If you are an older of an older Jeep you probably know already that they need a good amount of maintenance.
One of the maintenance items commonly missed is draining and replacing the coolant in the radiator but it is very important.
A clean radiator will keep your vehicle running cool and smoothly for many years and help you avoid the many problems that overheating can cause.
Read on as I discuss flushing a Jeep radiator.
The first step is to let your vehicle cool down completely.
It is dangerous to work on a hot, pressurized cooling system.
After the Jeep has cooled down you will drain the radiator by placing a large container under the radiator petcock.
Twist the plastic tab to open it being careful not to damage the tab.
After you have drained the radiator you can drain the coolant from the block by placing your drain pan under the drain plug on the drivers side rear portion of the engine block.
Take the used coolant and place it in a sealed container and put it out of the way of children and pets.
After you finish working on your jeep be sure to take it to a safe place to properly dispose of the used fluid according to local regulations.
Now replace the engine drain plug and tighten the petcock.
Add a 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water.
Distilled water is important because it will not have coolant passage clogging minerals in it.
Leaving the radiator cap off of the Jeep start it and allow it to reach operating temperature.
As it does so the radiator water level will drop as the system bleeds the air out.
Once you are done, turn off the vehicle and put the radiator cap back on.
Once it has cooled you can top off the overflow reservoir and you are done.
As you can see, there is not much to this.
Any backyard mechanic can change the coolant of their vehicle.
Just be sure to take your time, be careful and dispose of used fluid safely.
Remember antifreeze is toxic to children and pets so be careful.
One of the maintenance items commonly missed is draining and replacing the coolant in the radiator but it is very important.
A clean radiator will keep your vehicle running cool and smoothly for many years and help you avoid the many problems that overheating can cause.
Read on as I discuss flushing a Jeep radiator.
The first step is to let your vehicle cool down completely.
It is dangerous to work on a hot, pressurized cooling system.
After the Jeep has cooled down you will drain the radiator by placing a large container under the radiator petcock.
Twist the plastic tab to open it being careful not to damage the tab.
After you have drained the radiator you can drain the coolant from the block by placing your drain pan under the drain plug on the drivers side rear portion of the engine block.
Take the used coolant and place it in a sealed container and put it out of the way of children and pets.
After you finish working on your jeep be sure to take it to a safe place to properly dispose of the used fluid according to local regulations.
Now replace the engine drain plug and tighten the petcock.
Add a 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water.
Distilled water is important because it will not have coolant passage clogging minerals in it.
Leaving the radiator cap off of the Jeep start it and allow it to reach operating temperature.
As it does so the radiator water level will drop as the system bleeds the air out.
Once you are done, turn off the vehicle and put the radiator cap back on.
Once it has cooled you can top off the overflow reservoir and you are done.
As you can see, there is not much to this.
Any backyard mechanic can change the coolant of their vehicle.
Just be sure to take your time, be careful and dispose of used fluid safely.
Remember antifreeze is toxic to children and pets so be careful.