Draining coolant

[Pete_RS2]

What's the best way to drain the coolant. Is there a drain plug or do you just remove the bottom rad hose ?

And what's the correct quantity ? 8 litres rings a bell with 40% antifreeze mix ?

Do you have to bleed it after refilling ?

[porkkis]

Best ways are to remove the thermostat housing or the turbo cooling hose from the block. Others don't drain much anything. Removing bottom rad hose don't drain much as the thermostat is closed.

The whole quantity is around 8l and antifreeze amount is up to you and weather conditions. 20-50% should be suitable.

The system is pretty well selfbleeding. Remove the rad bleeder when filling the system and start the car and remove the matrix hose bleeder for few seconds, rev the car around 3000rpm for a moment and that's about it.

[S2 Ant]

Ive been meaning to ask this as well as i need to do this.

[Pete_RS2]

Thanks porkkis. Don't you have to remove radiators, PAS pump, etc to gain access to the thermostat ?

[S2central.net]

AUX rad and PAS pump need removed to get to the thermostat. Its an ****, but its amazing how much water comes out of there AFTER you drained from the bottom of the main radiator.

Also - be VERY careful of that darn bleed screw on the heater matrix hose. Mine sheared off, so I'll just forget about that wee procedure.

Paul

[mcandmar]

Pull the lower hose on back of the block, that will drain allmost all of the head/block.

Bleed valve on the heater hose tend to snap off in your hand, and it is very easy to crack the radiator taking the bleed screw out. BTDT!

Without using the bleeders i found the following works,

If you take the top hose from the radiator off (facing forwards) and fill the system until it flows water, then remove the heater hose with the bleed nipple and do the same. I usually let it run for a few mins with the expansion tank cap off and keep topping it up then. Check the level a day or so later and it should be about 1cm below the correct level in the expansion tank.

Also heater must be set to fully hot.

Mark.

[Josh-stateside]

Compressed air in the heater core hose works well too. Especially if your swapping from G11 to g12.

If you guys are swapping to different coolant make sure you get it all out.

Cheers
Josh

[porkkis]

Pull the lower hose on back of the block, that will drain allmost all of the head/block.

Mark.

... to the cluch. Not recommended.

Peter,
You can just reach the thermostat housing without removing anything. Needs quite long hands and right position, though.

[Pete_RS2]

... to the cluch. Not recommended.

Peter,
You can just reach the thermostat housing without removing anything. Needs quite long hands and right position, though.

LOL. There was no chance of me getting my oversize clumsy hands anywhere near the thermostat housing so I just removed the lower rad hose & one of the heater hoses on the bulkhead and then flushed it out. It seemed to drain most of it. Still a PITA job though without a ramp.