Coolant Change DIY
Thread Starter
2003 TL-S w/Navi NBP
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 715
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From: Nashville, TN
Coolant Change DIY
While doing my timing belt/water pump change, I noticed there was no DIY for a coolant change, so this is my attempt at creating one.
Since I was also changing my timing belt and water pump, I had already removed the splash shield, and had the front right wheel off. With the splash shield on, draining the radiator will be a slightly bigger mess. With the front right wheel on, accessing the drain nut on the rear of the engine block (actually right side of fwd engine) will be much more difficult.
Before grabbing any tools, get in the car and turn the ignition to the 'ON' (II) position, and turn the climate control temp all the way up to 90. This will open the heater core so that coolant inside the core will be able to drain out. Turn the ignition to 'OFF' when done.
Next, go ahead and empty the coolant reservoir. Facing the car from the front, the reservoir is located between the right end of the radiator and the battery. Unscrew the cap, pull out the hose, and then lift the reservoir up and off its bracket. Pour it out, then slide it back on its bracket.
Drain the radiator next. The radiator cap on top will need to be taken off to drain the radiator. You can remove it first, and then get a gushing flow once you loosen the drain plug on the bottom; or you can first remove the drain plug on the bottom with a dribble, and then remove the radiator cap on top for the gushing flow. You really don't want your face down there on the bottom when the flood occurs, so I recommend positioning your collection container just behind the radiator drain plug, unscrewing the drain plug, and then getting up and removing the radiator cap. Here's a pic of the white plastic drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. It just unscrews.
Once the flow becomes a slow drip, you can screw the drain plug back in. When screwing it back in, it will simply stop turning all of the sudden, and that's it. Don't try to tighten further once it stops. Dispose of the drained coolant properly...whatever that is for coolant.
Now you're ready for the dreaded engine block drain plug. It's located on the back of the engine block, close to the firewall on the passenger side. This is actually on the side of the front-wheel drive, sideways mounted engine, but whatever. Assuming you have your front right wheel off, you can lay on the ground under the wheel, look up between the front axle/cv joint and the sway bar, and see the drain plug on the engine block. You will definitely need a flashlight. The proper support point for a jack stand is on the frame, underneath the front passenger door hinge. Here's a pic of the drain plug. It looks like a brass nipple.
As you can see, you will have to stick your hand and arm between the cv joint boot and part of the oil pump (sending unit?). Yeah, it's a tight squeeze. The smaller nut, near the tip of the nipple, is the one that has to be loosened.
Now comes the tricky part. What I found to work best was a flat 12mm wrench with a ratchet built into it. Slide it over the nut and let it hang. Then, get a length of clear vinyl tubing or rubber hose, and slip it over the nipple without disturbing the wrench hanging there. I used about 3 or 4 feet of 1/4" inner diameter (ID) clear vinyl tubing - easily obtained at Home Depot. You will want to snake the tube in from another opening rather than the same opening that your hand and arm will go through. If you reach through the opening with the tube and your hand, when you pull your hand out, you may accidentally pull the tube off the nipple. I stuck the tube up between the exhaust downpipe and the subframe, then reached through my hand/arm opening and grabbed the tube. You pretty much have to do this part totally by feel since you can't see past your arm into the darkness. Get in touch with your zen for this part as you feel around for the nipple, hose in-hand. Wait...that sounds like something else I know. Anyway, the 1/4" diameter tube slips over the nipple nice and snug. Here's a pic of the tubing over the nipple, and a 12mm wrench hanging on the nut.
Now loosen the nut with the wrench. You did put the wrench on to loosen, not tighten...right? Once it breaks free, you can easily loosen the nut further by hand, but be careful to not tug on the tube! Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. You should have the other end of the tube in your collection container, and if all goes well, you should see this.
As with draining the radiator, you will need to have the radiator cap off in order to get a good flow.
Once the flow has stopped and the tube is clear (give it a few minutes), you can remove the tube from the nipple and tighten the drain plug nut. Tighten the nipple nut (don't be a sicko) by hand first, then put your wrench on for final tightening. This nut will bottom-out when tight, so don't over do it once it bottoms out.
Dispose of this coolant, then you are ready to refill the system, OR continue with your timing belt/water pump job. Coolant capacity is about 6 qts, or one-and-a-half gallons, so you'll basically need to have two gallons of Honda coolant on-hand. Once you have replaced your water pump, or are otherwise ready to refill the system, fill the radiator up to the base of the fill neck, and also fill the reservoir tank about half-way. When re-filling the radiator, stop a few times along the way and squeeze the big radiator hoses to get as much air out as possible.
After cranking the car, check for leaks. And after coming up to temperature (i.e., the thermostat opens), and then sufficient cool down after engine shut-off, check to see if you need to top-off the radiator. I didn't need to top mine off. It seemed to take the entire 6 qts during the initial re-fill.
I hope this helps someone save a few bucks of labor!
Since I was also changing my timing belt and water pump, I had already removed the splash shield, and had the front right wheel off. With the splash shield on, draining the radiator will be a slightly bigger mess. With the front right wheel on, accessing the drain nut on the rear of the engine block (actually right side of fwd engine) will be much more difficult.
Before grabbing any tools, get in the car and turn the ignition to the 'ON' (II) position, and turn the climate control temp all the way up to 90. This will open the heater core so that coolant inside the core will be able to drain out. Turn the ignition to 'OFF' when done.
Next, go ahead and empty the coolant reservoir. Facing the car from the front, the reservoir is located between the right end of the radiator and the battery. Unscrew the cap, pull out the hose, and then lift the reservoir up and off its bracket. Pour it out, then slide it back on its bracket.
Drain the radiator next. The radiator cap on top will need to be taken off to drain the radiator. You can remove it first, and then get a gushing flow once you loosen the drain plug on the bottom; or you can first remove the drain plug on the bottom with a dribble, and then remove the radiator cap on top for the gushing flow. You really don't want your face down there on the bottom when the flood occurs, so I recommend positioning your collection container just behind the radiator drain plug, unscrewing the drain plug, and then getting up and removing the radiator cap. Here's a pic of the white plastic drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. It just unscrews.
Once the flow becomes a slow drip, you can screw the drain plug back in. When screwing it back in, it will simply stop turning all of the sudden, and that's it. Don't try to tighten further once it stops. Dispose of the drained coolant properly...whatever that is for coolant.
Now you're ready for the dreaded engine block drain plug. It's located on the back of the engine block, close to the firewall on the passenger side. This is actually on the side of the front-wheel drive, sideways mounted engine, but whatever. Assuming you have your front right wheel off, you can lay on the ground under the wheel, look up between the front axle/cv joint and the sway bar, and see the drain plug on the engine block. You will definitely need a flashlight. The proper support point for a jack stand is on the frame, underneath the front passenger door hinge. Here's a pic of the drain plug. It looks like a brass nipple.
As you can see, you will have to stick your hand and arm between the cv joint boot and part of the oil pump (sending unit?). Yeah, it's a tight squeeze. The smaller nut, near the tip of the nipple, is the one that has to be loosened.
Now comes the tricky part. What I found to work best was a flat 12mm wrench with a ratchet built into it. Slide it over the nut and let it hang. Then, get a length of clear vinyl tubing or rubber hose, and slip it over the nipple without disturbing the wrench hanging there. I used about 3 or 4 feet of 1/4" inner diameter (ID) clear vinyl tubing - easily obtained at Home Depot. You will want to snake the tube in from another opening rather than the same opening that your hand and arm will go through. If you reach through the opening with the tube and your hand, when you pull your hand out, you may accidentally pull the tube off the nipple. I stuck the tube up between the exhaust downpipe and the subframe, then reached through my hand/arm opening and grabbed the tube. You pretty much have to do this part totally by feel since you can't see past your arm into the darkness. Get in touch with your zen for this part as you feel around for the nipple, hose in-hand. Wait...that sounds like something else I know. Anyway, the 1/4" diameter tube slips over the nipple nice and snug. Here's a pic of the tubing over the nipple, and a 12mm wrench hanging on the nut.
Now loosen the nut with the wrench. You did put the wrench on to loosen, not tighten...right? Once it breaks free, you can easily loosen the nut further by hand, but be careful to not tug on the tube! Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. You should have the other end of the tube in your collection container, and if all goes well, you should see this.
As with draining the radiator, you will need to have the radiator cap off in order to get a good flow.
Once the flow has stopped and the tube is clear (give it a few minutes), you can remove the tube from the nipple and tighten the drain plug nut. Tighten the nipple nut (don't be a sicko) by hand first, then put your wrench on for final tightening. This nut will bottom-out when tight, so don't over do it once it bottoms out.
Dispose of this coolant, then you are ready to refill the system, OR continue with your timing belt/water pump job. Coolant capacity is about 6 qts, or one-and-a-half gallons, so you'll basically need to have two gallons of Honda coolant on-hand. Once you have replaced your water pump, or are otherwise ready to refill the system, fill the radiator up to the base of the fill neck, and also fill the reservoir tank about half-way. When re-filling the radiator, stop a few times along the way and squeeze the big radiator hoses to get as much air out as possible.
After cranking the car, check for leaks. And after coming up to temperature (i.e., the thermostat opens), and then sufficient cool down after engine shut-off, check to see if you need to top-off the radiator. I didn't need to top mine off. It seemed to take the entire 6 qts during the initial re-fill.
I hope this helps someone save a few bucks of labor!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
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while acura says the oe coolant can make it to 7/105,,and any changes after that done at 5 years
I did mine at 70kmiles just to be safe
the additives in coolant go bad and the stuff turns acidic in an aluminum environment
,,,anyone remember science class?
= destroyed
I did mine at 70kmiles just to be safe
the additives in coolant go bad and the stuff turns acidic in an aluminum environment
,,,anyone remember science class?
= destroyed
Team Owner
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my 01 book calls for a complex burping procedure with different rpm holds
and waiting for fan to cycle a few times.,,cap removed,partially on,,etc.etc.
when its cooled overnight, ck level in rad is at the filler neck, and the res is at MAX,,not halfway
put it where it belongs for proper transfer of fluid as needed with engine
That res bottle isnt just extra storage per se: it is an active part of the heat expansion/cooling that the engine undergoes with every start and shutdown
Make sure the rubber hose inside res cap is firmly attached, it likes to fall off and no transfer occurs = bad news
Inspect radiator cap,,they are several years old now and $10 replacement is pretty cheap insurance to making the system operate at 100%
a weak pressure cap affects the entire system
great write up jdj!
and waiting for fan to cycle a few times.,,cap removed,partially on,,etc.etc.
when its cooled overnight, ck level in rad is at the filler neck, and the res is at MAX,,not halfway
put it where it belongs for proper transfer of fluid as needed with engine
That res bottle isnt just extra storage per se: it is an active part of the heat expansion/cooling that the engine undergoes with every start and shutdown
Make sure the rubber hose inside res cap is firmly attached, it likes to fall off and no transfer occurs = bad news
Inspect radiator cap,,they are several years old now and $10 replacement is pretty cheap insurance to making the system operate at 100%
a weak pressure cap affects the entire system
great write up jdj!
Last edited by 01tl4tl; Oct 12, 2010 at 11:06 AM.
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ck for your local free hazmat disposal center- they take paint- oil- coolant- pesticides etc
Oil: you can take to the parts store or oil change place- by law they have to accept it--reasonable amounts such as 2 oil changes worth,,not 20 gallons!
the hazmat center is for that much
good reason to get rid of all that old dangerous wood stripping stuff on the workbench, and the coolant! another hazmat visit!!
mine also gives out free oil drain pans,,swap out my filled one for a fresh new clean one--nice!
Oil: you can take to the parts store or oil change place- by law they have to accept it--reasonable amounts such as 2 oil changes worth,,not 20 gallons!
the hazmat center is for that much
good reason to get rid of all that old dangerous wood stripping stuff on the workbench, and the coolant! another hazmat visit!!
mine also gives out free oil drain pans,,swap out my filled one for a fresh new clean one--nice!
Thread Starter
2003 TL-S w/Navi NBP
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 715
Likes: 10
From: Nashville, TN
Thanks for the comments, guys. Yeah, I may have oversimplified the refill/burping process. The service manual does say to run the car with the rad cap loose for two rad fan cycles initially.
When I mentioned filling the reservoir bottle half-way, iirc, the 'max' line is about half-way up the bottle, so that was my thinking. It's hard to see those markings the way they have that bottle shoved in there, but half-way is about right.
When I mentioned filling the reservoir bottle half-way, iirc, the 'max' line is about half-way up the bottle, so that was my thinking. It's hard to see those markings the way they have that bottle shoved in there, but half-way is about right.
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Intermediate
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I couldn't get the engine drain bolt off so their is still some water in their, so I filled the rad with coolant type 2. I forgot to leave the temp after filling the rad. I drove the car already. CAN I JUST TURN KEY ON 2 AND RUN TEMP TO 90 WILL THAT MIX THE COOLANT AND ENGINE BLOCK WATER? IS IT OKAY TO HAVE A LITTLE WATER MIX WITH THE COOLANT. Please help!!!! Is their any other way to remove the engine drain bolt? Should I redo the coolant flush? Thanks
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dont sweat it--just make sure its fully burped now and top off the rad- fill res to max when cold
Few people or techs actually get the block drain out~
unless you live where its minus 30f overnight,,anything close to 50/50 is ok
Few people or techs actually get the block drain out~
unless you live where its minus 30f overnight,,anything close to 50/50 is ok
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Team Owner
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you need to turn the engine on and get to temp, open heater fully by setting temp to max
that will add its contents to the main system
Often air gets trapped back there, thats a main reason to have it open while filling and burping
burping the TL is critical- its different than most cars- wanting you to cycle thru the fan a few times and some 1500-2000 rpm circulation to help get that needed heat for the fan to operate~
running with cap partially on and refilling- then capping and run--
re check next day after fully cool
might pull a little from the res, make sure its back to full cold/max
and very important-critical actually- is the rubber hose inside the res cap
If its not on tight, has damage anywhere allowing leak or falls off, no transfer occurs!!
that will add its contents to the main system
Often air gets trapped back there, thats a main reason to have it open while filling and burping
burping the TL is critical- its different than most cars- wanting you to cycle thru the fan a few times and some 1500-2000 rpm circulation to help get that needed heat for the fan to operate~
running with cap partially on and refilling- then capping and run--
re check next day after fully cool
might pull a little from the res, make sure its back to full cold/max
and very important-critical actually- is the rubber hose inside the res cap
If its not on tight, has damage anywhere allowing leak or falls off, no transfer occurs!!
Racer
Joined: Nov 2009
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you need to turn the engine on and get to temp, open heater fully by setting temp to max
that will add its contents to the main system
Often air gets trapped back there, thats a main reason to have it open while filling and burping
burping the TL is critical- its different than most cars- wanting you to cycle thru the fan a few times and some 1500-2000 rpm circulation to help get that needed heat for the fan to operate
that will add its contents to the main system
Often air gets trapped back there, thats a main reason to have it open while filling and burping
burping the TL is critical- its different than most cars- wanting you to cycle thru the fan a few times and some 1500-2000 rpm circulation to help get that needed heat for the fan to operate
Last edited by rcb2000; Dec 13, 2010 at 08:44 AM.
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rcb read your owner book for a detailed method of burping
As a tech for about 3-4 decades, I have seen a couple of cars needing coolant refill and burp
Most will self burp just running with cap off, heater on full
The TL book calls for running at higher rpm until fan comes on and off, twice-
then some time at idle, some more fan cycles ....
I dont know why, but thats what the book calls for- so I follow it
As a tech for about 3-4 decades, I have seen a couple of cars needing coolant refill and burp
Most will self burp just running with cap off, heater on full
The TL book calls for running at higher rpm until fan comes on and off, twice-
then some time at idle, some more fan cycles ....
I dont know why, but thats what the book calls for- so I follow it
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From: Baja, México.
Well then you didnt do it Properly... What I noticed is that if you do the Change Only on the Radiator the New Coolant will mix with the Old Coolant (AND WHAT IS LEFT ON THE ENGINE IS ALOT) Soo its Pointless unless you re-do it Now and this time do the Engine Block as well...
Like the OP said its a PITA to get to the Block drain bolt just be patient.
Also remember to put your Heater at Max HOT (Like the OP Said) before doing the Block (This will drain the Heater Core AF from the Block Drain Bolt).
Excellent DIY and Very Clear, My 2c.
Like the OP said its a PITA to get to the Block drain bolt just be patient.
Also remember to put your Heater at Max HOT (Like the OP Said) before doing the Block (This will drain the Heater Core AF from the Block Drain Bolt).
Excellent DIY and Very Clear, My 2c.
Last edited by Skirmich; Jul 21, 2011 at 07:05 PM.
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Well then you didnt do it Properly... What I noticed is that if you do the Change Only on the Radiator the New Coolant will mix with the Old Coolant (AND WHAT IS LEFT ON THE ENGINE IS ALOT) Soo its Pointless unless you re-do it Now and this time do the Engine Block as well...
Like the OP said its a PITA to get to the Block drain bolt just be patient.
Also remember to put your Heater at Max HOT (Like the OP Said) before doing the Block (This will drain the Heater Core AF from the Block Drain Bolt).
Excellent DIY and Very Clear, My 2c.
Like the OP said its a PITA to get to the Block drain bolt just be patient.
Also remember to put your Heater at Max HOT (Like the OP Said) before doing the Block (This will drain the Heater Core AF from the Block Drain Bolt).
Excellent DIY and Very Clear, My 2c.
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on the back label will be a list of `approved for` car brands
if Acura is listed- its fine to use,,thats many brands
I run aftermarket coolant and change every 4 years to be overly safe
~5 years and its additives turn acidic--in an aluminum environment = bad news a comin!
new rad cap never hurt at this age of the car
if Acura is listed- its fine to use,,thats many brands
I run aftermarket coolant and change every 4 years to be overly safe
~5 years and its additives turn acidic--in an aluminum environment = bad news a comin!
new rad cap never hurt at this age of the car
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some years have a bolt in the block drain, others have a `butterfly` similar to the radiator drain
those you can attach a hose to and drain into a catch can
otherwise be prepared for some splashing spillage
those you can attach a hose to and drain into a catch can
otherwise be prepared for some splashing spillage
i just did my coolant flush thanks to this thread. i wasnt able to stick a hose on the lil nipple and got annoyed and just opened the bolt and let coolant splash everywhere with a pan underneath. surprisingly i didnt make too much of a mess
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you ck the coolant level at 2 places
the res bottle should be at full cold mark- about halfway up bottle
make sure the rubber hose inside res cap is firmly attached to cap or system wont work!
also ck - when cold of course- remove radiator cap - level should be at the neck, so when cap is installed it takes up the remaining space..
reminder when draining or filling system: heater must be set to full HOT so its valve is open to allow fluid passsage,,heater is a mini radiator in the main system
the res bottle should be at full cold mark- about halfway up bottle
make sure the rubber hose inside res cap is firmly attached to cap or system wont work!
also ck - when cold of course- remove radiator cap - level should be at the neck, so when cap is installed it takes up the remaining space..
reminder when draining or filling system: heater must be set to full HOT so its valve is open to allow fluid passsage,,heater is a mini radiator in the main system
Pro
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i just checked my coolant level and it's about 1-2 inch above the low mark and way below full mark and car was cold. so i need to add some coolant in the res bottle right? also i have this same coolant that's shown in this link http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...51*&lang=en-US
can i use this?
can i use this?
Last edited by thewrangler99; Aug 9, 2011 at 07:15 PM.
Pro
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no, res bottle coolant level is way too low from full mark when sitting cold.
the label behind it says the following:
Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant with deionized water.
the label behind it says the following:
Chevron Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant
is a
superior quality, single phase, ethylene glycol based
product blended with a quality additive package. It is a
low silicate, all-purpose coolant designed for use in
both heavy-duty diesel and automotive engines,
particularly those containing aluminum alloys. Chevron
Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant is free of nitrites and
amines.
Chevron Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant provides antifoam
properties, and rust and corrosion protection for
aluminum, brass, copper, solder, steel and cast iron. It
mixes readily with any clean tap water and is
compatible with cooling system filters and
supplemental additives.
superior quality, single phase, ethylene glycol based
product blended with a quality additive package. It is a
low silicate, all-purpose coolant designed for use in
both heavy-duty diesel and automotive engines,
particularly those containing aluminum alloys. Chevron
Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant is free of nitrites and
amines.
Chevron Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant provides antifoam
properties, and rust and corrosion protection for
aluminum, brass, copper, solder, steel and cast iron. It
mixes readily with any clean tap water and is
compatible with cooling system filters and
supplemental additives.
Chevron Supreme Prediluted 50/50
Antifreeze/Coolant
Antifreeze/Coolant
is a 50/50 mixture of Chevron
Supreme Antifreeze/Coolant with deionized water.
Last edited by thewrangler99; Aug 9, 2011 at 09:01 PM.
Pro
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just checked the owners manual and it says 50/50 antifreeze and water based coolant. it has to be non-silicate. so i guess i had to buy different one. my dad added this coolant last year but not in excessive amount. do u think it will harm anything with small amount?
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thats fine if you like paying for water!
get the wrong stuff out now!! make sure to drain the engine block
and I would run a tap water flush thru rad too
the wrong stuff is the wrong stuff!
the res bottle level is fine,,when HOT its going to get full as fluid is pushed out of engine after shutdown
If it was full level when cold there would be no room in res--and coolant would go overboard!!
defeating the entire purpose of the system
get the wrong stuff out now!! make sure to drain the engine block
and I would run a tap water flush thru rad too
the wrong stuff is the wrong stuff!
the res bottle level is fine,,when HOT its going to get full as fluid is pushed out of engine after shutdown
If it was full level when cold there would be no room in res--and coolant would go overboard!!
defeating the entire purpose of the system