14 replies to this topic

[jda2000]

did you turn the heater on just before you turned the car off. This opens the heater core valve open. Remember there is some coolant in the heater core and its hoses, and that's why you didn't get the whole amount out

[850 Stylzz]

Crap. I did, but I think I may have shut the blower off just before I turned off. Would that do the same thing? And if so, I guess Im running at about a 25% coolant/75% water mix. That be ok for a few months?

edit* additionally, I did a flush with about what turned out to be a quart and a half of distilled vinegar. That was flushed twice with dist. water, but apparently not thououghly. Should I be worried? I have no desire to put the car back up on stands, but I will if I should.

Edited by 850 Stylzz, 09 May 2004 - 02:43 AM.

[Bay13]

I can't ever get all the coolant out either, I always seem to have left over. I drain all I can and try to use a 60/40 mix to compensate. In the end it's fairly close to 50/50. Some just hangs in the engine water water jackets, and a little in the heater core. A little here a little there and there is your answer.

[Geevs]

Hi,

Is it OK to use tap water with Volvo Type C coolant? Or should distilled water be used?

Thanks,
Geevs

[AjaxBleach]

Hi,

Is it OK to use tap water with Volvo Type C coolant? Or should distilled water be used?

Thanks,
Geevs

If the tap water in your area is hard, then you should use distilled water. But if your tap water is soft, you probably can get away with using tap water.

[850 Stylzz]

Hi,

Is it OK to use tap water with Volvo Type C coolant? Or should distilled water be used?

Thanks,
Geevs

If the tap water in your area is hard, then you should use distilled water. But if your tap water is soft, you probably can get away with using tap water.

For the all of 5 dollars is cost me to buy 5 gallons of distilled, it is very cheap insurance

[Volvo-Ohio]

I used distilled water both to flush the system, and to add to the antifreeze when I refilled it. Wally World has distilled water for 57 cents a gallon, which makes it cheap enough to use for everything. And, I didn't have to worry about impurities from my well water, even though it is filtered and softened.

I'd highly recommend distilled water.

[Geevs]

Hi all,

Thanks for your inputs. Seems like many have recommended distilled water - I think because it doesn't have the minerals of hard tap water that can cause the heater core passages to clog. OTOH, I have read in Google that distilled water is highly corrosive (to metals) more than tap water, and can interact with aluminum radiators. Isn't the Volvo rad aluminum?

What does Volvo recommend to be used with their Type C?

Thanks,
Geevs

[850 Stylzz]

I think someone is mincing their chemistry. It may be me, but oh well.

Water is corrosive. there is no question. It is part of the wonderful properties of oxygen. On one hand it is able to catalyze; on the other it is corrosive. that is just how it goes--part of the same property. that being said, I dont believe that there is anything in "tap" water that minimizes the corrosive potential of water. Possibly marginally depending on how things bind, but being mostly metallic contaminents, I dont think so. (All having too many in their respective outer shells) So, you can either have clean corrosive water, or dirty corrosive water.

Im going for distilled.

[swsteckly]

I just flushed my S80 today. I turned on the heater before shutting off the engine.

There is a petcock-style valve on the driver's side bottom of the radiator. I removed the reservoir cap, and opened the valve. I got somewhere around 1 and 1/3 gallon of coolant out. It is easier to access the valve if you remove the lower black plastic cover thing (there is a bolt on either side, and a couple of clips in the front), but there is a small access hole if you need it.

After tightening the valve (be careful - it appears to be plastic, so it shouldn't need to be very tight), I added coolant, and fired up the engine. There were a few tense moments, as it took a while for the heater control valve to open/close/whatever it does, as I only added 1/2 gallon of coolant to fill the reservoir, and the heater was blowing cool air, even though the engine temperature was over the normal mark. But then the heater started blowing hot air, and the reservoir drained, and the engine temp dropped back to normal. I topped up the reservoir - I've only added 1 gallon to the 1-1/3 I removed. I'm not sure why that is, but I haven't had a chance to drive the car either. Maybe after the engine has been running for more than a minute it will require more (air in the system?).

[Geevs]

Ok, I will admit that I already did a coolant flush late last fall (on my 855T) using tap water. I'm in BC, Canada and from what I have gathered via Google the water here is relatively soft (I hope).

Anyway, one more question - after I did the flush with tap water I simply poured the entire Volvo Type C coolant (4 liters) into the coolant reservoir and then topped-up with tap water until it reached the MAX level (all the air bubbles were out). Since the capacity is just under 8L, I figured this would ensure a mixture between 50/50 and 60/40. Is this method to use the water pump to mix the fuilds OK rather than premixing in a pail/bucket? So far since the flush, the temp gauge needle still stays at it's normal 3 o'clock position sometimes a little below but never above.

Reason I'm asking this is because a friend asked me to flush his coolant using Type C and I want to get it right next time.

Thanks again,
Geevs

[swsteckly]

Well, I found out that not being able to put as much coolant back in as you took out can pose a problem. I started to drive down the road a few miles when the 'COOLANT LEVEL LO" light came on. Thank goodness I had the remainder of the Volvo coolant jug in the trunk - the reservoir was completely empty. I topped it off, and after about 40 miles of driving I stopped to get gas and checked it again. It was down almost to the 'MIN' mark on the tank, so I topped it up yet again. After 30 more miles of driving, the level is holding steady.

Evidently there was air or something in the system. Lesson: If you flush your coolant system, keep extra in the trunk for the first few days!

[Geevs]

This also happened to me. After I did the flush and filled-up to the MAX level on the reservoir, I drove around the block to check for leaks and then garaged the car. The following day when I started the car, the radiator light on the dash came on. I checked the reservoir and found no fluid. I figured the trapped air bubbles were released so I simply filled up with water since I already used up 4L of coolant the day before - approximating the coolant to be 53% (4L / 7.5L capacity) and the rest is water.

Geevs

[Matt's 850 GLT]

Hi

Don't forget the thermostat - it needs to be fully open to circulate all the new coolant/water round the whole engine.

It helps to run a few miles while flushing to fully clean out the water jakets or you just end up flushing the radiator with a half gallon or so.

When you drain the stuff out keep flushing and fully warming the engine so the clean fresh stuff gets to thinning out the old coolant.


Matt