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Easy way to 'completely' drain coolant?


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I want to completely drain the coolant from one of my SDIs, but I'm too lazy to do it the proper way - sump shield off (most difficult bit), hot engine so thermostat is wide open and then remove the 'cold' pipe from the inlet flange and dump the entire contents of scalding coolant all over my head. Rad and lump both completely emptied that way. Then put everything back together again.

Any other method that is easier without needing to remove the sump shield?

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On 5/15/2019 at 8:50 PM, mk2 said:

I want to completely drain the coolant from one of my SDIs, but I'm too lazy to do it the proper way - sump shield off (most difficult bit), hot engine so thermostat is wide open and then remove the 'cold' pipe from the inlet flange and dump the entire contents of scalding coolant all over my head. Rad and lump both completely emptied that way. Then put everything back together again.

Any other method that is easier without needing to remove the sump shield?

Can't you just disconnect the bottom of the rad ? I tend to do this in halves though because i'm lazy.

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2 hours ago, cj1 said:

Remove the thermostat and let it run for a minute or so from cold, with the thermostat cover plate removed..

Wouldn't you be better just repeatedly flushing with tap water, then eventually de-ionised water, then refilling.

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56 minutes ago, Skezza said:

Wouldn't you be better just repeatedly flushing with tap water, then eventually de-ionised water, then refilling.

Yes, however OP only mentioned draining all coolant, not refilling too :)

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Yeah thanks guys. I just don't want to go through the pain of removing the fragile sump shield, so accessing anything from below is out. 

Can't get to rad bottom outlet. Or remove thermostat.

Oil cooler connection might work. I'll investigate.

I have 5L of fresh G13 concentrate ready to go. It's only because the existing coolant is beginning to go a bit cloudy, which I don't like....

Other SDI coolant is still clear after 3 years... :)

Thought there might be some clever siphon or suction method to empty it that I hadn't thought of. Like feed a 6mm pipe down into the pump somehow and vac it out.

 

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My a4 has this like drain cock...... which is fully seized up :D

So I just use disconnect the temp sensor. Shame it's not the case on Lupo.

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Same on the mk4... Ah, that'd be just way too easy. I mean seriously; in the huge mk4 engine bay they include a drain tap. In the stupidly tight Lupo engine bay, you need to remove everything. No logic.

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