Q. How do I flush my cooling system and install a fresh fill?
A. Using a chemical flush prior to the fresh fill of antifreeze/coolant is an effective way to remove deposits from the cooling system. Prestone® offers several flushes that are designed for everything from routine maintenance to lime or rust scale. All of these cleaners are compatible with the cooling system components of any vehicle. We recommend the following: Use Prestone® Super Flush for routine maintenance. Use Prestone® Super Radiator Cleaner to remove corrosion and lime scale. If the directions on each of these cleaners are followed correctly, the end result will be an empty radiator and mostly water in the engine block and heater core. At this point, use a mix of 50% to 70% Prestone® Antifreeze/Coolant and water. This is easily accomplished if you know the capacity of the cooling system. Example: If the owners manual of your vehicle indicates that the capacity of the cooling system is 8 quarts, then you need to install 4 quarts of pure antifreeze. Note: Once the desired amount of concentrated antifreeze/coolant has been installed, the cooling system must be topped off with water to ensure a complete fill. Prestone® products also offers a Flush N' Fill Kit for backflushing the cooling system. This kit fits some cars and most light trucks. This backflush will remove more deposits than the chemical cleaner alone. If you are able to access the inlet heater hose on your vehicle, we recommend that you use one of the cleaners and then backflush the system.

........ As I got a ways down the road, I noticed that the car was still putting out cold air, yet the engine temp was at 200 ........

I noticed the temp guage climb dramatically, to almost into the red zone ........ as I gave it some gas ........ the air coming out of the car became warm, and the engine temp went down ........

........ right after it warmed up, it instantly went back to where it was before I hit the gas ........

........ I checked the coolant level, and it was almost empty, so I filled it, drove to the end of the street and back, and it was empty again ........

........ we replaced the water pump, it was shot, however the problem has not gone away ........

........ Although it has stopped leaking from the tank ........

........ my friend with the mechanical abilities ........ said we need to leak the air bubble he says is trapped in there ........

........ you may want to replace the thermostat ........

Nothing, so far, points to a faulty thermostat. The fact that it "fixed itself", tends eliminate it as the culprit.

Most factory stats are capable of outlasting the car they came in, yet they are the first component to get the blame for any heating problem.

Norm

........ It was a possibility ........

........ Not everyone is "the oh mighty one" with knowledge like you appear to be.

If you have any problems with my posts, read this, then post your comments there, instead of hijacking this thread.

DRAINING

NOTE: This procedure significantly increases the amount of used coolant and diluted hazardous waste.

1. Park the vehicle on a level surface.
2. Remove and clean coolant recovery reservoir.
3. Remove the radiator cap when the engine is cool by:
a. Slowly rotating the cap counterclockwise to detent. Do not press down while rotating pressure cap.
b. Wait until any residual pressure (indicated by a hissing sound) is relieved.
c. After all hissing stops, continue to rotate counterclockwise until the cap is removed.

IMPORTANT: Recover coolant and store in a used coolant holding tank and submit the used coolant for recycling on a regular basis. This
procedure significantly increases the amount of used coolant and diluted hazardous waste.

4. Place drain pan under vehicle to collect all drained coolant.
5. Open the radiator drain valve located at the bottom of the radiator tank. For procedures requiring the cooling system to be partially drained,
opening the radiator drain valve should provide sufficient draining and no further actions should be necessary.
6. Remove the thermostat housing cap and thermostat or open the air bleed vent(s).



^ Open the air bleed vents on the thermostat housing and above water pump. The air bleed vents should be opened two to three turns.

7. Remove the engine block drains:





^ Remove both engine block drains. The front engine block drain is located between the starter and the engine oil filter. The rear engine block
drain is located by the engine crank sensor.

8. Allow the coolant to drain completely.

IMPORTANT: Dispose of used coolant in a proper fashion, i.e., in a used coolant holding tank. NEVER POUR USED COOLANT DOWN
THE DRAIN! Ethylene glycol antifreeze is a very toxic chemical; disposing of it into the sewer system or ground water is both illegal and
ecologically unsound!

INSPECT
^ The drained coolant: If the coolant is discolored. flush the cooling system; If the coolant appearance is normal. continue with the filling procedure.

FILLING
1. Close the radiator drain valve. Reinstall all engine block drains.
2. Install the coolant recovery reservoir. Flush the reservoir with clean water, drain and reinstall.

CAUTION: Under some conditions, the ethylene glycol engine coolant is combustible. To help avoid being burned, DO NOT spill
antifreeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts.

NOTICE: Fill the cooling system using GM approved recycled or new Ethylene/Glycol coolant antifreeze meeting GM Specification
1825/1899-M. To ensure sufficient engine cooling, freezing and corrosion protection, maintain the protection level at -37 °C (-34°F) or lower. Use
a solution that is no more than 70 percent antifreeze.

3. Slowly fill the cooling system through the radiator neck using the following procedure:
^ If the coolant system has been flushed, first add 100 percent ethylene glycol in the amount listed for the appropriate engine application. Then
slowly add clean water to the system until the level of the coolant mixture has reached the base-of the radiator neck. Wait for two minutes and
recheck the level of the coolant mixture, add clean water if necessary to restore the coolant mixture level to the base of the radiator neck.

IMPORTANT: When refilling the engine cooling system, add two engine coolant supplement sealant pellets, GM P/N 3634621 or equivalent,
and GM approved recycled or new Ethylene/Glycol coolant antifreeze meeting GM Specification 1825/1899-M.

^ If the cooling system is being refilled ONLY (no flush), a 50 percent ethylene glycol and 50 percent clean water mixture should be used to fill
the system. Fill the system until the level of the 50/50 mixture has reached the base of the radiator neck. Wait two minutes and recheck the
level of the coolant mixture, add a 50/50 ethylene glycol/water mixture as necessary to restore the coolant mixture level to the base of the
radiator neck.

4. Install the radiator cap making certain the arrows line up with the overflow tube.
5. Close all air bleeds. DO NOT over torque the air bleed valve. The air bleed valve is made out of brass.
6. Fill the coolant reservoir with a 50 percent ethylene glycol and a 50 percent clean water coolant mixture. The proper amount of this mixture to be
installed into the coolant reservoir is listed below:
^ Add 1.7 liters (1.8 quarts) of a 50/50 mixture of ethylene glycol and clean water to the coolant recovery reservoir.

CAUTION: The low coolant indicator lamp may come on after this procedure. After operating the vehicle so that the engine heats up
and cools down three times. If at any time the "TEMP" warning indicator comes on, immediate action is required.

INSPECT
^ Inspect the freeze protection of the engine coolant after the engine heats up and cools down three times using a refractometer or a
thermohydrometer to ensure proper freeze -37° C (-34° F) protection. Obtain the coolant mixture for the inspection from the vase of the radiator
neck, NOT from the coolant recovery reservoir.

I would be questioning those mechanical abilities.

........ Open the air bleed vents on the thermostat housing and above water pump. The air bleed vents should be opened two to three turns ........

For proper measure...I would run some Radiator Flush through it ........