***Short Summary***
I need help finding the drain plugs for changing the coolant for my car. Mostly looking for pictures showing me where they're located.
***Longer Summary***
Hi, it's my first time changing the coolant myself. I've already bought the coolant and coolant flush for my car.
At first, I've no problem finding the radiator cap and drain plug for it... but after draining the radiator I've noticed that the fluids in the Coolant Resevoir has not dropped at all. I tried to find the bleeder plug and drain plug for that, but have no luck. (supposedly, it's somewhere on the engine block)
I've followed the Haynes manual and manual for my car but it doesn't show the exact location of plugs and I've no idea where it's located by trying to follow the close-up illustrations that looks nothing like my car (most of them are for GA engines, not for my SR20DE engine, and hard to tell if they're the overhead or under view). I also did a keyword search on the forums, but cannot find an answer to my specific question.
I just needed help, mainly for pictures that shows me where these plugs are on the engine block. Also, any tips on doing coolant changes is appreciated. Thanks!
Ok, I just found some related threads in the "SR-Series Engines (DE/VE)" section... reading over them now. The only thing is that some of the pictures doesn't show up on my browser. If anyone have some pictuer or can direct me to a site with them... yeah, still looking for those.
i'm not really sure if this is what your talking about but i think in order to drain your resevoir you have to keep the radiator cap on so it keeps some vaccum pressure, dont hold my word on that but its worth a shot.
if u wanna drain the resovoir...just disconnect it from the radiator pull it out and turn it upside down...and there should be 2 other plugs on the block.
Where ? no idea ....
But the resovoir doesnt have a plug or anything like that...
Take care....*buy redline waterwetter...is good stuff
Well, I don't think the coolant resevior has ever been changed before ... the water in there looks dark brown. I was hoping that I could clean it up by draining it. (if I ever find those drain plugs)
My alternate approach would probably be siphoning the water in the resevior through a plastic tube and drain it as if I was cleaning a fish tank. It would remove most of the old liquid in the resevior tank, but I don't know how deep the liquid runs and whether it would actually help since the antifreeze supposedly runs into the engine block.
Just bought Redline Waterwetter ... not sure whether to mix it in with the antifreeze or not. Also, do I pour that in through the Coolant Resevior, or the Radiator Cap?
you know that flush stuff you bought? return it. That stuff might clean out some gunk from your cooling system but it will tear up the water pump seal. I wouldn't be suprised if you use that and your water pump is leaking within a week. If you really cant find the block drain plugs dont worry about it. drain the radiator fill it with water run the engine till it heats up with the heater on full heat. carefully drain the radiator again (carefully so you don't burn yourself with hot water!!!!!) Repeate this process till your satisfied the coolant or water coming out is clean. Then refill your radiator with a 50% coolant/50% water mix start the car leave the radiator cap off. Let the engine warm up to operating temp with the heater no full heat still and keep filling the radiator till the engine is warm (usually 10-15 minutes) repalace radiator cap. The resivoir should just be removed from the car turned upside down and drained that way. if you have crap in it still put some water in it put the cap on and shake it then dump it out. after thats clean fill it with coolant. 50/50 or straight coolant non diluted is fine its not that important. Good luck and dont use that flush crap it made my water pump leak the day after I used it and never used that crap again.
__________________
Cop: do you have any idea of how fast you were going?
jdm ricer: i duNn0 m4nG , i haVe a JDM clust3r, y0
Cop: wtf get out of the car
you know that flush stuff you bought? return it. That stuff might clean out some gunk from your cooling system but it will tear up the water pump seal. I wouldn't be suprised if you use that and your water pump is leaking within a week. If you really cant find the block drain plugs dont worry about it. drain the radiator fill it with water run the engine till it heats up with the heater on full heat. carefully drain the radiator again (carefully so you don't burn yourself with hot water!!!!!) Repeate this process till your satisfied the coolant or water coming out is clean. Then refill your radiator with a 50% coolant/50% water mix start the car leave the radiator cap off. Let the engine warm up to operating temp with the heater no full heat still and keep filling the radiator till the engine is warm (usually 10-15 minutes) repalace radiator cap. The resivoir should just be removed from the car turned upside down and drained that way. if you have crap in it still put some water in it put the cap on and shake it then dump it out. after thats clean fill it with coolant. 50/50 or straight coolant non diluted is fine its not that important. Good luck and dont use that flush crap it made my water pump leak the day after I used it and never used that crap again.
At the end there, you said straight coolant....which is NOT RECOMMENDED and will screw your stuff up., and you said not that important....if wasnt that important, why change it to begine with.....
The best mix is 50/50 or even 30/70 water being the later.
Just use a 50/50 mix and add waterwetter to it....and your car will run smooth....but DO NOT use straight coolant.....dumbest thing i ever heard....
My plan right now is to siphon the water out from the coolant resevior, then remove the resevior and clean the insides, then reattatch it and add the antifreeze and waterwetter to it.
I'm gonna return that Radiator Flush (Preston? it's a yellow bottle) since I've already refilled the radiator with coolant/antifreeze.
I should add that the coolant I used is the prediluted 50/50 kind
At the end there, you said straight coolant....which is NOT RECOMMENDED and will screw your stuff up., and you said not that important....if wasnt that important, why change it to begine with.....
The best mix is 50/50 or even 30/70 water being the later.
Just use a 50/50 mix and add waterwetter to it....and your car will run smooth....but DO NOT use straight coolant.....dumbest thing i ever heard....
a few ounces of straight coolant in the overflow resivoir won't make a difference. What would that harm? I wasn't saying to fill the radiator/cooling system with undiluted coolant, just to clarify what I meant.
__________________
Cop: do you have any idea of how fast you were going?
jdm ricer: i duNn0 m4nG , i haVe a JDM clust3r, y0
Cop: wtf get out of the car
WTF are you doing here... You were asking for drain plugs, are you draining the entire cooling system or not?
If not then disconnect the small hose that connects the overflow to the radiator. Once that's done pull up on the resevoir as it simply pulls out. Then as suggested turn it upside down and drain it.
You CANNOT empty the colling system this way.
If you want to drain the cooling system there are two things to remove. First on is on the bottom of the radiator, it is a plastic screw that you remove, the second one is a 14 MM plug that is on the cylinder block itself behind the exhaust manifold. You SHOULD remove the radiator cap as there will be pressure left in the system anyway after the car sits, it will help to drain the system faster.
My advice is to download the FSM for your car so that you know the porper drain and fill procedures so you don't screw anything up.
coolant drain plug locations for 96 200sx se-r
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