Refilling

WARNING: MAKE SURE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM IS COOL BEFORE REMOVING PRESSURE CAP OR ANY HOSE. SEVERE PERSONAL INJURY MAY RESULT FROM ESCAPING HOT COOLANT. THE COOLING SYSTEM IS PRESSURIZED WHEN HOT.

CAUTION: Do not use well water, or suspect water supply in cooling system. A 50/50 mix of ethylene glycol and distilled water mix is recommended.

1. Close radiator drain. Hand tighten only.

WARNING: When installing drain hose to air bleed valve on thermostat housing, route hose away from accessory drive belt, accessory drive pulleys, and electric cooling fan motors.

Figure 15-Cooling System Bleeding:

2. Attach one end of a 6.35 mm (0.250 inch) ID clear hose that is approximately 1200 mm (48 inch) long, to the bleed valve in the outlet housing. Route the hose away from the accessory drive belt, drive pulleys and electric cooling fan. Place the other end of hose into a clean container. The hose will prevent coolant from contacting the accessory drive belt when bleeding the system during the refilling operation.

3. Open the cooling system bleed valve:
- 2.7L: Located on the water outlet connector at the front of engine.
- 3.2L: Located on the lower intake manifold, left of center and below the upper intake plenum.

Figure 16-Special Tool 8195:

4. Attach Special Tool 8195, Filling Aid Funnel to pressure bottle filler neck.
5. Use the supplied clip to pinch overflow hose that connects between the two chambers of the coolant bottle.

NOTE: Use only Mopar (R) Extended Life Coolant or the equivalent. This coolant contains corrosion inhibitors (called OAT for Organic Additive Technology) that permit extended drain intervals.

CAUTION: Do not mix coolants. If coolant other than Mopar(R) Extended Life or equivalent is added, the mixed coolant will have a reduced service schedule.

6. Pour a 50/50 concentration of Mopar(R) Extended Life Coolant or equivalent and distilled water into the larger section of Filling Aid Funnel (the smaller section of Funnel is to allow air to escape). Slowly fill the cooling system until a steady stream of coolant flows from the hose attached to the bleed valve. Close the bleed valve and continue filling system to the top of the Filling Funnel.
7. Remove clip from overflow hose.
8. Allow the coolant in Filling Funnel to drain into overflow chamber of the pressure bottle.

NOTE: The coolant bottle has two chambers. Coolant will normally only be in the inboard (smaller) of the two. The outboard chamber is only to recover coolant in the event of an overheat and should normally be empty. If there is coolant in the overflow side of the coolant bottle, disconnect the end of the overflow hose at the fill neck and lower it into a clean container. Allow coolant to drain into the container until emptied. Connect overflow hose to fill neck.

9. Remove Special Tool 8196, Filling Aid Funnel. Install cap on coolant pressure bottle.
10. Remove hose from bleed valve.

NOTE:
^ The engine cooling system will push any remaining air into the coolant bottle within about an hour of normal driving. As a result, a drop in coolant level in the pressure bottle may occur.
^ If the engine cooling system overheats and pushes coolant into the overflow flow side of the coolant bottle, this coolant will be sucked back into the cooling system ONLY IF THE PRESSURE CAP IS LEFT ON THE BOTTLE. Removing the pressure cap breaks the vacuum path between the two bottle sections and the coolant will not return to cooling system.