everything is simple here - according to the instructions, 9.85 liters are needed, which means we are buying 10 liters of coolant... But with a view coolant to decide quickly will not work. What to upload? Antifreeze or antifreeze? There is no consensus. As for me, I can advise using antifreeze... It can be bought ready-to-use or a concentrate and diluted with distilled water in a ratio of 50 to 50. I will not explain why antifreeze, if desired, on the site you can familiarize yourself with the material in which they are described. Yes, and using a Google search, you can find a lot useful information about this theme.

As for the tool ... There will be enough spanner wrench for "13", a screwdriver and a container to drain the old coolant (the open-end wrench for "30" may still be useful).

The procedure for replacing coolant in cars VAZ-2101, VAZ-2102, VAZ-2103, VAZ-2104, VAZ-2105, VAZ-2106, VAZ-2107, Zhiguli:

Before you start to drain the old coolant, it is necessary in the passenger compartment, put the heating valve control lever to the extreme right position (the valve is open). We unscrew the expansion tank cap and the radiator filler cap. Find the drain plug in the lower corner of the radiator (photo 2), unscrew it and drain the liquid into a previously prepared container. Old-style radiators do not have such a plug. Instead, you will have to unscrew the fan switch on the sensor with the “30” key (photo 3). Also on the engine block, we find and unscrew the drain plug with a key on "13" (photo 1).

After the liquid is drained, we twist the plugs drain holes into place. And in order to avoid the formation of an air lock in the system, we release the clamp with a screwdriver and remove the rubber hose from the intake manifold fitting (photo 4).

Everything, you can fill antifreeze... As soon as liquid begins to flow from the fitting, you can put a hose on it and tighten the clamp. After that, completely fill the radiator and tighten the cap. Next, pour antifreeze into the expansion tank (photo 5), the optimal level is 3-4 cm above the "MIN" mark.

We start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature. After that, we muffle and check the level again coolant... Top up if necessary antifreeze.

If the vehicle's cooling system is dirty, flush it with water or special means... The flushing procedure is the same as when replacing the fluid - we drain, fill and dilute, start the engine for a few minutes and drain. And so several times, until you see that clear water flows from the radiator and engine block.

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