Coolant Change Help Needed

[corradostuff 0]

I'm in the middle of changing the coolant on my 2L 16v. I've done a load of searches and have been following that so I've taken off the rad bottom hose and top hose to drain the system. Then I've put the bottom hose back on and re-filled it through the top hose into the engine block except I only got 1 litre to go in until it was full. Then I carried on filling through the expansion cap but only got 2 more litres in until it was full. So I've only managed to get 3 litres in rather than 5 or 6 I was expecting. I'm thinking something must be wrong or I'm missing something??? Can anyone help at all please as I need to get it sorted as soon as poss. I'm thinking maybe it didn't all drain out so I tried again but same thing happens, is there another hose apart from the bottom rad hose that I should be taking off to drain it?

[zacon 0]

I did this recently. I've also got the 9A engine you're having. The bottom radiator hose is on the inside of the closed thermostat, so I suppose you only drained the radiator. Take of the hose at the far bottom of the water pump. (it's below the hose you took off.)

 

Don't worry too much if you don't get in 5-6 liters. When the expansion tank is full, start the engine with the cap off. Then refill. Wait for the engine to go warm, then refill again, to the max mark.

[cymru-corrado 0]

the level should drop once you start the engine and let it run abit then stick in another litre usually.

[corradostuff 0]

Thanks for your help. I've just made a really stupid mistake tho and undone a powersteering pipe under the bottom of the rad, thinking it was the bottom rad hose. That's whjat you get for rushing!! I don't know nothing about cars and thought this would be an easy job but I'm still struggling to find the bottom rad hose to empty the rest of the coolant. I can't work out which pipe it is as there's quite a few and hardly any space to see. Can anyone describe where this bottom rad hose is or is there any other I can undo?

[zacon 0]

It's not a hard job, I'm really sure you'll make it. If you follow the hose you took off, you'll see that it goes into the water pump, which have many hoses connected to it. Take off the lowerest one. (The water pump is attached to the engine)

 

If you poured out all the power steering fluid, you should probably not drive the car until you either refill the tank or take of the power steering belt. Don't use the red stuff you'll get at a gas station, ask at the VAG shop.

[corradostuff 0]

Thanks for your help Zacon. I know what I'm doing now and have found the right hose, think I just panicked a bit when I emptied the power steering fluid!

 

I didn't empty all the power steering fluid, just some, but I am still not driving it just to be safe. I'm off to buy some proper VAG fluid this afternoon. Is it worth draining the whole lot out and changing it all while I'm at it? If so, is there a better way to drain the power steering fluid or shall I just take the hose apart again and let it drain from there?

 

Cheers