Hi all,
I have an 1996 Vauxhall Astra 1.6LS on which I am trying to replace the coolant. I removed the radiator outlet hose, and flushed the system through, as per the Haynes manual. Like many Vauxhall engines, there is no drain plug on the radiator, so you can never fully drain the system.
When I come to replace the coolant fluid, the manual says to add 2 litres of water, then the correct amount of coolant, and then top up with water. I add the water to the expansion tank (with the bleeder hole on the manifold open to allow air to leak out), but before I can tip even the initial full 2 litres in, the expansion tank starts overflowing. Given that the system is meant to hold 7 litres, this implies that either the system already contains 5 litres of so of fluid that I haven't removed, or that the coolant isn't filling the engine up properly. Clearly if I can't even get 2 litres of water in, then adding sufficient coolant isn't going to work.
What might I be doing wrong?
thanks,
dan.