Antifreeze and Engine Coolant

thermostat is stuck shut

To drain your coolant there should be a petcock ( metal rectangular screw type drain)or plug on the bottom of your radiator ussually near the left or right side of radiator.

If it's a question of too much fluid it can overflow, if it's a question about the fluid being too concentrated - don't worry about it.

Yelowish

no, anti freeze doesnt warm a car up, the purpose of anti freeze is to keep your down at a certain temperature. the engine bock creates the heat the anti freeze keeps it at a certain temp. most of the time between 180-195 degrees

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When parked, anti-freeze lowers the temperature at which your coolant would freeze- does not make the car warmer, it allows it to get colder without damage. It also RAISES the boiling point of the coolant, so that it can be 230 degrees, but not boiling.

IF THE LEAK IS FROM THE RADIATOR, THERE IS NO FIX EXCEPT TRY THE RADIATOR STOP LEAK CANS OF FIX....IF THAT DON'T WORK, GET A NEW RADIATOR. THAT'S ALL YOU CAN DO!!!!!!!!!!!

Regular antifreeze such as, green, or red!

On a 2002 Chevrolet Tracker, the coolant temperature sensor is typically located near the thermostat housing, which is usually at the front of the engine. It may be found on the cylinder head or intake manifold, depending on the engine configuration. To access it, you may need to remove some components, so refer to the service manual for detailed instructions.

Number one, replace the water pumb. Usually when water leaks from the pump it is through what is called a seep hole and signifies the pump is bad. That brown fluid is probably water with alot of rust mixed in it. Good idea to have the radiator flushed and filled with new coolant. rusty water, change the water pump

Bad head gasket or cracked head. If you continue to drive it you will cause serious damage to internal engine parts.

orange

Suppose x gallons of 90% antifreeze is mixed.

Then total volume of mixture = x + 70 gallons

and total antifreeze in mixture = 0.9*x + 0.15*70 = 0.9x + 10.5

Concentration of mixture = (0.9x + 10.5)/(x + 70) which is 80% or 0.8

So 0.9x + 10.5 = 0.8x + 56

that is 0.1x = 45.5

or x = 455 gallons

The oil drain plug is on the bottom of the pan. More specifically it is facing toward the rear of the truck on the slanted part of of the pan. If you crawl under the truck from the front with your head facing the back you should be able to see it pretty easily.

My first thought was that you may have a head gasket problem. To verify before spending much money, have a compression & leak down test performed on each cylinder. Each should read 90 to 110.

yes

Check to make sure that the cap is holding the proper pressure, also once the vehicle is warm make sure there is no steam coming from the tailpipe. ( headgasket ) I would have a Block test done to check for exhaust gasses in the cooling system also

a new radiator cap should fix it.small cracks in the gasket can cause fluid loss

Your radiator may be the culprit. Often the solder, braze, or plastic welding which connects the tanks, tubes, and cooling fin sections will corrode and leak through tiny holes when it is hot. Since most metals and plastics expand when hot and contract when cool, the majority of the fluid loss may occur while driving and you may never notice a large leak. Also, when the fluid is cooler the pressure is less and, hence, less leakage. A million micro leaks = one large leak.

Also check the auxiliary plastic filling tank ( if applicable ) for leaks at the seams or cap.

Test: Look for white residue (depends on coolant type)on the radiator and hose juctions and filling tank.

Fix #1: You must find any leak(s) elsewhere as well. Try an anti-freeze additive product that stops micro leaks. Even new cars have an additive from the factory just for this problem. Your local auto parts store can make a suggestion.

Fix #2: Change your hoses and make sure all the surfaces are clean and free of scratches. If the flanges are dented or gouged then smooth the area with some 400 grit abrasive paper. If the flaws are deep you can resurface it with solder or a metal filled two-part epoxy like "JB Weld" or "PC-7". Do not use the 5-minute set stuff because it easily breaks down from exposure to heat or water.

Fix #3: Replace the radiator, only at the suggestion of your mechanic.

Good Luck!

I had a leak on my 2001 Chevy Malibu V-6 3.1L Engine that was on the inside of the V and up under everything, center of the motor. No evidence of a leak as it only occured when coolant system heated up and pressurized and then evaporated away without dripping, puddling or "visible" residue. As I had only owned older vehicles with overflow tubes I didn't realize how sealed the new coolant systems are, so adding (initially) a little fluid every month seemed like no problem. Then, after adding more fluid more often, the gasket completely failed to hold fluid, warranty had just expired too. So I paid for the repair and inspection/repair of any additional damage and I learned a lesson to do my homework on my 'newer' cars systems.

No

option a.

drain the radiator by the petcock bottom right fill

b. buy a flushing tee and read instructions, use a garden hose while vehicle is running.

c.remove lower raditor hose while vehicle is running stixk garden hose in top of radiator for a few minutes

The vans with the 3.4L engine have a couple of bleed screws for the cooling system (see attached link for locations).

When the engine is cool, fill the cooling system at the radiator cap, with the bleed screws open slightly. When coolant starts to come out, close the screws quickly, to keep a minimum of air getting back into the system.

Once full, also fill the overflow tank to at least half full, then start the engine and allow it to come up to normal temperature. Then allow it to cool off again. Do this a few times over the next couple of days, and keep an eye on the overflow tank, always keeping it about half full. The action of the the overflow tank being emptied and refilled, as the coolant expands and contracts (with temperature changes) will also help to bleed ALL of the air out of the system.

Once the cooling system is full and has gone through a few cycles, then it should stay full and no more air should get into the system. If you find more air getting in, then you have other issues to look into.

Good Luck, Greg

The factory coolant is a red, five year, HOAT type coolant.

how i do them i want it done as easy and as painless as possible so i remove the upper portion of the shroud three bolts on top four on bottom. the put a ratchet on the tensioner set your ratchet to trun left apply tension remove serpentine belt put a large pipe wrench on that large nut on the fan clutch remove the for little nuts on the pump pull the fan clutch out un bolt the water pump and then scrap off the old gasket material get your rtv silicone out i use permmatex water pump rtv apply it to new gasket and form it to the new pump and then reverse the the process to put it back together