Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!
Most of this was simply following the Honda service manual
Aim: Refill/bleed the coolant for the cooling system
Required:
- 12mm socket / spanner
- 19mm (I think it was) socket.
- Approx 4-5L of coolant (you can buy it premixed from Honda. Approx $32 for 4L)
- Something to collect the old coolant with (I used my oil pan)
Steps:
Make sure the engine has cooled down before attempting this as opening the radiator with HOT coolant can/will cause serious injury!
One way to check is to squeeze the top radiator hose. If it is firm, the coolant is still under pressure and hot! (pic below)
1. Start the car and move the heater temprature to the HOTTEST setting. After this, stop the car.
2. Remove the radiator cap.
3. Loosen the drain bolt at the bottom of the radiator (you don't have to take it out completely, just enough so the coolant starts draining). I didn't jack up the car so couldn't take a decent pic. But its basically like this:
4. Take out the engine drain bolt and let the coolant drain out completely.
5. Take the cap off the coolant overflow reservoire and pull it straight up to take it out. Empty its contents and put it back into its holder. Put the cap back on.
6. Once all the coolant has finished draining tighten the radiator drain plug fully.
7. Apply liquid gasket (optional) to the engine drain bolt and tighten it back up.
8. Pour the pre-mixed coolant (if it is not premixed, then make sure it is a 50-50 coolant/distilled water mixture) into the radiator via the radiator cap opening upto the filler neck.
9. Loosen the bleed bolt (12mm) at the top of the uppermost radiator hose until there are no airbubbles coming out and just a steady stream of coolant. When you tighten it back up again, make sure you don't over tighten it (9.8Nm is fine). The pic below is for a DOHC-non VTEC engine and is located behind/underneath the dizzy. For SOHC engines it is located on top of the radiator hose at the front of the engine above where the engine number is stamped.
10. Refill the radiator to the base of the filler neck.
11. Put the radiator cap back on up to the first click only.
12. Start the engine and let it run till it has warmed up fully (IE make sure the radiator fan comes on at least twice).
13. Turn the engine off, check the level in the radiator and add coolant if necessary.
14. Fill the overflow reservoire to the MAX mark and put the cap back on.
15. Wash off any spilt coolant with some clean water.
ALL DONE and hopefully I haven't missed anything!
Other comments
Just as a comparison.......the pic below shows the old coolant and the bit of coolant in the cap is the new coolant. Notice the difference?
And thanks to ECU-MAN and the trusty service manual
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Originally Posted by wynode
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