Another fairly straight forward job providing you do it carefully. The main problem that is encountered when changing the coolant is bleeding the system of air afterwards. It is very important that you follow the bleeding instructions below very carefully. These instructions presume that the thermostat is working correctly. If you don't know the age or condition of the thermostat it might be advisable to change this before you begin. Signs that the thermostat is not working correctly can be seen by observing the temperature gauge. If the engine takes a long time to heat up the thermostat is stuck open. If the needle goes into the red chances are the thermostat is stuck shut.


1. Remove the radiator cap when the engine is cold. As you do this you will hear some hissing as the pressure is relieved from the system.


2. With the radiator cap removed, run the engine until the upper radiator hose becomes hot.

3. Turn the engine off and open the radiator drain plug, located on the underside of the radiator, to drain the coolant. Take care not to get scalded, a pair of thick work gloves is advisable.


4. Retighten the drain plug and refill the system with clean water, running the engine again until the top hose becomes hot.


5. Repeat the drain and refill procedure until clear water flows.


6. Drain the system once more and refit and tighten the drain plug fully.


7. Remove the hose from the reservoir tank and then remove and empty the tank. Clean this out thoroughly and refit.


8. Add good quality antifreeze and water to the radiator and tank. Remember that there will be some water left in the system so take this into account when mixing. Fill the radiator to the base of the filler neck and the reservoir tank to 'FULL'. Replace the reservoir cap, aligning the arrows on the cap with those on the tank.


9. Run the engine, with the radiator cap still removed, until the radiator upper hose is hot.


10. With the engine idling, add coolant to radiator until the level reaches the bottom of the filler neck. Install radiator cap, making sure that the ear of the cap lines up with the reservoir tank hose.

Steps 9 and 10 may need to be repeated several times to ensure that all air is purged from the system.