I will be having my coolant system flushed in Spring, but have friends who says you can simply do it at home as long as you have a water hose and water. Simply remove the rad cap ( obviously when the engine is cold ).. open up T-stat hose... and plug the hose in the rad and run the water for a couple of minutes, and do the same on the thermostat side ( into the engine block ). Start the car for a few seconds to let the pump push the water out.. reconnect all the hoses.. add antifreeze... allow the air bubble to come out.. top up fluid.. and that'* it.

Is that the way to do it ? Or should I have to take it into a shop to have the cooling system flushed

You're a tree-hugger. Do it the environmentally conscious way....take it in.

BTW, you notice that little screw on the top of the T-stat housing? It'* for bleeding air from the system.

I don't know about Dexcool, but the green stuff is usually disposed of by dumping it into the sewer. The stuff is degradable in municipal sewage treatment centers and really not so bad for the environment. At home you can flush it down the toilet. I know that some brands actually suggest that you dispose of it that way. Dexcool, I don't know.

In any case, throw in a bottle of Water Wetter while you have the system open. IMHO, it is a miracle for cooling systems. No, I don't work for RedLine, etc...

Wes

Um, sewer != toilet. Around here (and I think on the Prestone bottle as well), they recommend pouring it into the toilet so it'll go through the waste treatment process, but _not_ pouring into the sewer, which basically just gets handled as stormwater runoff and may wind up in a lake somewhere.

-- Andy

Take it in and have it done no matter if it is Dex cool or regular. The new Rad Flush machines they have do 10 times better then any home made system.

We had a vacum opperated one at my shop that sucks the coolant out at nearly twice atmospheric pressure. The machine could even pull clogs out of the system.

Until they figure out a way to pipe used coolant to France, I'll just keep flushing mine down the toilet. Which, when you think about it, is about the same as sending it to France. Cheese-eating surrender monkies... But I digress.

In any case, its just one more thing I can do at home. The only times my cars have been the victims of major fix-it screw-ups it has been done by a professional mechanic...

Wes

HERE! HERE! You got my vote!
It'* glad to see another do-it-yourselfer around here!

How would I know which shop is equipped with this machine ?? Is there a specific name or procedure for this machine that I can refer to when speaking to the shop ?? Just curious.. as so I can price it out and find out if it'* worth paying or put on the overall in become a grease monkey

Just ask if the shop has a Coolant Flush Machine that recyles the coolant!

Thanx Demi-god... we're not worthy...