"martin lynch" <odiegoogle@yahoo.com> wrote
>I have a 2001 Honda Civic and need to drain and fill my
>radiator. I
> have read some tutorials but have a few questions:

Do you have an owner's manual? Follow its steps exactly and
you will be fine. Post back if you want a site that has free
online owner's manual.

> 1) Some have advised draining the radiator, then filling
> with
> distilled water and running for a while, then draining the
> water and
> filling with coolant. However, if I put water in, won't
> that get
> circulated into the engine block? If so, when I refill the
> radiator
> with my pre-mixed 50/50 coolant (comes this way from
> Honda), then my
> coolant in the system will be super diluted as it mixes
> with the water
> I introduced into the engine block. Am I missing something
> here?

Like Jim said, you are correct. With a lot of study of the
owner's manual coolant capacities commentary, one can figure
out how to mix the anti-freeze to make up for the diluted
water.

On the other hand, it is not a big deal to skip your
proposed flush, let a little old coolant stay in the engine
block, and add new coolant.

Coolant chemistry has come a long way. As long as you follow
the maintenance schedule for changing coolant, all will be
fine.

> 2) If the car has a bleeder valve (not sure if it does,
> I'll have to
> check), how does it work?

Your Civic does not have a bleeder valve. The procedure uses
the simple "burp" approach to purge air from the cooling
system via the top of the radiator (when filling) and via
the top of the radiator and out the reserve tank during
operations.

Caveats:
1.
Use Honda OEM coolant. Or you can try orange Havoline.
Orange Havoline comes both pre-mixed and undiluted. A few of
us here have been using the orange havoline for years and
are quite happy with it.

2.
Remember there is a difference between the radiator drain
plug and the engine drain bolt. Both are going to come off
to properly drain the system. Do get a new washer for the
engine drain bolt. Buy non-hardening sealant (per the
directions in the owner's manual). Permatex makes such a
sealant and it specifically says it is good for the cooling
system. You can get it at Autozone.

3.
One of the most important steps for ensuring a good purge of
air is making sure the radiator fan comes on twice. This may
take 40 minutes or more of the car idling, so have a
magazine and chair.


> 3) If I do the bleeding method where I open the cap and
> run the
> engine, do I simply observe the fluid in the radiator
> while the engine
> is heating up, and pour coolant in as the level drops,
> WHILE THE
> ENGINE IS RUNNING? At what point do I need to worry that
> the coolant
> will get so hot that steam blows my head off? Or does
> this not happen
> since I'm running the engine with the cap off, preventing
> a pressure
> buildup?


Correct, no pressure buildup with the cap off. Steam from an
open container is not going to exert any meaningful
pressure. Perhaps you are thinking of how some foolish
people take off the radiator cap /after/ the system is hot
and pressurized. Then a mixture of hot coolant and steam
will blow the cap off and create a dangerous momentary
gusher as the person removes it.