My son just got ahold of a 95 Saturn SC2 1.9L DOHC and it is in overall decent condition. One of the first things I would like to do to this thing is completely flush out the coolant and put in the normal yellow universal coolant. What would be the best way to accomplish this?
At the same time, We will of course install a new thermostat ang replace the hoses. The reason I ask is because I know with all the flusing you do, there is still some coolant left in the block and I also noticed there is no cap on the radiator–cap on overflow tank.
Any suggestions/procedures would be great…Are there any odd-ball quirks with this particular model?
Dexcool was introduced in 1996 so this vehicle is on the cusp of coming standard with it. I believe somebody at some point put it in there. Here’s some basic info
The “recommended” service intervals of Dex-cool coolant is 5 years 100K miles and in some cases 150K miles. These extended service intervals have not proven to be any thing but trouble for the consumer. In some cars, the coolant tends to turn to a thick, gooey, sticky, muddy, gritty, orange corrosive gel that fouls the radiator, heater, plugs coolant passages in the intake manifold and heads, and many times starves the water pump, resulting in overheating, and leaking. Mounting evidence suggests that Dex-cool reacts with plastic sealing surfaces, allowing leakage at the intake manifold gaskets.
the yellow universal coolant will work with the dexcool even if you still have a small amount of the stuff left in the system. pick up a can of flush and follow the instrucations . then re fill the car with a 50/50 mix
How many miles on this classic? After you drain and capture the bulk of the coolant for proper disposal, (removing the lower radiator hose is very effective) then replace the hose temporarily and open one of the heater hoses and connect a garden hose to it…Remove the radiator cap, turn on the garden hose, start the engine and let the radiator overflow until the water runs clear. Remove the lower hose again to drain most of the water out of the system. Replace your hoses and refill the system with fresh coolant…
Not familiar with Saturns, but the key to getting most of the water out of most cars is to remove the lower radiator hose and the drain in the engine block.
You are correct that it is tough to get all the water out. It hangs up in various places like the heater core and hoses on some cars. I typically drain what I can, then refill with distilled water and run the car with the heater on until the thermostat opens, then drain again. That way, the residual fluid in the system is mostly distilled water. I then add enough coolant to fill 50% of the published capacity of the system , and finish with distilled water.
Caddy…The car has 123K. It was owned by a woman who did not beat on it and both interior & exterior are in great shape. When we got it, the first thing we did was change the oil and some bozo had one too many quarts in it. It had to be one of the quickie places because the filter was one of those generic white ones. Replaced the PCV valve and put in the correct amount. All running good just trying to stress to JR. that you can’t assume anything and we are starting out with all new filters, fluids, and flushes hopefully leading to a nice long healthy (reliable) ride.
There is a plus…It has working A/C
Flushing the cooling system is a good idea whether it has Dexcool in it or not. I think you should go to the auto parts store and pick a flush-n-fill kit (not a can of chemical flush). These kits usually have a fitting you attach to a hose after cutting the hose. You attach a garden hose to the fitting and turn on the water to flush the system. Just follow the directions on the package, and you should be fine.
I had the Dexcool conversation with both two GM dealers and also a private shop who replaced my radiator due to an accident. I was reluctant to continue to use Dexcool but was talked into continuing to use it. I have actually had no problems with it in a sealed system with no air in it. I suspect it was an early issue that has been resolved. I still don’t use Holiday/Erickson gas due to problems with them in the 60’s so some things die hard.