Radiator Full Too Early?
Radiator Full Too Early? I need some help with a coolant problem on my ws6. So i just flushed the system, refilled it with water and cleaner, ran it up to operating temp, let it cool, flushed it again, then started filling it with 50/50 dexcool/water, and the radiator's full at 3/4 of a gallon but everywhere i'm reading says it takes 2 gallons. It's pushing a little coolant into the resevoir and the resevoir was empty during the whole process. I know it's supposed to do that but is that a sign of my thermostat and water pump working correctly? I'm wondering if it being full too soon means something has gone bad. No codes, idling at 192F. I'm at a loss.
This method could only get you 75% water, 25% coolant because 1/2 of the system holds coolant within the engine block and heads. (This is why the system is holding less than you expected - you didn't get everything out.)
Since you now have a water/cleaner mix in the system, the only way to get the system back to normal is to do a proper flush. You need to drain the radiator, overflow tank, and then remove the two engine block plugs on either side of the engine.
I have some more tips in this thread and other links to threads with pictures of the block drain plugs:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...el-ground.html
The plugs are a real PITA to get to... This thread is on an external site, but their tutorial is probably more helpful:
http://www.ls1.com/forums/f6/diy-coo...-flush-157898/
Since you now have a water/cleaner mix in the system, the only way to get the system back to normal is to do a proper flush. You need to drain the radiator, overflow tank, and then remove the two engine block plugs on either side of the engine.
I have some more tips in this thread and other links to threads with pictures of the block drain plugs:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...el-ground.html
The plugs are a real PITA to get to... This thread is on an external site, but their tutorial is probably more helpful:
http://www.ls1.com/forums/f6/diy-coo...-flush-157898/
Draining it from the bottom of the radiator will yield about 2 gallons.
When you fill the radiator you want the front of the car to be raised on an incline to force air out of the motor into the highest point in the cooling system which is the radiator cap area.
Fill the cooling system and leave the cap off. Get in and start the car and turn your heater to hot and let the car get up to operating temperature with the cap off.
When the thermostat opens you should notice the level in the radiator goes down and you will need to add more coolant.
The easiest way to burp the system is with a tall funnel. Fill the funnel to a high point and you will see the level drop when the thermostat opens
When you fill the radiator you want the front of the car to be raised on an incline to force air out of the motor into the highest point in the cooling system which is the radiator cap area.
Fill the cooling system and leave the cap off. Get in and start the car and turn your heater to hot and let the car get up to operating temperature with the cap off.
When the thermostat opens you should notice the level in the radiator goes down and you will need to add more coolant.
The easiest way to burp the system is with a tall funnel. Fill the funnel to a high point and you will see the level drop when the thermostat opens
