Xantia Radiator/Coolant Flush/Refill

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PicassoPigeon
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Joined: 25 Jan 2003, 23:43
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Xantia Radiator/Coolant Flush/Refill

Post by PicassoPigeon »

Is this a long job/difficult, should i need a flushing agent in the rad to aid with flushing?
Is it best to remove rad from car to flush and also clean the front side that cant be seen? I dont know the history of the coolant so this is why I am asking about flushing agents.
Should it be a 50/50 mix or higher when i refill, What is best?
Cheers, sorry to use 2 topics[:I]
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CitroJim
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Post by CitroJim »

No, easy enough Gav. It is a good idea to slip the rad and intercooler off and give both a good de-dead insecting. Also you can check the condition closely. Mine looked great from inside the engine bay but the back side was really rough, a minor leak and a lot of absent fins.
The A/C may make access to the bottom hose a bit tricky and these seem to fairly weld themselves to the rad bottom hose spigot. They can be a real struggle to get off but a bit of persistence and care will see it off in due course. I find a small blunt instrument poked in between the hose and spigot seems to work well in freeing off the hose but take care not to spear a hole through the hose though.
I use about a 40% antifreeze mix and that seems OK. I cahnge it very regularly though. Bleeding is not as tricky as it seems and I do it this way: Open the bleed valve near the injection pump on the little pipes, remove the little pipe from the top of the rad and fill through the expansion tank until coolant issues from the top of the rad from the spigot of the pipe you have removed. Reconnect this pipe and start up. Run with the rad cap off for a few minutes, keeping an eye on the bleed valve. As soon as coolant issues from the bleed valve, close it and continue running the engine, always topping up as necessary, until the thermostat opens. Pop the cap on, take it for a spin, get the fans running, crack open the bleed valve again until cloolant issues (careful now very hot!) and then switch off, allow to cool and top up if necessary. Job Done. Not the official way but it has worked for me for Pugs and Cits for a long time.
Hope that's a bit of help...
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