Warning: Antifreeze is a corrosive and poisonous solution, so do not allow it to come into contact with your car's paint or your skin. If this happens, rinse the antifreeze off immediately with plenty of clean water. The electric cooling fan may turn on at any time, even when the ignition is off. When working near the fan, turn off its power or disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal.
1. Periodically, it is necessary to drain the liquid from the cooling system, flush the system and fill it with a new solution, thus preventing the formation of rust, which can degrade the performance of the cooling system and cause engine damage. During maintenance of the cooling system, all hoses and the radiator cap should be checked and, if necessary, replaced.
Draining the coolant
2. Apply the parking brake and block the wheels with chocks. If the car has just been moving, allow the engine to cool for several hours before starting work.
3. After the engine has cooled down completely, remove the radiator cap.
4. Remove the splash guard located under the radiator (some models). Place a large container under the radiator drain hole to collect the coolant. To direct the antifreeze into the container, connect a hose with an internal diameter of 10 mm to the radiator drain nipple (some models are already equipped with a hose), then open the drain nipple (you may need pliers).
31.4. Before opening the drain valve located at the bottom of the radiator, place a piece of hose with a diameter of 8 mm on the fitting
5. After the fluid has stopped flowing out of the radiator, move the container under the drain plug of the engine block. Unscrew the plug and drain the fluid from the cylinder block.
31.5. After the liquid has stopped flowing out of the radiator, remove the drain plug from the cylinder block and drain the coolant from the engine
6. When draining the fluid, check the condition of the radiator hoses, interior heater hoses and clamps (see section 14).
7. Replace damaged hoses and clamps (the replacement procedure is described in detail in Chapter 3).
Flushing the system
8. After all the fluid has been drained from the system, flush the radiator with water from a garden hose until clear water comes out of the drain hole. The water will remove sediment, but will not wash away rust and scale from the surfaces of the cooling pipes.
9. Rust can be removed with special cleaners. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. If the radiator is seriously damaged by corrosion, is destroyed or is leaking, it must be removed (see Chapter 3) and take it to a specialized repair shop.
10. Disconnect the hose from the coolant expansion tank. Drain the coolant from the tank and rinse it with clean water, then reconnect the hose.
Filling the system
11. Close and tighten the radiator drain plug. Install and tighten the engine block drain plug.
12. Set the heater temperature control to the maximum temperature position.
13. Slowly pour new coolant into the radiator until it is completely full. Fill the tank with liquid up to the lower mark.
14. Leave the radiator cap open, start the engine in a well-ventilated area and warm it up until the thermostat opens (coolant will start flowing through the radiator and the upper radiator hose will become hot).
15. Turn off the engine and let it cool. Add more fluid to the top edge of the radiator filler neck.
16. Squeeze the upper radiator hose to force out air, then add more fluid if necessary. Replace the radiator cap.
17. Start the engine, warm it up to normal operating temperature and check for leaks.