How to replace radiator coolant - 2008 Kia Sorento 2.5

most likely air in the colant system, an air bubble trapped when water pump was replaced. An eazy way to tell if air is in the coolant system squeze the upper radiator hose, if seems empty or can hear coolant swishing around, then there is air in the coolant system and also coolant level not compmetely topped off.

Top off coolant with Antifreeze Concentrate, NOT WATER. water will boil and evaporate, 50/50 antifreeze mix is good but if you dont know how much water has allready been added to the coolant system then straight shots of Antifreeze is recommended when toppong off coolant level.

Remove Air and Top Off Coolant

•While Engine is cool
•Remove radiator cap
•Slowly fill to the rim with Antifreeze, while at the same time squeezing the upper radiator hose to swoosh around coolant, try to get as full as you can.
•Replace Radiator Cap
•Start engine and switch air fan on high
•Remove radiator cap
•Squeez upper radiator hose and add more Antifreeze as Nessesary
•Notice preasure on the coolant hose, while adding antifreeze Concentrate preasure on the hose will stiffin up,
When coolant is full turn off the motor.

I have heard of cases where there is enough coolant in the plastic bottle (reservoir) but, there is not enough coolant in the radiator itself. When the car is COLD (important - hot water and steam will burn you!!), remove the radiator cap and fill the radiator itself with coolant. In the COLD condition, remove the radiator cap, then start the car and while the engine is running, fill the radiator with coolant until the coolant is stagnant at the filler spout, then quickly replace the cap otherwise the engine will heat the coolant up and will start blowing out the top! If this doesn't fix the problem, replace your radiator cap and if that doesn't help either, replace the thermostat. Lastly but not likely, it might be a problem with the temperature sensor.

Your radiator has a transmission cooler built inside. Your radiator has failed on your. Requires replacement

you need to replace thermostat and radiator cap.look under hood around engine compartment.look for a radiator cap near radiator,add 50/50 antifreeze and water to coolant system to bring up boiling point.pure water will cause engine run hotter because water evaporate away,remove radiator pour coolant in the radiator until coolant stop dropping in the radiator now some vechicle pour coolant in the coolant overflow jug,pour coolant until coolant level stop dropping and the coolant level stay at cold full mark.start engie let idle few minutes, watch coolant level in radiator if coolant start dropping add more coolant, when coolant level stop dropping put radiator cap back on let engine idle until both top radaitor hose and bottom coolant hose get warm turn off engine wait until it get cool then take a large rag slightly open radiator just a litle at a time to keep from getting scaled.once radiator remove add more coolant if low,put radiator cap back on start the engine let it idle watch the temp gauge if temperature gauge going hot zone stop engine wait until cool then add more coolant,keep doing this until engine stop overheating going into hot zone and coolant level stop dropping,make the coolant overflow jug coolant level stay at full cold mark, dont let jug run empty if so air will get in the coolant system causing engine to overheat.

REPLACE THERMOSTAT IF TOP COOLANT COOLANT HOSE GOING TO RADIATOR IS HOT TO TOUCH THERMOSTAT OPEN. TO BLEED COOLANT SYSTEM FIRST YOU NEED TO ADD COOLANT TO THE COOLANT OVER FLOW JUG UNTIL COOLANT LEVEL STOP DROPPING AND STAY AT FULL COLD MARK.WAIT 3 MINUTES IF COOLANT DROPS ADD MORE COOLANT UNTIL COOLANT STAY AT FULL COLD MARK.WITH RADIATOR OVER CAP OFF CRANK ENGINE FOR MINUTE WATCH COOLANT LEVEL AT OVERFLOW JUG.IF COOLANT DROPS ADD MORE COOLANT IN THE OVERFLOW JUG.WHEN COOLANT LEVEL STOP DROPPING IN OVERFLOW JUG.SCREW BACK ON THE RADIATOR CAP TO OVERFLOW JUG.WHILE ENGINE IDLING WATCH TEMPERATURE GAUGE WHEN TEMPERATURE START CLIMBING TURN OFF ENGINE WAIT A WHILE KEEP FROM GETTING SCALDED.WHEN COOLANT COOL DOWN SOME. PLACE A LARGE RAG OVER THE COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG OPEN CAP LITTLE AT A TIME UNTIL PRESSURE RELEASED, THEN REMOVE CAP ADD MORE COOLANT IN THE OVERFLOW JUG TO THE FULL COLD MARK.THEN REPEAT THE PROCESS SCREW BACK ON THE COOLANT OVERFLOW RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP.THEN START ENGINE WATCH TEMPERATURE GAUGE WATCH COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE WHEN COOLANT TEMPERATURE START RISING TURN OFF ENGINE AGAIN WAIT UNTIL ENGINE COOL DOWN ENOUGH TO KEEP FROM GETTING SCALDED TAKE PLACE LARGE RAG OVER RADIATOR CAP WHICH IS THE COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG CAP OPEN CAP LITTLE AT A TIME UNTIL PRESSURE RELEASED ADD COOLANT UNTIL AT FULL COLD MARK. WHEN YOUR COOLANT LEVEL STOP DROPPING.AND TOP RADIATOR HOSE VERY HOT THERMOSTAT OPEN AND AIR IS OUT THE COOLANT SYSTEM. MAKE SURE YOUR COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG HAS COOLANT IN IT,WHEN ENGINE COOL DOWN CHECK COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG KEEP COOLANT LEVEL AT FULL COLD MARK.BECAUSE IF OVERFLOW JUG IS EMPTY THATS A SIGN RADIATOR COOLANT LEVEL LOW.WHEN OVERFLOW JUG EMPTY IT WILL ALLOW AIR GET IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND CAUSE CAR TO OVERHEAT.WHEN REPLACING THERMOSTAT ALSO REPLACE THE RADIATOR CAP ON THE COOLANT OVERFLOW JUG.

REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP.IF COOLANT LOW, ADD MORE COOLANT THROUGH COOLANT OVERFLOW UNTIL COOLANT LEVEL IN THE COOLANT OVERFLOW STAY AT FULL COLD MARK.REASON POUR COOLANT THROUGH COOLANT OVERFLOW MOST GM CARS DONT HAVE RADIATOR CAP.WHEN YOU GET COOLANT LEVEL OKAY, CRANK CAR LET IT IDLE UNTIL ENGINE GET HOT BUILD UP PRESSURE THEN TURN OFF CAR.CHECK FOR COOLANTS LEAKS AT THE RADIATOR HOSES,CHECK FOR LEAKS AT THE RADIATOR, CHECK FOR LEAKS AT WATER PUMP WEEP HOLE IF YOU SEE COOLANT LEAKING FROM WEEP HOLE REPLACE WATER PUMP. IF CAR OVERHEATING WHILE IDLING YOUR COOLING FANS NOT WORKING CHECK COOLING FANS FUSE AND RELAYS.IF FUSE AND RELAYS OKAY THE ENGINECOOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR BAD.

TO CHANGE RADIATOR FIRST YOU TURN OFF RADIO FIRST TO KEEP FROM LOSING RADIO CODE.DISCONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.RAISE FRONT OF VECHICLE SUPPORT ON JACK STANDS.REMOVE THE LOWER SPLASH SHIELDS.NOW YOU NEED TO DRAIN THE COOLING SYSTEM.CATCH COOLANT IN A LARGE DRAIN PAN.REUSE COOLANT IF ITS FAIRLY NEW.IF COOLANT VERY OLD CHANGE IT.PUT OLD COOLANT IN SOME EMPTY CONTAINER TAKE TO A GARAGE OR WHOEVER DISPOSE IT.DONT POUR ON GROUND.HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.MOVE THE AIR INTAKE DUCT PASSES OVER THE TOP RADIATOR HOSE.NOW WHEN ALL COOLANT DRAIN OUT.LOOSEN UPPER AND LOWER RADIATOR HOSE CLAMPS.THEN DETACH THE RADIATOR HOSES FROM THE FITTINGS.IF THEY ARE STUCK GRASP EACH HOSE NEAR THE END WITH A PAIR OF ADJUSTABLE PLIERS AND TWIST IT TO BREAK THE SEAL THEN PULL IT OFF REMOVE SMALL COOLANT SURGE LINES FROM TOP OF RADIATOR THAT GOES TO THE OVER FLOW RESERVOIR..DISCONNECT COOLING FAN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.THEN REMOVE THE COOLING FAN.REMOVE DISCONNECT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES GET READY TO CATCH TRANSMISSION FLUID THEN PLUG LINES. NOW UNSCREW THE FOUR BOLTS TWO ON EACH SIDE OF THE RADIATOR THAT ATTACH RADIATOR TO THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSOR CAREFULLY TIP TOP OF THE RADIATOR SLIGHTLY TOWARDS THE ENGINE.REMOVE THE UPPER RADIATOR SEAL AND LIFT RADIATOR FROM THE ENGINE.NOW IS THE TIME TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER RADIATOR HOSES WITH NEW ONES SINCE ALL COOLANT REMOVE I WOULD REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP.NOW WHEN YOU GET READY TO INSTALL NEW RADIATOR USE SHEETS OF CARD BOARD PROTECT RADIATOR FINS AND CORES FROM DAMAGE WHILE SITTING RADIATOR BACK IN PLACE.ONCE YOU GET UPPER AND LOWER HOSES IN PLACE ALSO PLACE SMALL SURGE HOSES FROM THE OVER FLOW RESERVOIR TO RADIATOR NEW THERMOSTAT AND TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES ALL HOOK UP. START POURING ANTIFREEZE IN THE RADIATOR OR OVERFLOW RESERVOIR IF RADIATOR DONT HAVE RADIATOR CAP ON IT.POUR A FULL GALLON ANTIFREEZE AND A HALF MORE IF LONG AS THE COOLANT STAYS ON THE COLD LEVEL MARK ON OVERFLOW RESERVOIR DONT OVER FILL.IF YOU POUR ANTIFREEZE IN RADIATOR KEEP POURING ANTIFREEZE UNTIL LEVEL STOP DROPPING AND LEVEL OFF AT RADIATOR TOP.START ENGINE CHECK FOR LEAKS. LET ENGINE RUN UNTIL IT WARM UP TOP RADIATOR HOSE GET HOT.WATCH COOLANT LEVEL IN RADIATOR OR COOLANT OVERFLOW RESERVOIR WHEN THERMOSTAT OPENS COOLANT LEVEL WILL DROP.ONCE YOU HAVE ENOUGH COOLANT IN THE SYSTEM COOLANT LEVEL WILL STOP DROPPING.THEN YOU READY TO GO.LET ENGINE SIT A LITTLE WHILE CHECK COOLANT LEVEL AGAIN.COOLANT LEVEL IN THE OVER FLOW RESERVOIR SHOULD BE AT HOT MARK FOR HOT ENGINE AND WHEN ENGINE COLD COOLANT LEVEL SHOULD BE AT THE COLD MARK.IF POUR ANTIFREEZE IN THE RADIATOR COOLANT LEVEL SHOULD BE AT TOP OF RADIATOR BELOW PRESSURE CAP.

REPLACE THERMOSTAT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.IF YOU PUT NEW RADIATOR IN MORE LIKELY YOU NEED TO BLEED COOLANT SYSTEM CHECK COOLANT LEVEL WHEN ENGINE COOLS DOWN. YOU HAVE AIR IN COOLANT SYSTEM.AIR WILL EXPEL AND COOLANT LEVEL DROPS ADD MORE COOLANT UNTIL YOU HAVE RIGHT AMOUNT COOLANT IN RADIATOR.DONT DRIVE CAR UNTIL COOLANT SYSTEM BLEED.WHEN THERMOSTAT OPENS TURN OFF ENGINE WAIT A WHILE THEN CHECK COOLANT LEVEL KEEP ADDING UNTIL COOLANT LEVEL STOP DROPPING IN RADIATOR. USE LARGE RAG OVER RADIATOR CAP TO KEEP FROM GETTING SCALDED BUT WAIT UNTIL COOL DOWN ENOUGH SO YOU WONT GET SCALDED.

Your Malibu is too new to change the coolant already The coolant is good for 5 years or 150.000 miles, which ever comes first. If oyu are going to replace the coolant, make sure it's the orange coolant and premixed 50/50 water/coolant before refilling the radiator.

To drain the coolant, just disconnect the lower radiator hose. most radiators now don't have a drain plug like the old days. The issue was that the drain plug was breaking since it's plastic or the O rings would break causing fluid to leak from the radiator.

once the radiator is drained, simple reattached the lower radiator hose and refill the system. The other way would be to run the engine till the thermostat opens up and the rest of the coolant in the engine block will make it's way out, but at most you should be fine on to replacing the coolant at the radiator only and then run the engine to ensure you have got all the air out of the system.

Just make sure you replace the radiator cap first before you shut the engine down. It you do shut the engine down first before you place the cap back on, the coolant will blow out.

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