How to refill rad/cooling system with coolant to proper level?

[jordan]

I plan on changing my thermostat and in the Haynes manual it describes draining the rad and changing the thermostat easily but the part im not sure about is how to refill the rad and cooling system that i drained most of with antifreeze. if anyone can link me to a step by step instruction or just tell me how to fill it up properly that would be great.

Note: i have the 2.4 litre 2000 alero

thanks

[cherrington17]

shouldn't you just fill from the resevoir, run the car a little to pull it through the system, then just untwist one of the overflow caps to let air out...?

i'm just shooting in the dark here, so i'll probably end up looking like the moron i am.

[spyhunter]

pour water into resovoir till full. you can "pump up" the system by squeezing the coolant hoses, to force air out of the system. Fill some more, until you can't do this no more. Then run the car till operating temp. see if it needs water, fill as necessary. drive around a block and idle around. go back home check again. fill as necessary. you'll be fine after that.

[cherrington17]

he might want to use antifreeze.... water + Radiator + Freezing canadian weather = bad times for all.

[Spilner521]

Antifreeze mixed 50/50 with water actually...

[jordan]

Originally Posted by spyhunter

pour water into resovoir till full. you can "pump up" the system by squeezing the coolant hoses, to force air out of the system. Fill some more, until you can't do this no more. Then run the car till operating temp. see if it needs water, fill as necessary. drive around a block and idle around. go back home check again. fill as necessary. you'll be fine after that.

Cool thanks. just a few questions to clarify... ummm... when i run the car on idle to cycle the air out of the system , do i leave the reservoir cap off? or cap it when idleing and driving around the block?

***so fill the reservoir to the cold mark and then run on idle with the cap off and fill as nessessary?

*** do i squeeze all the coolant hoses connected to the reservoir tank after initially filling it to get the lines full so to speak?

[Spilner521]

Cap it when idleing and driving around the block.

[jordan]

ok thanks. doesnt seem as hard as i thought. i figured it was easy to refill the system.

Know anything about the Prestone long life yellow antifreeze any good? The last shop i had it at flushed out all the dex-cool and put in Ultra PEAK brand antifreeze but i was wondering bout the prestone yellow

[Spilner521]

Originally Posted by jordan

ok thanks. doesnt seem as hard as i thought. i figured it was easy to refill the system.

Know anything about the Prestone long life yellow antifreeze any good? The last shop i had it at flushed out all the dex-cool and put in Ultra PEAK brand antifreeze but i was wondering bout the prestone yellow

If the Prestone is the same type of antifreeze as the stuff you have now it'll work fine. Just check the back of the container to make sure it's the same type.

[jordan]

says on the jug that the prestone yellow works with any type of other antifreeze so it should be ok.

[Spilner521]

Originally Posted by jordan

says on the jug that the prestone yellow works with any type of other antifreeze so it should be ok.

sounds good

[Cliff8928]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

shouldn't you just fill from the resevoir, run the car a little to pull it through the system, then just untwist one of the overflow caps to let air out...?

Technically since it is pressurized, it is a surge tank, not a reservoir.

Originally Posted by Spilner521

Antifreeze mixed 50/50 with water actually...

Distilled water preferably so that you have the least amount of minerals and impurities.

[Spilner521]

^^Yeah I forgot to add that, thanks.