thetruck

Hi all,

Can someone give me some directions on changing the coolant on my 02 v6? is there a drain plug? I'm I supposed to bleed the system? how?
am i supposed to change the thermostat? (i rather not) what is the capacity? is it as simple as take the drain plug out and let drain put it back and refill? thanks for the help!!!!!!

mlarky1957

The capacity is around 16 quarts or 4 gallons. You can drain the old fluid from the bottom of the radiator using the petcock or loosen the bottom hose at the radiator to drain. Petcock is the best way to go to control the flow. Do this initial step with the system cool. You may need a pair of channel lock pliers to grab the hose at the radiator neck and carefully tsist back forth to loosen the hose. Be carefull not to deform the outlet or you may create leaks or end up replacing the radiator in a worse case scenerio. Drain the old fluid into some type of container or tub, of at least 4 gallon capacity. If smaller, have some kind of container to put it in as you fill the catch container. Close the petcock when the container if full or when the radiator is empty. NEVER DUMP OLD FLUID DOWN A DRAIN or let it run down the driveway. It's toxic to pets who would be attracted the sweet smell. Not to mention toxic if it gets into the water or sewer system. There are places to take old antifreeze, call around.

Best to use some kind of radiator flush like Prestone to loosen the junk and sediment in the system, then flush it out with clean water. Just follow the instructions on the bottle. You can even use white vinegar to flush the system. Sounds weird but it works, especially in areas with hard water. Vinegar breaks up lime and other types of depoits to aid in flushing out the system. Just drain some of the old fluid out, add the flushing fluid and run the engine for 15 to 20 minutes. Let it cool a bit, then drain, and add clean water. Run it again for 10 or 15 minutes, drain completely.

Best to remove and clean out the overflow resovoir bottle since thats where alot of sediment can build up. After flushing out the system, use the 50/50 mix coolant to fill up the recommended amount ( usually 16 quarts or about 4 gallons). When it appears to be full in the radiator, start the truck and let it warm up with the cap off the radiator. This will also let much of any trapped air out. As soon as the thermostat opens the level will likey drop. Then fill it to a level that covers the inside fins of the radiator. Now is the best time to replace the radiator cap. I prefer the ones with a pressure relief lever on top. Helps keep the stuff from exploding out or the cap from blowing off with the heat and pressure. The pressure relief kind usually directs the pressure to the over flow bottle. Less chance if hot fluid burns. They're not that expensive and a worn out seal on the cap will cause cooling issues, since pressure ( usually about 14 to 16 pounds) aids in the cooling process. Put the radiator cap on,and start the truck. You then add coolant to the overflow bottle to max line or cool line and close the top. As the motor warms up to running temp, the system will take fom the over flow bottle what it needs, and put back what it doesn't based on pressure and temperature. Just add as needed to the fill line. NEVER over fill the overflow bottle past the MAX line, as it will spit out the excess if it gets too hot ( coolant expands as it heats up), and then you have coolant on the ground, wasted and toxic.

Google "How to change coolant" and you will get several choices for reference. The whole process for a novice might take an hour. The experience and confidence gained are priceless. By the way, be carefull....hot coolant, the radiator and such can cause burns. Use common sense. Hope this helps.