Replacing the coolant

Start by opening the hood

Locate the coolant reservoir using the yellow pictogram indicating an exclamation point, thermometer or hands

Unscrew the cap of the jar to release the pressure from the circuit and close it again.

Place a basin under the radiator

Draining is done through the radiator, you will probably find a simple cap to unscrew or as in our case, a hose to remove

Pinch the hose clamp with a multi-grip pliers

and pull the collar back

Tip for unblocking a hose stuck to the connector: turn the hose on itself before pulling on it.

Hold the basin under the hose and pull on it to remove it

Allow the coolant to drain into the basin

Wear gloves to limit skin contact

Tip: Open the jar then pinch a water hose to evacuate as much of the liquid remaining in the circuit as possible.

Clean the hose location

Push the radiator hose in by hand

Tighten the hose clamp with the multi-grip pliers and move the necklace forward

Release the clamp to tighten the hose with the collar

The coolant is universal but there are winter or "long life" ranges. such as this one offered by Aisin, ranging from -37°c to 129°c and a lifespan of 250,000km or 5 years

You will find the required amount of fluid in your vehicle's maintenance manual. However, allow 0.5l extra for bleeding.

Notre catalogue de liquide de refroidissement

Fill the jar to above the max level in order to have enough liquid during the purge, the level will go back down

The jar must never be empty during bleeding, otherwise air will re-enter the circuit.

The vehicle here requires more than 7l of coolant, we first pour 4.5l

Place a cloth so as not to get liquid everywhere

Open the bleeder at the top of the cooling circuit

Leave the bleeder open until the liquid comes out in a continuous jet for a few seconds while monitoring that the liquid level does not drop too far below the maximum.

On some models, the bleeder head opens with an Allen key or other, does not necessarily require removing it completely

Close the bleeder cap

Remove the cloth

The level dropped to the max level during the purge, readjust if necessary

Start the vehicle engine

Raise the heating temperature to maximum in the passenger compartment without the air conditioning and activating air recirculation if the vehicle is equipped with it

Turn off the ventilation or set it to minimum

Some vehicles are equipped with a heating circuit bypass system, which opens more or less depending on the temperature required in the passenger compartment, which is why it is important to open this circuit as much as possible to promote the circulation of the liquid.

Allow the engine to warm up, taking care to maintain the level in the coolant reservoir.

Splashes may come out of the jar, due to air bubbles escaping from the circuit. Be careful not to close the cap before having completely expelled the air from the circuit

Allow the vehicle to warm up to 90°C, the temperature at which the engine fan should start.

Once the fan has stopped, turn off the engine

Close the jar

Let the engine cool for about 4 hours and top up the reservoir if necessary, between the Mini and Maxi

If the level is slightly above the max, it will level itself