any tips for upcoming coolant change

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shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

nisk/alan,
i will be using the antigel from cit main dealer, i'm pretty sure that this has got corrosion inhibitors, does anyone know for sure
i will be doing this job on thursday this week, will keep you all updated.
dom
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Have a read about this wonderfull NPG+ stuff, be nice if it were available here, sounds very impressive to me.
http://www.evanscooling.com/index2.html
Dave
alan s
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Post by alan s »

I know this is something that can only be seen by John, Jon, Richard & Dave, but if you look at "photos" on Citroentech, that shows a photo I took of a "slime" that I took from my header tank. That was as it was described to me from the oil company rep.
I have also found a hard film almost baked inside the radiator hoses which again was as describes as side effects of OAT so it is something to be a bit wary of I feel.
My theory is that if this skin/film is existing, it must surely have an adverse effect on heat dissipation wouldn't you think?
Alan S
Jon

Post by Jon »

<font face='Courier New'>Alan, I've seen the pics of the scum in your header tank, and that did not look good.
As I have mentioned before, the best thing that you can put in the rad is three litres of genuine Citroen antigel. Its got the corrosion inhibitors that are best for a steel block and an alloy head, and can be diluted 50/50- with tap water of all types. Fanatics like myself prefer to use spring or mineral water as my tap water has got more chalk in it than the Thames Valley , or, well, somewhere very chalky.
I am yet to replace a matrix in any of my water cooled Citroens. I change my coolant annually, including a flush using a hosepipe through the rad!
I have no axe to grind, I don't work for Citroen! But believe their Antigel is the best. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle></font id='Courier New'>
Jon Wood
IT Supervisor
GSF t/as Andyspares
Edited by - Jon on 12 Nov 2002 21:52:18
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

HELP, i'm losing my mind <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
i could have swore that i've read on a post on here that it helps when changing your coolant to have the heater control in the car turned up to full, with the engine off.
am i going mad or what <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
dom
alan s
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Post by alan s »

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
HELP, i'm losing my mind <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
i could have swore that i've read on a post on here that it helps when changing your coolant to have the heater control in the car turned up to full, with the engine off.
am i going mad or what <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
dom

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
Settle down son....you'll feel better in the morning<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
You got that right. The reason being that it totally drains the cooling system which, given some of the subjects we managed to sidetrack on here, is with good reason as it then gets all the old coolant out of the system which is a wise precaution if they are incompatible.
It is also a way to get air in the cooling system if you don't fill you header tank/coolant bottle above the level mark & then bleed the air back from there. This can happen if the highest part of the heater matrix is left above the water level during refilling.
Alan S
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

thanks to all those who gave advice on coolant change, now all done and warm air inside car in about 3mins from cold, mmmmmmmmm toaste !<img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>.
thanks again chaps
dom
Rich
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Post by Rich »

Hello Dom!
Please tell me the secret! Warm air in three minutes sounds good, my Xantia HDi seems to take forever to warm up. The only way it seems to get to normal temperature is by driving at 70mph on the A1.<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> It is just a little annoying now the weather is getting a little chilly. My Xantia has just gone two years old, and although it says five years in the handbook for a coolant change, i think i may do it anytime now, with a good flush out as well. I hope this will help to prevent heater matrix corrosion too!! I will use genuine Citroen antigel as i'm sure someone else on the forum said it is the best type.
All the best, Rich<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
P.S. Water getting under rear seats. AHHHH ****!!<img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle> If ever it stops wazzing it down i will investigate the sunroof drains! (And the grommet under the wheel arch with a hole in it.(?)
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

rich,
i don't know what the secret was<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>, althought i did have some rad flush in the system for about a week after i had done the twenty-thirty miles the bottle suguested, so that might have helped it & did flush out the system with fresh water from the header tank via the drain plug (lots of nasty bits came out) plus i did use DE-IRONINZED WATER & THE PROPER ANTIGEL.
SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COMBINATION OF ALL THE ABOVE <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>
give it a go, you never know you might get lucky.
dom
Rich
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Post by Rich »

Hello Dom,
Cheers mate!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> I will give it a go, i'm going to be busy (i have a few things to do on my dads Xantia too!!) Still, i do like working on cars so all this will keep me happy.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>
Regards, Rich.<img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Rich,
I had a CX with a lot of muck in the heater matrix that we cleared by reverse flushing. This was of course before the types of coolants/anti-corrosives we get today.
Diesels I have heard previously can tend to go a long time before the fans cut in but if the thermostat (waxstat) in the engine has jammed open, which is a common fault, that will also cause the heaters to run too cold and show symptoms such as heating after a long hard drive or when in a gridlock after a long hard run.
May be worth a try as it's a cheap & probable option.
Alan S
Rich
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Post by Rich »

Alan S,
Good point mate! Funny you should say that, as i was just thinking today that i might try a new thermostat. As you say, they are only a few pounds so it's worth a try. With the thermostat out, that helps with the flushing too! Thanks again!
Keep it Citroen! Rich<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>
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Post by kosio »

Some good advice I found here - thanks. And for what it's worth, here it is:
I changed my coolant last weekend. First went and bought 4L of Total's Antigel concentrate and 4L of destiled deionised water (ref says 8L of coolant for 1994 1.8i xantia w/ aircon).
First poored some rad cleaner in the old fluid and run the engine for half an hour.
Lifted the car on high suspension and searched for the engine release screw - couldn't find it :-(
Anyway tried to drain the system through the rad screw - did that - bleed screw open, heater on hot.
Then found an appropriate slope and positioned the car 'nose down' - some more coolant left the system :-)
The rad screw seemed to be the lowest point of the sistem so I guess that should have done it.
Run the engine for a while (some high rpm's too) to flush whatever coolant was left.
Disconnected rad, flushed with a garden hose, reconnected, filled the system w/ plain water, closed all
screws and run for a while - a rince like operation...
Emptied the system again and closed rad screw. Turned the car around - 'nose uphill' - expansion tank seemed to
be 'on top of things' :-)
Filled w/ 4L of Antigel + whatever distilled water it could take (2.5-3L - seems a 1-1.5L of plain water was
left in the system but I recon the antigel will take care of it). Closed the bleed screw when it started bleeding
in the process.
Run the engine for 30-60 minutes while watching bubbles come out of the expansion tank - some frequent high (3k-4k)
rpm's seemed to have helped - until no more bubbles where coming out.
Closed the expansion tank cap and job was done.
Heater starts almost immediately after engine on full heat - nice for winter, not much use now, but guess a good
indicator that system doesn't have air pockets.
Drove some 300kms afterwards - all seems fine.
Hope this has helped someone.
--kosio
BTW, when going under the car DO put some bricks to keep it from fallng on your head!
-k
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Post by Kowalski »

Don't use bricks, they crumble when you apply a point load to them, use axle stands or stout timbers instead.
tomsheppard
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Post by tomsheppard »

Kowalski is dead right about this.
The distilled water, having no conductivity is a poor electrolyte so I'm not sure what you were all getting at. Distilled water is perfectly safe to drink!
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