Draining and Filling Cooling Systems
Draining and Filling Cooling SystemDraining Procedure
Caution: in order to avoid personal injury, do not remove the cap or open the cooling system drains from a hot system. Allow the system to cool first.
1. Remove the coolant cap from the surge tank.
Important: A 7.6 liter (8 qt) coolant container will be needed.
2. Place the coolant container under the radiator drain valve located at the bottom of the right radiator end tank.
3. Using a small flat-bladed screwdriver, open the drain valve and drain the coolant.
4. For L61 vehicles, if the engine block needs to be drained, a drain valve is located at the bottom of the water pump assembly.
Filling Procedure
Notice: All entrapped air must be purged from the powertrain cooling system before the final coolant level can be determined. Proper coolant level is critical to avoid engine damage.
Important: The vehicle must be level when filling the cooling system.
1. Slowly add a mixture of 50/50 DEX-COOL antifreeze and clean water to the coolant surge tank until the level reaches the top of the Cold Fill Range surge tank seam.
2. Start the engine and check for leaks.
3. Run the engine and cycle the vehicle from idle to 3,000 RPM in 30 second intervals until the engine cooling fan comes ON, the engine cooling fan turns ON at approximately 102°C (216°F).
4. Return the engine to idle, idle for 30 seconds then turn the engine OFF.
5. Add coolant to the surge tank until the level reaches the surge tank vent port.
Important: The level in the surge tank will return into the cold fill range once the vehicle cools.
6. Install the coolant surge tank cap.