can i flush my 2004 towncar's radiator by myself
Sure, open the drain or pitcock on the lower end of the radiator to drain, close it and refill with the proper 50/50 mixture of coolant and water.
Determine the volume of the cooling system and buy straight antifreeze equal to half of that amount. Get a bottle of name-brand flush like Prestone ‘Radiator Flush’; use according to bottle directions. * Remove the pressure cap; drain all the coolant, using either the radiator drain cock or just remove the lower rad hose and allow coolant to gush into a large basin. * Close the drain cock (or reattach hose), add about a gallon of tap water to system, and add bottle of flush product, fill system to ‘Full-Cold’ line on reservoir. * Warm the engine and drive the car for several miles (25 should do it; or as indicated on bottle) to circulate the chemical and allow to dissolve mineral scale from insides of rad tubes - don’t leave in longer than bottle recommendation. * Repeat the drain procedure, and while the drain cock (or hose) is open, flush the reservoir with the garden hose until the discharge (from drain cock or hose) runs clear. Close the drain cock or hose. * Add the concentrated Anti Freeze to reservoir, and fill remainder of system with bottled distilled/purified water (not drinking water) which is free of the minerals that cause scale. Check for leaks and do a test drive to warm and circulate the final mixture. Check for leaks again and for left-over parts CAUTION! Both ‘conventional’ green AF and ‘extended life’ orange or red AF are sweet and attractive to dogs, and they are very toxic to dogs and other animals. Dispose of per local regulations (NOT into sanitary or storm sewers, or onto the ground), and mop-up all spills.
Find a place that is safe to do so, take the cap off the radiator. Never hot. Drain coolant in to pan and dispose properly. (tenspeed is right on, they love the stuff) Leave pet-cock open, stick a water hose in the fill hole, run water slowly, run the car letting excess water come back up and out of fill hole, run it for 15 minutes or so, take hose out, drain, and refill with pre-diluted green coolant. Run up to operating temp, let cool, top off radiator, and (cold) about 1/4 full in overflow tank. .....tenspeed posted nothing wrong, just different then my way, which is not better just different. And DO use name-brand, I agree. Water causes rust and water will remove rust. I see no need for flushng chemicals, have done it that way for 45 years never a problem
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