Changing Coolant on a VR6 with A/C

[mbradbrook 0]

Hi there,

 

I think it is about time that i changed the coolant on my VR6 to G12+. It is still running G11 and i'm not sure when it was last changed. I've been reading up on the forums about changing it (remove bottom radiator hose to drain and then fill via the top hose). The problem is that my car has got aircon and access to the bottom hose is very restricted due to the a/c pipework and i can't get to the drain plug because the a/c compressor is in the way! Has anyone got any tips for removing the bottom hose? I was thinking that maybe it will be easier if i remove the battery but even so the a/c pipes are still in the way. Also is it worth changing the top and bottom radiator hoses or do they usually reseal ok with a jubilee clip?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Matt

[Jim Bowen 1]

i got to mine from underneath the car, i think i hooked a jubilee clip over the prongs on the standard hose clip and then tightened that up so it clamped the prongs together and released the clip.

 

i nearly considered cutting through the hose at one point, you might need to remove the plastic bits underneath the bumper

[fla 9]

Yes it is very tight with aircon. I drained mine from the drain point in the crack pipe. The better way is to remove the battery, remove the connector to the rad temp sensor and pull the aircon pipes upwards and backwards. You will find that the battery sits over them. This will clear the access to the bottom hose. I used some pipe grips to press the spring grip arms and pushed it back up the pipe. The lower pipe was tehn removed by partially rotating it on its position and by using an L-shaped piece of metal to 'unstick' it from the lower rad pipe. Takes time, unfortunately i dont know of any quicker way to remove it. Be careful though dont use too much force or you could break the lower rad outlet. I would flush the system thorough by leaving teh lower pipe open and refillig from the header tank and watching until the water coming out is absolutely clear. Keep teh car running at this point. When you're happy that its all clear, stop the water let it all drain and refit te bottom hose. The refill from the top hose. I used deionised water in the coolant mixture so there is no risk of scale forming in the cooling circuit. Once your happy with the refilling refit teh top hose, but leave teh header tank cap off. Run the car until you can see the water circulating. let it run for a while and then close the header cap. Take it for a drive and when you're back let it settle. Check it again the next morning, you will find te level has dropped. Top this up with your mixture or just fresh (deionised) water. HTH

[mbradbrook 0]

Hi there,

 

Just wanted to resurrect this old thread. I never got round to changing the coolant last year but i have a week off next week and want to do some jobs on my Corrado and mk2 Golf GTI 16v. I've had another look at the coolant hoses this morning and it does look very tight. There is very little slack in the aircon hoses so i'm going to struggle to move them aside to get to the lower rad hose. I've got good access to where the lower hose connects to the thermostat housing so was wondering about disconnecting this end. I don't think i'll be able to bend the hose down to drain it as there is a hard plastic shroud around the hose. How about pushing a length of thin hose down the rad hose and then syphoning the coolant through this? What do you think? Is there an easier way?

 

This would be a 5 minute job on my Golf!

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[fla 9]

tbh i wouldnt bother. Use the opportunity to fluch the cooling system thoroughly. This will take time as you will need to run the car up to temp to get water through the rad. Drain it at least 3-4 times, or until the water is completely clear.

 

Just take your time with the pipes, its really not too hard, just awkward. In fact forget about loosening the lower pipe and get a long screwdriver to loosen the drain screw. There is enough space although you may be at a slight angle. and the coolant will splash everywhere as it drains over the pipes. One of the 'drawbacks' of a/c.

[mbradbrook 0]

Thanks for the reply. I tried having a look at the drain plug but it is so high up above the AC compressor that it is hard to make out. Can you confirm what head is on the drain plug (slot / hex etc) - i've tried looking on ETKA but it says that the drain plug and oring are not recognised.

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[fla 9]

tbh i cant remember i think its a cross, but if you use a large flat screwdriver you should be alright. Just open it carefully, in fact when you turn it initially be careful as it may just shear. You wont reach it with a normal length screwdriver!Good luck!

[mbradbrook 0]

:clap: Right! Just spent the last hour remving the bottom radiator hose! I used a set of draper hose clip pliers - the ones with the bike cable that you put over the spring clips and then squeeze the handles and locks in position. By removing the battery and unplugging the sensor of the rad i was just able to wiggle the hose free. My hands are cut to shreds and i've got rust in my eyes so i'm going to leave it draining over night and then flush it in the morning. The coolant looks pretty clean. I've got 3 bottles of G12+ but i think probably 2 will be enough. The bottom rad hose is flattened where the spring clip was but i presume that this will be ok if i use a screw jubilee clip. Got to say it that every job on the Corrado seems to be hard work - even the battery was a pig to free from it's padded jacket!

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[mbradbrook 0]

All done now. Flushed the system and topped up with new G12+. Taken it for a drive and topped it up again. I don't think i managed to get all the old G11 out as the pink G12+ has now turned a puple colour - shame really as the tank looked all clean with the pink G12+ before i drove it.. I guess this is ok though. The old coolant was a clean blue colour so i don't think there is any bad corrosion. Also had the aircon topped up and it is now icy cold!