Replacing Water With Anti Freeze Escort

[Dash_4]

Hi all, top site, some good stuff here

My L reg Escort needs some anti freeze now its getting colder. The water is to the max mark, how do i go about draining the water out so i can put anti freeze into it? Dont want to take to a garage for something i hopefully can do myself.

 

[djheath]

Im surprised if the car doesn't have antifreeze in it already. If it didn't, the engine would be really crudded up and the radiator rusty and blocked.

If not, I would recommend completely draining the system and filling with the correct amount of water/anti freeze mix for your car. There is usually one or more drain points - usually one on the radiator bottom - or else undo and pull one of the bottom hoses of the radiator.
Reconnect up and then fill the system with the correct water/anti freeze mix. You may have some bleed screws to undo when filling to remove the air and may have to make your own header tank.

Sorry cant be more precise, I dont know these engines.

 

[Dash_4]

Will have a go. It prob has got anti freeze in, but not sure how much so want to put it in myself to know for sure

 

[pj11]

Will have a go. It prob has got anti freeze in, but not sure how much so want to put it in myself to know for sure[/quo

Hi


The easiest way to drain down the radiator, is to remove the lowest hose.
Then get a small contianer such as a milk bottle, and fill 50-50 with antifreeze and water,repeat untill headertank is full to the level.Then run the engine with the cap off for a minute or two topping up the headertank as required.Fit the cap and run the engine untill the fan cuts in.Switch off engine and allow to cool and recheck the level when cold.
HAVE THE HEATER CONTROL ON HOT WHILST CARRYING OUT THIS TASK.

 

[AndersonC]

Sorry if this is a hijack, however I have replaced the coolant/antifreeze in my escort today and suspect that there are some airlocks, Haynes reckon the system holds 7 litres, however it is showing full after about 5 1/2.

I am not aware of the bleed screws mentioned previously, so what is the best way to go about getting the air out of the thing?

 

[denbo007]

hi if its the 1st time you are doing this it might be best to undo the lowest water hose on the engine (follow from the Rad), pulling at the bottom hose on the rad could damage the rad with it being old.
if you live a good way from a car spares shop it might pay to get a couple of hose clips? as they sometimes seize.
drain the water?
re connect hose and tighten
mix freeze as instructed about 50/50
fill rad
put heater on hot
take hold of lowest rad hose and pump it also on the top hose squeeze and pump that also?
make sure there ar no items around the car engine compartment?????
start the car and run for a time until you can feel hot air from the heater.
IF STILL COLD
wait until hoses are cool enough to hold and pump again
check level of water WARNING HIGH pressure DO NOT TAKE RAD CAP OFF IF STILL HOT VERY UNPLEASANT
keep doing this until heater gets hot
when engine COLD check water level and check for leeks
hope this helps AGAIN DO NOT OPEN RAD FILLER CAP WITH ENGINE HOT
also if looking around the engine whilst it is running make sure you have no loose clothing or pull cords on hoods, oh and watch for the metal watch straps and tools near the battery??

 

[LeeJC]

Sorry if this is a hijack, however I have replaced the coolant/antifreeze in my escort today and suspect that there are some airlocks, Haynes reckon the system holds 7 litres, however it is showing full after about 5 1/2.

I am not aware of the bleed screws mentioned previously, so what is the best way to go about getting the air out of the thing?

I'm not familiar with the cooling system in an escort, but usually there is a system of bleeding air off somewhere in there. Sometimes it will be a bleed screw in the thermostat housing, sometimes the thermostat itself will have a jiggle pin (forget the tech term) which should sit at the top and allow the air to rise to the highest point, usually the expansion tank.

To bleed, ***COLD ENGINE*** put heater matrix on hot, remove expansion cap, start engine and watch expansion tank for bubbles, when you are happy no more bubbles are forthcoming, turn off engine, fit expansion cap, allow to cool and top up, and repeat until you are happy.

If you end up overfilling it this way, you will get some coolant out of the expansion tank, and glycol kills so be careful. Oh and when you run the engine it'll get hot, obviously.

My car takes 12 litres of coolant, and it's a complete swine to bleed, usually takes 3 or 4 cycles of doing that to get it properly filled.

 

[AndersonC]

Lee

Thanks a lot for this advice mate, I will try that this morning. To compound matters the bl**dy temperature dial isn't responding so it looks like there is something wrong with the thermostat (this wasn't working before I changed the coolant).

I'll let the engine cool down and get back out there in a bit.

 

[LeeJC]

No problem

Don't automatically assume the coolant temp sensor is screwed, if there is still air in the system this can cause the coolant temp to not register anything, i would have a go at making sure the system is filled correctly before writing it off.