WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG?

[Justin]

I decided to renew my cars coolant system today with antifreeze. I drained the radiator this morning whilst my Volvo-340DL 1.4 1988 was still cold. I set the cars heater selector to hot on the dash and then poured 4-pints of water into the filler reservoir. I then poured 2-litres of antifreeze into the 4-pint jug I'd used to initially put the water in so that it would be easier to pour the antifreeze. I only managed to get 3-pints of antifreeze from the jug into the filler reservoir which then showed I'd reached the maximum line.

My haynes manual says that a B14's coolant system for cars up to 1989 holds 5.2-litres (9.2-pints) which means Im just under 2-pints short of what the system needs and have a pint of antifreeze left over from the 2-litres I'd bought. A friend of mine seems to think that I've got air in the system and that it will eventually work its way through allowing the fill level to drop so that I can use the remaining pint of antifreeze.

My car seems to be running ok and the temperature gauge is only a quarter of the way up on the dial. I have noticed though that my exhaust is smoking more and it's white smoke....

What have I done wrong?...

[Chris_C]

It's always possible you didn't get all the water out Justin, normally a good litre or so stays in.

I've always stuck a hosepipe through (either into the expansion tank and let it flow out the hose that is disconnected, or in where the hose is disconnected...) but I wouldn't worry about it. Currently you have 3 pints of antifreeze in with a 9 pint system, i.e. 1/3rd dilution. See what the bottle you have says that will protect you too, worst case drain some more out of the system and top it up with neat antifreeze.

1.4s are really good at self bleeding, if you had the heater on hot and leave it running till the rad fan comes on (maybe unlikely with temperatures outside) bubbles will peculate through to the expansion tank by themselves.

[Justin]

Many thanks Chris, that is most helpful. Im gonna do like you say and drain some more fluid out and then top-up with neat antifreeze. I reckon its better to have too much antifreeze than not enough?

Next time I do it I'll put the 2-litres of antifreeze in first before the water...

[Justin]

if you had the heater on hot and leave it running till the rad fan comes on (maybe unlikely with temperatures outside) bubbles will peculate through to the expansion tank by themselves.

Hey Chris, when you say have the heater on hot and leave it running do you mean the actual heater/blower or the cars engine? If you do mean the actual heater/blower then what setting as there's 3 settings?...

[bogbasic]

Hello, there's a drain plug on the front of the engine block which you need to undo when you disconnect the radiator hose to make sure all the antifreeze comes out. It should help in future. Bests, bogbasic.

[Justin]

Any chance of a picture as I wouldnt know what it looked like? My haynes manual doesnt show a picture of it either for my particular car model...

Also can you not just drain the system completely from this plug or does the bottom hose have to be disconnected aswell?

[Chris_C]

Hey Chris, when you say have the heater on hot and leave it running do you mean the actual heater/blower or the cars engine? If you do mean the actual heater/blower then what setting as there's 3 settings?...

Just the red/blue slider to red, the fan doesn't need to be running

[MCHUDD]

Hi Justin.
The thermastat will keep a lot of water in the block.
Cheers Mark.

[bogbasic]

Hello Justin, I can get you a pic tomorrow or weds. Mine is a 1988 1.4 GL so perhaps the DL is different, but I doubt it?? There is a small bolt (about 11mm head) that you unscrew on the front of the block somewhere below the water pump about half-way down, from memory... it shouldn't be too hard to find, if the DL has it! It is about the only bolt on the front of the engine that looks like its meant to be removed occassionally.

[bogbasic]

Hello again, pic below...



That's the view from above the water pump.

bests, bogbasic.

[Justin]

Thanks, am I correct in thinking that you remove it completely when draining the system and that it will release more fluid than just removing the bottom hose?

[Justin]

Just the red/blue slider to red, the fan doesn't need to be running

Does the engine need to be running and for how long?...

[bogbasic]

Hello, the only way to drain all the fluid is to remove the plug in the photo and the bottom hose on the radiator, with the heater set to hot. Engine off is the best bet if you're draining the whole system to avoid overheating it. You can run the engine at the last stage of re-filling it to bleed the new antifreeze through the heater i.e. get any airlocks out. Oh, and they always say its best to refill the engine when its cold to avoid cracking the block!!

[Chris_C]

Engine off to drain, engine running to bleed after you have refilled it.

[Justin]

Thanks everyone. It's amazing that the system self-bleeds once the cars running...