Weird Coolant Change Event...

[abscate]

Ive always

Flushed the car under idle with water running from the lower hose and also the reservoir, under close supervision always.

Stop car, let water drain out.
Reconnect, tighten hose clamps.
Add coolant to make up 50-50 based on advertised cooling capacity.
Idle and top up with water to FULL when warm.
A hot run at speed might mean another 100-200 mL coolant needed, but not more than that.

[polskamafia mjl]

That would be the best way to drain out all old coolant if you can't dump on ground and rinse with hose to protect pets.

Draining it onto the ground is the worst way to get rid of coolant. Plenty of facilities accept used coolant. Drain it into a container and dispose of it properly. Don't be a jack ass.

[rspi]

With the engine cold, fill the system to the top of the bottle. I often pump the top radiator hose while filling the system. The system is usually about 32 oz low after this process. When full, I put the cap on and start and drive the car for about 5 minutes. Then I let the car cool off for about 2 hours and remove the cap, fill it to the full mark. That usually does it for me. I'll check it the next day then a few days later.

You should NEVER try to fill the reservior with the engine hot.

[June]

That would be the best way to drain out all old coolant if you can't dump on ground and rinse with hose to protect pets.

Draining it onto the ground is the worst way to get rid of coolant. Plenty of facilities accept used coolant. Drain it into a container and dispose of it properly. Don't be a jack ass.

My husband used a large plastic tub under the drain in the radiator. Once the system was drained he would remove the upper radiator hose from the radiator leaving the drain open and attached the garden hose to the upper hose with a screw type hose clamp clamping the upper hose to the threaded end of the garden hose. He would then turn the water on and catch the rest of the coolant being pushed from the water running backwards. Then he would pull the tub out and run the hose full open and back flush the system. Then he would reattach the hose and shut the drain and fill the system back up with appropriate coolant mix. June

[abscate]

You can dump small (one car) amounts of coolant into sanitary (Not storm) sewers for treatment by municipal facilities in most states, including NY - state of heavy regulation. If you do spill, rinse heavily to protect pets/animals.

I catch the main drain of coolant, and then the next bucket of coolant/water mix - at which point coolant conc is near zero

[Winnebago]

is it so hard to give us a radiator cap??!!! grrr!

[sleddriver]

With the engine cold, fill the system to the top of the bottle. I often pump the top radiator hose while filling the system. The system is usually about 32 oz low after this process. When full, I put the cap on and start and drive the car for about 5 minutes. Then I let the car cool off for about 2 hours and remove the cap, fill it to the full mark. That usually does it for me. I'll check it the next day then a few days later.

You should NEVER try to fill the reservior with the engine hot.

With a cold engine, I did fill almost to the top, expecting the 'sudden tank drop' as previously experienced. Pumping the hose with the t-stat CLOSED might help suck air through the t-stat bleeder. I didn't experience the 'tank drop' this time however during idle.

I have topped up to MAX twice now over the past few days and the coolant level has stabilized.

Another thing I had prep'd for then completely forgotten: Citric Acid Flush. I bought a few pounds of this stuff (food-grade), then forgot I had it on-hand to flush with! Rats.....

[rspi]

I never flush.