Drying the cooling system
Warning: Wait for the engine to cool down before starting this procedure. Do not allow antifreeze to come into contact with the skin and painted surfaces of the bodywork. In case of contact, rinse immediately with plenty of water. Never leave drained liquid in an open container. Small children and animals may be attracted to the sweet smell of the liquid, and if the liquid enters the body, it can be fatal.
1. Before draining, unscrew and remove the expansion tank cap. If the engine is not yet completely cool, cover the cap with a thick cloth to avoid scalding and slowly unscrew the cap to relieve pressure (usually a whistling sound is heard).
2. If necessary, remove the protective casing of the power unit from under the car. Place a bowl under the lower radiator hose. Loosen the lower hose clamp, pull it off the radiator fitting and allow the fluid to drain into a basin. If the hose has not been removed for a long time, stir it with rotational movements on the radiator pipe - do not apply excessive force so as not to damage the radiator. The radiator is equipped with a drain plug, but access to it is possible only after removing the front bumper.
3. If necessary, remove the drain plug under the water pump. Remove the old plug seal and replace with a new one.
4. If the coolant is not drained for the purpose of replacing it with fresh and clean, it can be used again. Manufacturers recommend changing the fluid every two years.
5. Attach the radiator hose to the bottom fitting and replace the drain plug (with new seal) under the water pump, tighten it to the specified torque.
Flushing the system
6. If the timely replacement of the liquid was neglected, or its density was lost. or it becomes cloudy, the efficiency of the cooling system is reduced, as the channels of the system become clogged with rust and other harmful deposits. The efficiency of the cooling system can be restored by flushing.
7. The radiator is washed separately from the system so as not to clog its thin channels with dirt washed out of the engine cooling jacket. (Do the same with the heater core).
Flushing the radiator
8. To flush the radiator, disconnect its upper and lower hoses as described in chapter 3.
9. Insert a garden watering hose into the top radiator hose. Direct a jet of clean water into the radiator and flush it until then. until a stream of clean water flows from the lower nozzle.
10. If, after a reasonable period of time, the water does not brighten, you will have to use a detergent additive, which is sold in many car dealerships. Carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions when mounting. If the radiator is fairly dirty, remove it and insert a watering hose into the lower connection to flush the radiator in the opposite direction.
Engine flush
11. To flush the engine, first remove the thermostat as described in chapter 3. Temporarily install the thermostat cover.
12. After disconnecting both hoses from the radiator, insert the watering hose into the upper radiator hose and flush the engine with a stream of water until clean water exits the lower hose.
13. After flushing, install the thermostat as described in chapter 3 and connect the hoses to the radiator.
Filling the cooling system
14. Before adding fluid to the system, make sure that all hoses and clamps are in good condition, clamps are securely tightened. A mixture of antifreeze and water should be used as a coolant all year round to avoid corrosion of engine components (see next paragraph).
15. Loosen the clamp and slide the heater hose on the engine shield fitting until a bleed hole appears; do not remove the hose completely.
16. Turn away screws of fastening and remove an expansion tank from an engine compartment. Raise the reservoir about 10 cm above the engine and support it with a block of wood or tie it to the hood.
17. Having turned away, remove a cover of a broad tank. Slowly fill the system with liquid without creating bubbles.
18. If the fluid is being replaced, fill in a couple of liters of water, the prescribed amount of antifreeze and then the remaining water.
19. Fill with fluid until it flows out of the bleed hole in the fitting on the motor shield. As soon as the liquid flows from there, pull the hose over the fitting and tighten the clamp.
20. As soon as the level in the expansion tank begins to rise, squeeze the upper and lower radiator hoses several times to help release air locks. Add fluid to the MAX mark, screw on the reservoir cap and secure it in place.
21. Start the engine (not exceeding 1500 min-1) let it warm up for three minutes. Let the engine idle until the lower radiator hose is hot.
22. Check for leaks, especially around disturbed components. Check the fluid level in the expansion tank and top up if necessary. Please note that the engine must be cold when checking the level. If you open the expansion tank cap on a hot engine, cover it with a thick rag, turn it off slowly to relieve pressure (whistling is usually heard). Wait until the pressure is completely relieved, only then unscrew the plug completely. Never unscrew the plug immediately on a hot engine.
Mixing antifreeze
Warning: models produced before June 1996 were filled with antifreeze, VAG catalog number G011ABC (green color). Models manufactured after July 1996 are filled with antifreeze, catalog number VAG G012ABD (Red). DO NOT MIX these antifreezes in any proportion - you can seriously damage your engine. If the antifreeze in the expansion tank is brown, then the system is filled with (topped up) antifreeze of the wrong type. If you are not convinced that the type of antifreeze filled in is known to you, or there is a suspicion that foreign antifreeze has entered the system, the best way out is to drain it, and flush the system and fill it with the prescribed type of antifreeze.
23. Antifreeze should always be changed at the prescribed change intervals. This is necessary not only in terms of maintaining the antifreeze properties of the fluid, but also because over time, anti-corrosion additives lose their properties and a fluid change is required to prevent engine corrosion.
24. Always use ethylene glycol based antifreeze, which is most suitable for multi-metal systems. The percentage composition of the mixture of antifreeze and water and the level of freezing are given in Specifications.
25. Before adding antifreeze, the cooling system must be drained, flushed if possible, check the condition of all hoses.
26. After filling with coolant, a tag must be attached to the expansion tank, in which the concentration of antifreeze and the date of filling should be indicated. All subsequent top-ups must be done with the same brand and concentration of antifreeze.
27. Do not use antifreeze in the washer system, as it may damage the body paintwork. Other fluids are provided for filling the washer system.
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