Cheap coolant from the high street?
Cheap coolant from the high street?
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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
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Soooo replaced the rad & engine temp sensor on my ZR, was going to do the thermostat but couldn't get enough access. Had 5 litres of coolant, max is 4.5. To bleed you need to watch a valve spurt it on the floor and I think I closed off too early because lack of coolant. Ran my car for 2 5 minute journeys and got no heat, when before changing this I did, so i'm confident it's an airlock. I need more coolant to bleed again so ordered some cheap online, but halfords seems the only logical place to get it quickly but it's expensive!

Any other suggestions? I've thought about using just water as it'll only be at most half a litre, but I don't want to hamper anything as it's got to be 50/50.


Cupramax

11,007 posts

282 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
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Either GSF or Euro car parts sell this if theres a branch near you and most likely cheaper than halfords.

Jazoli

9,681 posts

280 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
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Just use water, if its only half a litre it'll make near as no difference anyway.

t400ble

1,804 posts

151 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
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Euro car parts. Look online.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
t400ble said:
Euro car parts. Look online.
I bought from carparts4less on ebay, sister site to eurocarparts. Don't have a eurocarparts close. Halfords is a 30 minute drive too

itcaptainslow

4,792 posts

166 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
50/50 and importantly OAT coolant on those-Euro Car Parts will oblige at a reasonable cost. Cheap coolant probably won't be OAT.

I find getting rid of an airlock is helped on the K-Series by running the engine, cap off and squeezing the top & bottom rad hoses vigorously. You'll push the air round the circuit and out of the open cap.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
itcaptainslow said:
50/50 and importantly OAT coolant on those-Euro Car Parts will oblige at a reasonable cost. Cheap coolant probably won't be OAT.

I find getting rid of an airlock is helped on the K-Series by running the engine, cap off and squeezing the top & bottom rad hoses vigorously. You'll push the air round the circuit and out of the open cap.
Been following the rover bulletin on it. Opening the bleed valve should be sufficient. Weird though that the land rover and mgf had another on the heater matrix

itcaptainslow

4,792 posts

166 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
Taz1383 said:
itcaptainslow said:
50/50 and importantly OAT coolant on those-Euro Car Parts will oblige at a reasonable cost. Cheap coolant probably won't be OAT.

I find getting rid of an airlock is helped on the K-Series by running the engine, cap off and squeezing the top & bottom rad hoses vigorously. You'll push the air round the circuit and out of the open cap.
Been following the rover bulletin on it. Opening the bleed valve should be sufficient. Weird though that the land rover and mgf had another on the heater matrix
I usually fill the circuit with the bleed screw completely removed, refitting it once a constant stream of coolant flows from the bleed screw hole. Then if necessary squeeze hoses as already described. Never had a problem doing it this way. Hose trick may work for you if you need to preserve as much coolant as possible.

The official MG Rover method of filling the K-Series cooling system is to use a vacuum bleed device.

MGF has three bleed points-one on the rail above the gearbox (as per all K-Series), one on the heater matrix and one on the radiator at the top. They're necessary thanks to the long cooling pipes that run underneath the car-it's a big system (something like 8-9 litres capacity).

jas xjr

11,309 posts

269 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
itcaptainslow said:
50/50 and importantly OAT coolant on those-Euro Car Parts will oblige at a reasonable cost. Cheap coolant probably won't be OAT.

I find getting rid of an airlock is helped on the K-Series by running the engine, cap off and squeezing the top & bottom rad hoses vigorously. You'll push the air round the circuit and out of the open cap.
This,back when I used to drive unreliable old bangers, used to work well.nowadays I drive old bangers,its just that they are more reliable

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

84 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
jas xjr said:
This,back when I used to drive unreliable old bangers, used to work well.nowadays I drive old bangers,its just that they are more reliable
Mines done 1500 on no service at all. Service history patchy. If I have a problem now it is only down to me!