1.6TD Drain Radiator / Coolant

[budda666]

In typical me fashion I've left this to the last minute, but the light bulb only came on in my head this week when I was watching the weather, thought I'd get a bit more grace period but just seen there's a cold one coming tonight. Background, we bought the van in May - and I've topped the coolant up a couple of times when we've been on the road. Due to necessity / ignorance / panic, this has been usually with the first thing that comes to hand, i.e water, into the tank behind the flap (this was before I knew about the main tank in the engine - usually keep an eye on that now). I can't vouch for what the previous owner has done, but the liquid in the system has always looked fairly watery to me - I'm presuming it should actually be blue if there's a good mix of antifreeze in there (just like my fiesta's is pink).

1) Can anyone point me in the direction of how to DRAIN the system - I've found lots on refilling/bleeding an empty system but the wiki section on how to actually empty it is itself empty.
2) The van is SORN now for the winter - assuming it's not going anywhere, are there any problems with leaving the radiator etc... empty for a short time (week or two) until I have time to properly tackle getting the thing refilled - i.e. no liquid at all better than just water?
3) What are people's views on syphoning the liquid out of the main tank in the engine bay, replacing with proper coolant (50/50 water a-freeze) mix, running to get it round the system and doing this a few times to at least get SOME anti-freeze in there? Realize it might only be a stop gap but to my mind if it works worth the hassle? I'm not very mechanically minded and don't want to end up outside in the dark tonight with a half built van!

Before anyone says, I do realise the damage / corrosion etc... problems not having this right can cause, hence, if only at the last minute I'm trying to get this right. Finding this whole old 'car' ownership thing hard work - everytime you think you think the steep learning curve is starting to level out you realise it's just a small bump and then there's another hill waiting in front of you!

Cheers in advance.

[ZsZ]

1) open the system at the lowest point eg.: at the front radiator hose AND at the thermostat. There will be around 15-16 litres of coolant.
2) oxides will build up quickly inside the water lines of the engine, water is better than air if you can avoid freezing
3) replacing with thicker (70/30) coolant can work, but you have to run it for a while to open the thermostat to have all the coolant mixed.

[budda666]

Cheers - just been to Motosave for a anti-freeze tester thingummy-bobby so going to see what it says the low point is for the current 'liquid'. Will try and drain this afternoon and refill tomorrow morning - figure one night isn't going to kill it. Weather said -3º tonight and we're out in the sticks so will probably hit that - van won't go in the garage so avoiding freezing is going to be tricky (or I could sleep in it and turn it over every hour or so )

And now the lovely sunny day has been replaced by rain. Oh joy...

[budda666]

Ok, I'm a plank - in my half awake state in front of the breakfast news, I hadn't realised that they were talking about TOMORROW night for the freeze. Phew, buys me a whole day tomorrow to do this properly.

[Oldiebut goodie]

Typed this ages ago and forgot to send it!

What I do is drain as much as possible by taking the lowest hose off the water pump and take the cap off the pressurized tank, also loosen the bleed point on the radiator and take the lowest pipe off, set heater on hot, leave an hour or so to drain then replace the hoses leaving bleed screw undone. Insert your 8 litres of coolant/antifreeze then top up with water - that way you know that you have a decent amount in at the right strength, do up the bleed screw. It won't take much more time than trying to syphon stuff out! (why would you put diluted coolant in? Would make more sense to put neat in !) Antifreeze tester available on Ebay for £2.50 from Eurocarparts -http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Top-Tech-Anti ... 51a325b908
If it is just left as it is you will have liquid in various places that may or may not have coolant in. Corrosion isn't such a worry on diesels as they are a completely different engine to those funny petrol ones but will still take place, just not those headbolts to consider.
Run the engine for quite a while so that everywhere is hot and the coolant is well mixed, topping up as the air works it's way out - raising the revs will help, bleed radiator as needed. It's easier to just go on a run to circulate but you are too late for that if you have taken it off the road.

[Oldiebut goodie]

1)
3) replacing with thicker (70/30) coolant can work, but you have to run it for a while to open the thermostat to have all the coolant mixed.

Nothing achieved by this mixture - other than decreasing the freeze protection!

[ZsZ]

1)
3) replacing with thicker (70/30) coolant can work, but you have to run it for a while to open the thermostat to have all the coolant mixed.

Nothing achieved by this mixture - other than decreasing the freeze protection!

I was thinking that adding more antifreeze can achieve closer to the optimal percentage in the whole system

[Oldiebut goodie]

Copied from Brickwerks:

"Please bare in mind that if you have an empty system the entire cooling system takes 16 litres of coolant, if you want a 50% mix then that's 8 litres of antifreeze you need, and a little fact here that neat antifreeze actually freezes at -6°c! its not until its mixed with water that it lowers the freezing point, so be careful, too much antifreeze could end up being the death of your engine.."

[budda666]

Thanks both, will let you know how I get on.

[budda666]

OK, next faff - which antifreeze colour? The guys at the local Motosave reckoned blue (I had a choice of blue or red) which I've bought - is this right? All the stuff I'm finding when searching is about the various VW G12+ options which seem to come in virtually every colour under the sun!

[Oldiebut goodie]

You have got a diesel - not such a critical component as the petrol requirements. It is just a bog standard car engine when all said and done. Use whatever you have bought - the worry about G12 etc is for those pesky petrol engine headbolts. The book for my 1Y diesel just says - follow the latest manufacturers advice.

[AdrianC]

OK, next faff - which antifreeze colour? The guys at the local Motosave reckoned blue (I had a choice of blue or red) which I've bought - is this right? All the stuff I'm finding when searching is about the various VW G12+ options which seem to come in virtually every colour under the sun!

Whichever's in there now, for a top-up. I wouldn't change over on just a simple drain, either - it'll leave quite a bit in various corners. I'd only change over with a change or two to plain water in the interim. And in this weather? Sod that... <grin>

TBH, in your position, I'd just empty the header (take the pipe off the bottom), then refill with neat. You might lose some from the rest of the system, too. If it takes more than about 2-3 litres of neat, I'd switch to 50/50 for the rest.

[budda666]

Cheers for the comments. I checked the existing liquid using the big turkey baster with the float in it which confirmed my coolant was essentially just water. I'm afraid I chickened out of the full drain in the end though. Given the weather and limited daylight I figured I'd go for the syphon the main tank option. Did it once then filled with neat coolant, ran for four or five miles* to get temperature up, let the engine cool then did the same again with another run to get things flowing again. Must have got the best part of 5 litres in there which I suppose is better than a kick in the wotsits for the time being. If I get chance I'll probably do another (diluted) fill at some point this week.

Observations - the coolant appeared to have mixed after the first run. How do I know this, because the liquid in the main tank had gone back to the sludgy (dare I say rusty) colour that was in there on the first drain complete with interesting sediment I think getting it in to a garage for a proper once over / flush, might not be a bad idea sometime before next road trip season.

Cheers again for the input

* I know I said the van is SORN - it is, but I live on the edge of the middle of no-where so have just been pootling round the back roads. Figured it was worth the risk and better than p******g off the neighbours by sitting on the drive and reving the van on a Sunday afternoon.

[max and caddy]

No need to rev it..

Best method is to remove as much of the stinking old anti freeze as poss as follows...

Remove every pipe you can get to easy but focus on the main rad, heater rad, and block.

Flush with clean water in both directions through rads and block and oil cooler..and that layer of turd on header tank base..

Run engine with hose stuck in engine to shift more old muck...

Turn off water...get a wet vac and suck out water from everything possible..

Refill will with best coolant going..vw are now on G13 and unless you spring a leak its in for life...life being at least ten years...good stuff. Cheaper options are out there but it's not even expensive for such a critical fluid!

Add coolant as above so you know it's at 50/50 % mix..

Remoe grille and drive away...stop and let out of rad etc after a mile or so...and again after a few more...park with nose up a bank to be sure.

Done.

Go home and rev up to annoy neighbours!

Have a beer to celebrate your achievements.