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View Full Version : Learned Coolant Change Trick



DBMaster
10-26-2002, 08:21 AM
I have a 1999 Isuzu Oasis which is actually a 1998 Odyssey with an Isuzu badge. It has the same 2.3L VTEC engine used in the Accords of that year. Even with the shop manual I could not find the coolant drain plug in the block. Since you don't get much coolant out of that anyway, I decided not to mess with it.

My usual procedure is:

1. Drain the old coolant.
2. Fill the system back up with demineralized water (R/O)
3. Bleed system and run engine until warm.
4. Drain again.
5. Refill, bleed, run, and top off when the engine cools down.

Since I was using a different color coolant I just kept refilling and left the bleeder bolt open until all the green was gone and I only saw orange coming out. If you do this and go back to the green coolant you would just leave the bleeder open until the stuff coming out changes from colorless to light green to dark green. It took somewhere near a half gallon to do this.

This process has kept my cooling system in top shape on the Accord for 200K miles. I had a major cussing fit a few years ago when I dropped the drain plug and couldn't find it for 30 minutes. I have also found that regardless of what anyone says the orange, silicate-free (or, Long-Life) coolant is better than the green stuff, even the Honda green stuff. I run it 30,000 miles after the changeover and then 50,000 miles or more after that.

Works for me, anyway.

ACCORD EX
10-26-2002, 09:50 AM
if you read the how to's i have already made a how to using this particular method ! :D
anyway it's a very nice and easy method !

MIKE

DBMaster
10-26-2002, 10:48 AM
Oops! Sorry. Here I thought I was being original.

DBMaster
10-26-2002, 10:56 AM
Well, I checked out the how-to and it's not exactly the same process as I described, but it does use the same trick with the bleed bolt.

Either way, I personally recommend against backflushing. A radiator specialist told me this years ago. I used to do it yearly on my last car and it didn't help the cooling system or radiator one bit. He told me that it can actually force debris into small cooling passages when it may be better off staying right where it is, in the low spots.

Honestly, I don't know, but simply changing the coolant regularly WILL make a difference. I always used distilled or reverse osmosis water as recommended by my Honda dealer.

ACCORD EX
10-26-2002, 02:34 PM
i have been told that too ! but i think if you change it regulary so i don't see a problem !

anyway thanx for sharing Mike :)

MIKE

smufguy
10-27-2002, 10:46 AM
two mikes talking to themselves. hehehehehehe

DBMaster
10-27-2002, 12:05 PM
Hi, Mike, meet my imaginary friend, Mike.

ACCORD EX
10-27-2002, 12:46 PM
i got confused ! :huh:

:lol

MIKE

bigpoppa88
10-27-2002, 02:46 PM
hey mike's have you guys heard of the club "Mike's of America"? Don't have the URL but a guy a work wears his T-Shirt all the time........

ACCORD EX
10-27-2002, 11:48 PM
Mike's of America ! that's cool ! :D

MIKE