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| White 2000 Ford Focus Front Left View |
How do I flush a radiator on a
2000 Ford Focus? I kind of know how but I want to make sure. What
mixture do I put back in? I see straight anti-freeze and I see a 50/50
mix when I go to the store. What will be the best?
Answer: The coolant drain plug is located on the bottom driver’s side of the radiator.
It has a plastic hex nut to turn to drain it and there’s a “nipple”
where the coolant comes out. You can attach a 3/8″ plastic hose/ tubing
(I think that’s the size I used, can’t remember) to the nipple leading
to a bucket before you drain the coolant so that the coolant doesn’t
leak all over the floor.
Once you’ve drained the coolant, get something like Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner or a similar product designed to flush coolant systems and follow the instructions on the bottle to properly flush the system. Drain the system when this step is complete.
Finally, when re-filling the coolant you can either buy pre-mixed antifreeze (where it’s already mixed in proper proportion to water) or you can buy 100% antifreeze that you must mix yourself. The pre-mixed antifreeze can be poured right into the system to capacity. DON’T add water to the pre-mixed antifreeze.
If you’re buying the 100% antifreeze (not pre-mixed) it must be mixed with distilled water (not tap water) at the ratio listed on the bottle to give you protection below the lowest possible temperature it will reach in your area. (Varying mixtures of antifreeze/water give varying amounts of freeze protection).
The water in the antifreeze/water coolant mixture is what helps to dissipate heat from the engine during operation, so if you run the car on 100% antifreeze there’s a fair chance it will overheat (or at least run hotter than in normally would).
Once you’ve drained the coolant, get something like Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner or a similar product designed to flush coolant systems and follow the instructions on the bottle to properly flush the system. Drain the system when this step is complete.
Finally, when re-filling the coolant you can either buy pre-mixed antifreeze (where it’s already mixed in proper proportion to water) or you can buy 100% antifreeze that you must mix yourself. The pre-mixed antifreeze can be poured right into the system to capacity. DON’T add water to the pre-mixed antifreeze.
If you’re buying the 100% antifreeze (not pre-mixed) it must be mixed with distilled water (not tap water) at the ratio listed on the bottle to give you protection below the lowest possible temperature it will reach in your area. (Varying mixtures of antifreeze/water give varying amounts of freeze protection).
The water in the antifreeze/water coolant mixture is what helps to dissipate heat from the engine during operation, so if you run the car on 100% antifreeze there’s a fair chance it will overheat (or at least run hotter than in normally would).
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