Engine Coolant Flush

Clutch

Caught the Bug
What’s the best way to flush the coolant and the get back to a 50/50 mix? My understanding is that you can only drain half at a time, so it would take about 4 flushes to be 100% water. Then how do you get back to a 50/50 mix of water and coolant since it doesn’t seem like they sell concentrated jugs of coolant.


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sipafz

Caught the Bug
What’s the best way to flush the coolant and the get back to a 50/50 mix? My understanding is that you can only drain half at a time, so it would take about 4 flushes to be 100% water. Then how do you get back to a 50/50 mix of water and coolant since it doesn’t seem like they sell concentrated jugs of coolant.


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Hmm, I’m pretty that if you flush it properly it will be at 100% water. Get a cheap flush n fill that gets spliced into the heater hose. It’s been my experience that all the water will not drain back out through the radiator petcock. Because of this I add a gallon of straight coolant the rest 50/50 and check concentration after a few days. I’m not sure what year your Jeep is as I’m writing this, but why not save yourself some grief and just use readily available coolant like Zerex G-05 (HOAT) or Zerex Dex Cool (OAT). Just my 2 cents.
 

Clutch

Caught the Bug
Hmm, I’m pretty that if you flush it properly it will be at 100% water. Get a cheap flush n fill that gets spliced into the heater hose. It’s been my experience that all the water will not drain back out through the radiator petcock. Because of this I add a gallon of straight coolant the rest 50/50 and check concentration after a few days. I’m not sure what year your Jeep is as I’m writing this, but why not save yourself some grief and just use readily available coolant like Zerex G-05 (HOAT) or Zerex Dex Cool (OAT). Just my 2 cents.

Is getting a more common coolant what most people do? My Jeep is a 2013, right on the cusp of when they switched from HOAT to OAT.


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sipafz

Caught the Bug
Is getting a more common coolant what most people do? My Jeep is a 2013, right on the cusp of when they switched from HOAT to OAT.


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I can’t speak for most people, but I recently did a flush on the wife’s 2011 Liberty and used Zerex G-05 (HOAT) as described since it had HOAT in it before. Totally separate, I’ve been adding Zerex Dex Cool as needed to my 2016 Wrangler which is OAT without any issues. FCA had created quite a web of uncertainty when it comes to coolants! Common sense says that if you flush whatever you have completely out, you can replace it with whatever you want. That being said, some last longer that others and replacing with something similar is always a good idea. My advice would be to find out exactly what you have and replace with a similar after market product. Your owners manual should designate the coolant that you currently have.
 

CalSgt

Hooked
What’s the best way to flush the coolant and the get back to a 50/50 mix? My understanding is that you can only drain half at a time, so it would take about 4 flushes to be 100% water. Then how do you get back to a 50/50 mix of water and coolant since it doesn’t seem like they sell concentrated jugs of coolant.


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Whats wrong with the coolant that's in it? Does coolant have a specific service life?

I've never even taken the cap off of the radiator in my '06 Duramax...
 
Nothings wrong with it. Service life is 10 yrs/150k miles.


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Ehhhhhhh. I’ve heard that before. Fluids are cheap insurance, there’s no reason to run them for that many miles. It’s got longer life than green Prestone for sure but that’s way more than I’d run it. Ive seen Manufacturers claim the same on trans fluid and some even say “lifetime” fluid which I also don’t believe. Not such a big deal in jeeps as they go through radiators before they’ll go through fluid. 🤣


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Spazbyt

Hooked
Nothings wrong with it. Service life is 10 yrs/150k miles.


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I just flushed my 2014 a few months ago. I think I had AOT but I never felt comfortable about the hole purple looks orange nonsense. So I flushed and replaced with universal coolant from O'Reillys. My petcock opened but not a drop would come out so I dropped the lower radiator hose to drain. Then I pulled the two heater core hoses and back flushed the heater core and the block with just a garden hose shoved into the hoses. I'll be honest, it was a shit show. When I was refilling it I couldn't get air out of the system so I had to park it up on ramps. Then I duct taped a funnel to the radiator and let it run until it wouldn't take any more coolant which took way longer then I was expecting.

Two things I will buy before I do it again.
71M8%2B46LaWL._AC_SY879_.jpg
61Kq9Gzw2wL._SL1500_.jpg
 

sipafz

Caught the Bug
I just flushed my 2014 a few months ago. I think I had AOT but I never felt comfortable about the hole purple looks orange nonsense. So I flushed and replaced with universal coolant from O'Reillys. My petcock opened but not a drop would come out so I dropped the lower radiator hose to drain. Then I pulled the two heater core hoses and back flushed the heater core and the block with just a garden hose shoved into the hoses. I'll be honest, it was a shit show. When I was refilling it I couldn't get air out of the system so I had to park it up on ramps. Then I duct taped a funnel to the radiator and let it run until it wouldn't take any more coolant which took way longer then I was expecting.

Two things I will buy before I do it again.
71M8%2B46LaWL._AC_SY879_.jpg
61Kq9Gzw2wL._SL1500_.jpg

Maybe you didn’t do this, but it’s common to only turn the petcock a quarter turn because it feels like that’s as far as it goes. It actually needs to be turned a full half turn and pops out some to open. I helped a friend who stated the same thing only to find that he didn’t turn it far enough as he was scared to break it.
 

Spazbyt

Hooked
Maybe you didn’t do this, but it’s common to only turn the petcock a quarter turn because it feels like that’s as far as it goes. It actually needs to be turned a full half turn and pops out some to open. I helped a friend who stated the same thing only to find that he didn’t turn it far enough as he was scared to break it.

That's very possible. It being made of plastic didn't instill a whole lot of confidence in me either. :crazyeyes:
 

Clutch

Caught the Bug
Ehhhhhhh. I’ve heard that before. Fluids are cheap insurance, there’s no reason to run them for that many miles. It’s got longer life than green Prestone for sure but that’s way more than I’d run it. Ive seen Manufacturers claim the same on trans fluid and some even say “lifetime” fluid which I also don’t believe. Not such a big deal in jeeps as they go through radiators before they’ll go through fluid. 🤣


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I agree with you there on the service life.

This has been an enlightening discussion.


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Maybe you didn’t do this, but it’s common to only turn the petcock a quarter turn because it feels like that’s as far as it goes. It actually needs to be turned a full half turn and pops out some to open. I helped a friend who stated the same thing only to find that he didn’t turn it far enough as he was scared to break it.

That’s a valid concern. They break easily. I always just pull the lower hose on all my vehicles now. Way faster too. Cost me over $380 to replace a rad in my old vw when I accidentally broke the Petcock, wasn’t available separate.


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