Draining Procedure
- Park the vehicle on a level surface.
- When the engine is cool, remove the surge tank cap by following these steps:
- Slowly rotate the surge tank cap counterclockwise about a ¼ turn and then stop.
- Wait until any residual pressure is relieved. Residual pressure is indicated by a hissing sound.
- After all hissing stops, continue to rotate the surge tank cap counterclockwise until the cap is removed.
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Important: For procedures requiring the cooling system to be partially drained, opening the radiator drain valve should provide sufficient draining. No further actions should be necessary.
- Use a ¼ inch square drive or a 3/16 inch hex drive to open the radiator drain valve. The radiator drain valve is located at the bottom of the radiator tank.
- Remove the engine block drain plug.
- Allow the coolant to drain completely.
- Inspect the drained coolant:
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<> < vAlign=top> - < vAlign=top>Flush the cooling system if the coolant is discolored. Refer to Flushing . <><> < vAlign=top> - < vAlign=top>Continue with the filling procedure if the coolant appears normal. Refer to Refilling below.
Refilling Procedure
- Close the radiator drain cock.
- If previously removed, install the engine block drain plugs. When installing the drain plugs, use pipe sealer GM P/N 12346004.
Important: On vehicles equipped with the 3.4L engine, open the coolant air bleed valve. The coolant air bleed valve is located on the top of the thermostat bypass pipe/heater pipe assembly. Close the valve once a continuous stream of coolant is expelled from the valve.
- Fill the surge tank to the base of the filler neck.
- Start the engine with the pressure cap off. Run the engine until the upper radiator hose starts to get hot.
- If the coolant level in the surge tank is low, add the proper mix of coolant until the level reaches the full cold line.
Important: After servicing the cooling system, and if the vehicle is equipped with an intermittent low coolant light, an occasional low coolant light may be encountered during some extreme driving maneuvers. This complaint should be eliminated by removing the surge tank cap and adding coolant to a level just at or above the full cold line when the system is cold.
- Install the cap onto the tank with hand tight pressure.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that you use GM Goodwrench DEX-COOL™ coolant. If coolant other than DEX-COOL™ is added to the system, the engine coolant will require change sooner: at 50 000 km (30,000 miles) or 24 months.
Recycling Procedure
Important: Dispose of used coolant in a proper fashion, such as in a used coolant holding tank. Never pour used coolant down the drain. Ethylene glycol antifreeze is a very toxic chemical. Disposing of ethylene glycol antifreeze into the sewer system is both illegal and ecologically unsound.
There is currently no approved method for recycling used DEX-COOL™ coolant into new DEX-COOL™ coolant. DEX-COOL™ coolant can be recycled into new conventional coolant. Consult local listings for coolant recycling facilities in your area.
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