Ask a mechanic thread... Q & A with an ACTUAL mechanic!

[metallicat]

Honestly man, that's all too complicated. I just wanted to get one of those kits from Canadian Tire and hook it up and pump it back up. If I can't do that then it's not really worth all the effort to be honest. I do appreciate the help though.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by metallicat

Honestly man, that's all too complicated. I just wanted to get one of those kits from Canadian Tire and hook it up and pump it back up. If I can't do that then it's not really worth all the effort to be honest. I do appreciate the help though.

No problemo. Like I said, AC work is definitely one of the harder things to DIY.

The problem with those kits at Canadian tire is there's no way to tell how much to add, and overfilling is very bad.

Hope you find a way to get it figured out though, it's too damn hot for weak AC

[metallicat]

I don't drive much and it's not our family car so it's not a big deal. The rad flush on the Pathfinder is on our family vehicle and was recommended by a mechanic so I may give that a shot.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Rad flush would be super easy, if you can change your oil you can flush your coolant. Just drain it, fill it with water, run the vehicle with the coolant cap off to purge air out and the heat on full to flush the heater core for about half an hour. Then drain out the water, fill with new coolant, run for half an hour once more, again with the coolant cap off and the heater on, then after half an hour double check your level, check for leaks, put the cap back on and you're good to go. Easy peasy.

There is some critical info left out here. Never flush with tap water it must be distilled or de-oionized this is because it is not possible to drain out all the water from the engine. Also if you flush with pure water you will have an issue if you are using premixed coolant the water still in the engine will dilute the mixture and could pose a problem in cold weather.

The correct way to flush is use any available drains on the engine block but even doing this will still leave some water in the engine so you'll need to add premix then drain then fill the system. If you are using concentrated coolant that requires water added then you will need to calculate how much water is still in the engine, and/or use a hydrometer. Depending on the car compressed air can be used to force out any remaining fluid but not always practical depending on the car.

For doing coolant drains/fills the Lisle Spill Free Funnel will save you time and coolant spilling all over the place Princess Auto usually has it also check KMS Tools.

[btimbit]

Thanks, definitely good comments to add.

What I personally do is a flush or two with just tap water then a final one with de-oionized before the final fill with coolant. I've never had an issue and figure whatever tap water might be left is too little to worry about, but what you've said is definitely the proper method.

I'll also add something I forgot before, but don't just grab any coolant off the shelf, you want to make sure you use the right stuff for your vehicle. Some use OAT coolants to prevent corrosion on vehicles with more aluminum parts, but you also don't want to mix different types together. Coolant is one thing I still always get from the dealer, it's rarely more expensive than no name brands from Canadian Tire and you can know it's the right stuff

[metallicat]

Ooof. Can nothing just be simple?!

[zamler]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I'll also add something I forgot before, but don't just grab any coolant off the shelf, you want to make sure you use the right stuff for your vehicle.

This is very important. There are some exceptions for example Dex-Cool I won't use it. Also don't mix coolants unless you are certain they are compatible.

Originally Posted by metallicat

Ooof. Can nothing just be simple?!

Nope! Even electric cars have cooling systems. Just buy a VW Bug.