I have done hours of research on this but I have been told different things and thought coming here for conclusive advice would do the trick.

I have a 2.3 2011 auto xlt. I want to do a coolant flush.

I have been told that when you drain the radiator from the petcock you only get 50% of the coolant out of there. My coolant color is fine and the ph levels are good. However, I thought doing a flush would be good just for the heck of it. I already bought 3 gallons of 50/50 coolant.

I want to flush the system and add new coolant but I would like to get all the old coolant out and I also do not want to mess up the ratio of the coolant I add by have water stuck in the engine block mix with the new coolant. I know this is basic stuff but would appreciate some insights.

Thank you!

 

Drain the radiator then fill it with water. You being in FL don't use well water. Go to Publix and get a few gallons a the cheapest water they have. Run the engine making sure you burp the system. Take it for a long drive.
Let the engine cool down and drain the rad again. Repeat again should get it flushed. If your doing all this, a stat replacement will be ideal.

 

Thank you for the reply. However, when I go to add the coolant won't there still be water in the system since a drain from the petcock will not remove all of the flushing water? I wish to avoid disrupting the coolant ratio by having more water in the system. I want to avoid adding 50/50 coolant to a system with water in it.

 

Correct. Don't use 50/50 mix. Get straight coolant. You will have half of the water in the engine and heater core. Fill the rad and your overflow with coolant.

 

i hear yeah. Unfortunately I already bought three bottles of the 50/50. Can I just keep adding and draining and adding the coolant until the ratio gets closer to 50/50? I am also in Florida so maybe a little higher water content wouldn't be so bad?

 

Cold engine
Remove lower radiator hose, it will be messy
Also the smaller hose on thermostat housing

Remove BOTH heater hoses at the firewall
Use another smaller hose or one of the heater hoses(disconnect both ends), to BLOW OUT heater core, use lungs not air compressor

Reattach all hoses
Refill with distilled water and a Coolant Flush of your choice
Leave one Heater hose OFF during refill until fluid starts to come out the hose AND heater cores open port
Then reattach the hose, air is out of engine and rad is full
Run engine as recommended by Flush instructions

After engine is cool again
Repeat but refill with 50/50 coolant
OR
Refill with distilled water warm up engine then drain when cool again and THEN refill with 50/50

 

Three bottles???? Are you saying you bought Three (3) one gallon jugs of antifreeze???? Return it and get One (1) gallon of straight coolant. You will never get the mix right no matter what people say. You would have to have no fluid in the engine, heater core and rad to get the mix right.

 

Since the manual called for 10.2 quarts I went ahead and bought the three bottles.