# Radiator flush 2001 **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 2, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718 "2020-07-02T16:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/1 "2020-07-02T16:30:24Z")
I’m pretty new to working on cars. I read my 2001 Sonoma takes 12 quarts of coolant. I’m flushing the radiator and I can see there’s much less than that draining. Maybe a gallon and a half tops came out and about the same went in when I went to flush it. Where is the rest of the fluid? I’m assuming some of the 12 quarts goes into the reservoir, but where is the rest at? ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/2 "2020-07-02T16:34:28Z")
Probably mostly in the engine block. There may a separate drain for that. Sometimes they are hard to see, such as under a manifold. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/3 "2020-07-02T16:39:29Z")
Are they two separate systems or are they directly connected? ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/4 "2020-07-02T16:41:09Z")
I’m wondering if it’s like the transmission cooling system where the fluids don’t mix yet both pass through the radiator. ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/5 "2020-07-02T16:42:12Z")
Same thing. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/6 "2020-07-02T16:42:17Z")
Do I need to drain the fluid from the second drain? Will the Royal Blue flush be in my engine if I add it to the radiator? ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/7 "2020-07-02T16:48:20Z")
Yes it will travel through the entire cooling system as you drive don’t forget to turn the heater on so the coolant will go through the heater core also. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/9 "2020-07-02T17:23:48Z")
[https://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/1996\_Chevrolet\_S10\_4.3L\_V6/coolant\_antifreeze/flush\_coolant](https://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/1996_Chevrolet_S10_4.3L_V6/coolant_antifreeze/flush_coolant) There’s no mention of a second drain in any videos I saw. I replaced the radiator with a ACDelco a year ago. Could it have different coolant capacities? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/10 "2020-07-02T17:28:12Z")
Engine block drain plug. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/a/aae449ff78acde0079cfcce01e68bfa8eec0a34d.jpeg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/11 "2020-07-02T17:29:36Z")
thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/12 "2020-07-02T17:30:35Z")
Just an FYI… that drain Tester showed… I’ve seem machine shops with tools and torches not be able to get those out with the block on the bench. You getting it out IN this 19 year old car is 99.9% impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/13 "2020-07-02T17:32:01Z")
And I’ve mostly seen them come out with no problem. Tester ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/14 "2020-07-02T17:35:22Z")
Is it not necessary to do? I’ve seen multiple videos on youtube with people flushing their systems with chemicals and not one used the engine drain plug. I would think that not draining it would result in a lot of the chemical flush being left in the engine as well as excess water. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/15 "2020-07-02T17:43:05Z")
I get around all that trouble by using a coolant flush machine. ![COOLANT FLUSH MACHINE](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/0/2/020d5064206f1bc49741c812f50e6cea13218b16.jpeg) Call around to some shops. You’d be surprised how little they charge for this service. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Bugmenot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Bugmenot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bugmenot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/16 "2020-07-02T17:53:10Z")
According to the factory manual, if only draining the radiator, up to 40% of the coolant will remain in the system. The heater system may hold some coolant too. Capacity of the 4.3 with auto trans. is about 13.8 qts. Below is a rudimentary depiction of the block drain plugs on each side. ![2001 Sonoma 4.3 Block Drain Plugs](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/b/6bfdf476e5173e0fee238a5249dce12d1abcc584.gif) ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/17 "2020-07-02T18:07:28Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > Engine block drain plug So you got to get them from the wheel wells? ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/18 "2020-07-02T23:45:08Z")
You get them from under the vehicle. BTW, after you use this flushing chemical, please report back in a couple of months when all your hoses have sprung leaks and your water pump starts leaking. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/19 "2020-07-03T00:01:27Z")
Are those large holes for spark plugs? ---
**Author:** ![Bugmenot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Bugmenot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bugmenot)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/20 "2020-07-03T00:04:16Z")
You mean the large round things in the side of the block? Those are the “freeze” plugs. ---
**Author:** ![jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@jameson.luttrell\_154832](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jameson.luttrell_154832)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718/21 "2020-07-03T00:07:00Z")
I just read that I should not drain the two plugs from block. I’m pretty confused. Should I drain them or not? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-flush-2001/166718.md?page=2)