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Draining the Cooling System Steps: 1. Open the radiator cap with the engine cold. 2. Crawl under the front of the car and look at the bottom of the radiator. Find the radiator "drain cock" (also called the radiator petcock). The drain cock is a small plug or T-shaped bolt located at the bottom of the radiator. Sometimes it's plastic. 3. Place a large pan - 5 gallons or so - under the radiator. Open the drain cock with your hand or an appropriate-size wrench. Allow the radiator to drain into the pan. 4. Close the drain cock. 5. Refill the radiator with water until the water is at the top of the radiator or just visible. 6. Replace the cap. 7. Run the engine for 5 minutes to circulate the clean water. 8. Stop the engine, allow to cool slightly and repeat steps 1 through 4. Warnings: Don't keep the petcock open and use a hose to flush the water through until it runs clear. There's no way to capture all the water, and it will run into the street and gutters. This used to be standard practice until we realized that coolant should never be dumped into the sewers - it kills fish and is bad for the environment. When running the engine, keep an eye on the temperature gage. Never let the gage go into the red zone - shut off the engine if the car starts running warmer than usual. "Cooling system flush treatments" that you buy at an auto parts store are not good to use in older cars or cars with very rusty cooling systems. They've been known to cause leaks because they clean so well. Adding Coolant and Burping the Cooling System Steps: 1. Add a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 antifreeze to the radiator. Fill it right up to the top. 2. Fill the overflow/coolant reservoir with the same 50-50 mixture. 3. Leave the radiator cap off, turn the engine on, and let it run until the radiator "burps." There may be pockets of air trapped in the system: You'll see the coolant level drop and may see a large air bubble come to the top as the system burps. Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature gage throughout this process. 4. Refill the radiator to the top and the coolant reservoir as needed. 5. Put the radiator cap back on. 6. Add more coolant if the engine runs hot after this procedure - there may have been another pocket of air that burped. 7. Put the old coolant and water in plastic jugs using a funnel. 8. Dispose of coolant properly - don't pour it down the drain or sewer. Many service stations, repair shops and parts stores will take it so it can be recycled, or you can take it to a recycling center. Warnings: Cats and dogs like the sweet taste of antifreeze. Don't leave it around where they can drink it - it can kill them. Don't forget to flush out the overflow bottle, which usually contains fluid contaminated with sludge, dirt and grime. You don't want that fluid to be sucked back into your freshly flushed cooling system! If you can, remove the overflow bottle and drain it, and clean the inside and outside of the bottle. Replace it exactly back in its original position in the engine bay. If you can't remove the bottle, place a hose nozzle in it and flush out the sludgy contents. Get about 6 feet of plastic tubing and siphon out the remaining water, then add a coolant and water mixture to the full cold level. Make sure you use the proper coolant as outlined in your owner's manual. Using the wrong coolant may void your warranty. Also check to see if there are special petcocks to allow for bleeding the system other than just thorough the radiator. Throughly read your owner's manual before changing coolant for any special tips related to your particular car. I also suggest that you replace the thermostat at this time. Also check all the hoses and replace any that are suspect. IF YOU CANT FIND THE RADIATOR PETCOCK TO DRAIN FLUID THEN REMOVDE THE AIR FILTER BOX AND UNCLAMP THE LOWER RADIATOR HOSE LET DRAIN INTO PAN THE REPLACE HOSE FILL AND FLUSH

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Q: How to chage radaitor fluid on a 2001 Jeep Cherokee?
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