Guide To Changing Coolant

[danGTI 0]

I've never really been hands on with any cars i've had, prefering to take them to garages for even simple things like basic servicing. I do know quite a bit about cars, from a knowledge point of view, sadly not from a practical point of view though, so my news years resolution is to start doing some hands on practice and service the car before I sell it in the new year. I know how to change the oil etc and the brake fluid is something i'll leave to the pro's, but i'm looking to change the coolant and......I can't find my Haynes manual

can anyone give me a simple guide to changing coolant please? I must admit I feel a bit of a tool posting this in a forum full of people discussing how many engines they've changed in a weekend just for fun, but we all have to start somewhere and it's about time I learn to do basic maintanance It's quite funny actually, if I was after a guide to help me chuck an mi into my 205, no problem. If I was after some help in removing my rear beam and replacing it with a 1.9 assembly, plenty of information...but try and search for anything to do with "1 spanner" simple jobs and nothing comes up maybe I shouldn't be here

Edited December 30, 2005 by danGTI

[GLPoomobile 958]

I used to be the same mate. Spent years fanatically reading up on cars but never had any spanner experience till I got my first 205. Then went through a dry patch with the Civic and now I'm back to tackling more and more complicated jobs on my current 205.

 

Anway.

 

Remove the header filler cap to releave pressure. Undo the drain bolt in the radiator. It is at the back bottom corner on the passenger side, a black plastic thing that needs a 14mm spanner/socket to remove. I find that by jacking the front up a bit I can lean in with a ratchet from the passenger wheel arch and undo it without scrabbling under the car. You may want to pull your sleeve up (maybe wear latex gloves) cos you'll get coolant all over your arm when it starts to come out.

 

Drop the car back down to the ground and leave it to drain out.

 

There is more to it IIRC, like removing a hose or a plug at the back of the engine block, but I didn't bother doing that!

[gti_al 1]

I've been thinking the same thing lately... I pulled a head off one engine, dropped the new one into my car, but somehow i managed to avoid doing the fluids and i still don't know how they all go in... Getting teh coolant out is fine, but how does one go about bleeding it properly?

 

While we are asking basic questions, what is involved in bleeding brakes?

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Not all rad's have the drain plug, SO it's a case of undoing the bottom hose, No need for block draining as the rad/bottom hose is at the lowest point, It's a good idea if it hasn't been changed for a while is to use some Rad Flush as the block and heater matrix can get full of muck, But this can lead to finding small leaks so be warned.

[DrSeuss 0]

Ok, to drain coolant:

 

Find drain plug, undo

 

Get water up your sleeve

 

Swear

 

End up lying in a pool of coolant that missed the bowl you just forgot to put in place.

 

Swear.

 

Refit drain plug

 

Fill system with coolant via header tank

 

Run engine to temp. undo any bleed screw's dotted around the engine until coolant is free of bubbles

 

There are several bleed screws (the plastic ones WILL shear as you undo them). They are located on the top heater matrix hose, somewhere on the thermostat housing and there's one other i can't remember

 

From my experience of 205's, if your rad is a pattern one, it won't necessarily have a drain plug. The coolant systems bleed themselves if you run the engine with the header tank filler cap removed, but its still worth checking the bleed screws.

 

You will end up lying in a puddle. So wrap up in multiple layers.

 

Bleeding brakes is a topic best left for another topic in a different forum.

Edited December 30, 2005 by DrSeuss

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Shouldn't you remove the drain plugs as you fill the system? One on heater hose & thermostat housing.

 

I do it this way & haven't had any trouble with bleeding the system.

 

The only plastic one I've found to shear is the one on the thermostat housing but that can be an allen screw instead, never managed to shear the one on the heater hose.

 

Graham.

[kate205gti 4]

While we are asking basic questions, what is involved in bleeding brakes?

ooh me me me i learnt how to do this properly this year! (before i was just the pedal pusher )

 

Bleeding the Brakes

 

* you need a long tube and container to catch the brake fluid plus an assistant to pump the brake pedal while you bleed each side. Start by loosening the bleed nipple located on the back of the caliper using a 7mm ring spanner and given it a sharp tap with a hammer - this usually shocks the nipple free and helps prevent it from snapping off

* Once the nipple is free do it back up loosely and fit the end of the clear plastic hose over the end of the bleed nipple (with the ring spanner still on), placing the end of the tube into a container to catch the brake fluid

* pop the bonnet and screw the lid to the Brake Fluid reservoir and top the brake fluid up to the maximum mark

* Now you need your assistant to sit in the drivers seat and press the brake pedal on your instruction

* Loosen the bleed nipple on the caliper and instruct your assistant to press the brake pedal down smoothly and firmly.

* Tighten the nipple and get your assistant to release the brake pedal

* Repeat this process 10-20 times on each side. To start with you should see bubbles in the fluid coming out indicating air in the system, you need to repeat the process until no bubbles come out. Keep an eye on the brake fluid in the reservoir and top up as necessary during the bleeding process

* Ensure that the brake pedal is only pressed DOWN while the bleed nipple is loosened, as if it is released while the bleed nipple is undone then this will let air back into the system!

* It is also worthwhile removing and copper-greasing the nipples while the pedal is held down fully to prevent them from snapping off in the future

 

bleeding order is furthest away from master cylinder working nearer - so nsr - osr- nsf - osf

[Richie-Van-GTi 71 2 Cars]

Ive always opned all bleed points, filled the system and closed them one by one as the coolant hits the points. Never had any issues doing this.

[danGTI 0]

If i'm going to get covered in coolant I might leave it until the snow has cleared, I've got a cold from walking around in the snow for 2 hours so might not be a good idea at the moment. Thanks for the help, I would say I now have the confidence to do it but going by the limited hands on work I have done it's bound to go wrong at every stage of the work, the hose will probably crumble away and all the plastic bleed screws will snap and leave water pissing out all over the place

[GLPoomobile 958]

Have a quick check to see if you have the drain plug on the rad first. Like I said, if you do you can do this without getting covered in coolant (well, no more than one hand up to wrist level), just jack up the front on the passenger jacking point, turn the steering wheel to the left, then you can kneel on one knee, lean in through the wheel arch and undo it from there.

 

I've had my coolant out 4 or 5 times recently and it's no problem.

[Daxed 7]

Don't know what the Pugs brakes are like to bleed, but have found the Easybleed thingy (uses the pressure of a spare tyre to force the fluid through the system) a lot better than peddle pressure.

 

Latex gloves mmmmmmm

[richsmells 2]

I had a go a bleeding the brakes after Anthony did the beam. I used a mate to pump the pedal and an easibleed kit. Got fluid in my eye, but the brakes work fine. Shame my caliper sliders are shagged. Need to get that sorted in the new year.

 

I changed the heater matrix a while ago too, which wasn't really that hard but I felt a sense of achievement afterwards!

 

I'm just like you though danGTI, a few months ago I knew nothing, so buying a 205 was a bit of a mistake, but being thrown in at the deep end is the best way of learning. I really enjoyed changing the beam and shocks with Anthony as I learned a lot.

 

Most importantly, using a bit of mechanical sympathy and having the correct tools will always pay divadends. If it's that hard to undo, you're probably about to snap it! But a lump hammer is always useful!

Edited December 30, 2005 by richsmells

[ablister 31]

Run engine to temp. undo any bleed screw's dotted around the engine until coolant is free of bubbles

 

you should get rid of the air in the system before you start the engine!

 

Alot of people try do to it themselves to try save money and thinking they know what to do and end up blowing headgaskets (306's in particluar for some reason) making it a false economy for some as they end up spending hundreds in the end.

Edited December 31, 2005 by ablister

[gti_al 1]

Got fluid in my eye, but the brakes work fine.

 

This sounds like something that would happen to me! How did you manage that?

 

Anyway, this is an interesting thread. I'm not after a "how to" here, but what degree of difficulty would be awarded to changing front brake pads?

[Ahl 4]

Alot of people try do to it themselves to try save money and thinking they know what to do and end up blowing headgaskets (306's in particluar for some reason) making it a false economy for some as they end up spending hundreds in the end.

Yeah yeah, you would say that.

[DrSeuss 0]

I'm sure the way haynes suggests it is with the engine running. On cranking the large bubbles of air exit the system throug the header tank in a matter of moments anyway.

 

Then its just a case of getting rid of the last of the air still in the system. Which i've found to be almost non existent on the few occassions i've done it.

 

I bet the lack of header tank on a 306 is a major source of problems, the header tank on the 205 is the highest point in the system.

Edited December 31, 2005 by DrSeuss

[ablister 31]

Yeah yeah, you would say that.

 

didn't mean it to sound like that! what i meant is that if it's not bleed properly, then the h'gasket could pop, so be careful

 

 

I'm sure the way haynes suggests it is with the engine running. On cranking the large bubbles of air exit the system throug the header tank in a matter of moments anyway.

 

Then its just a case of getting rid of the last of the air still in the system. Which i've found to be almost non existent on the few occassions i've done it.

 

I bet the lack of header tank on a 306 is a major source of problems, the header tank on the 205 is the highest point in the system.

 

yeah, you're probably right about the 306's, the hdi's have the coolant bottle in a better position but others have it in the radiator. There is a peugeot tool that attaches to the top of the tank that keeps the coolant at the highest point. It's about £15 for the tool, can't remember the part no. It also fits 205's as well

Edited December 31, 2005 by ablister

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

Yeah the tool for bleeding the system is handy. It is just like a 2l coke bottle that fits onto the top of the coolant reservoir. Just keep it filled up and the bubbles of trapped air will come out the top amd have the engine running, job done. Importent to make sure you cooling fans come on at the right temp after, so check that as well. Im sure someone could modify a bottle with an old rad cap for the job.

[gti_al 1]

Just one quick question for anyone with their manual handy... (I'm at work and need to pick up some coolant later)

 

What is the capacity of the cooling system?

[ashlee205gti 1]

Around the 5.5 - 6 litre mark IIRC.

[gti_al 1]

Thanks mate.

[gti_al 1]

I've finally got around to doing this, but bleeding it is looking difficult... It seems that the valve on the thermostat housing is not very healthy, (covered in sealant) and my heater is disconnected. (so that bleed screw is useless)

 

And suggestions?

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

If neither of the bleed points are any good they way I bled a system when the (plastic) thermostat bleed screw sheared off flush was by removing the hose that runs from there to the throttle body until coolant ran oput of it & once fulled filled up then I ran it with the radiator cap off for a few minutes but the heater hose bleed screw was fine on this car.

 

Still this method should work for you.

 

Graham.

[gti_al 1]

If neither of the bleed points are any good they way I bled a system when the (plastic) thermostat bleed screw sheared off flush was by removing the hose that runs from there to the throttle body until coolant ran oput of it & once fulled filled up then I ran it with the radiator cap off for a few minutes but the heater hose bleed screw was fine on this car.

 

Still this method should work for you.

 

Graham.

 

Thanks. How do you tell if all the air is out?