How to Change the Antifreeze in a Car

The antifreeze in a car serves several purposes aside from just cooling the engine, and every driver needs to change their antifreeze every one to two years to keep their car operating properly. To change the antifreeze in a car is to extend the car's life, as old or ineffective antifreeze can ruin a car from the inside out by circulating rusted liquid throughout the car's heating and cooling system. This can result in ruined or stuck thermostats that can cause a car to overheat, or an air conditioning system that gives room temperature air. To change the antifreeze in a car and to flush the cooling system only takes about 30 minutes and in most instances requires no tools at all to complete properly.

The first step to change the antifreeze in a car is to drain the old coolant from the car's system. This can be accomplished by placing a bucket below the radiator and opening the radiator drain plug by unscrewing it. Make certain the bucket you use to change the antifreeze in the car is large enough to hold the old antifreeze without overflowing - a two to three gallon bucket is perfect. After the old antifreeze has drained, pour the contents into a few old gallon milk jugs and label it prior to disposing of it in an environmentally friendly manner.

The next step to change the antifreeze in a car is to flush the radiator of any remaining old antifreeze. Replace the radiator drain plug and fill the coolant system with water, and then turn on the car engine and let it idle for 5 to 10 minutes to let the water circulate. Turn off the ignition and wait about an hour, and then drain the water into a bucket in the same manner as you did when you drained the old antifreeze the first time. Again, dispose of this water properly as it still has traces of antifreeze in it.

Replace the radiator drain plug and fill the coolant system using a mixture of 50% aantifreeze and 50% water. Turn on the car ignition and let it run for 15 minutes or take it for a short drive to make certain the dashboard temperature gauges are not warning of an issue. An important aspect when you change the antifreeze in a car is to wait a few days and check the coolant level to make certain there are no leaks or loss of antifreeze.