I have a 2000 Accord - and want to winterize my car.

Right now - my Radiator reserve tank is slightly low - and I bought some Prestone to top off the reserve. The Prestone fluid is yellow - and the Current fluid is Blue.

1) Can I mix the two for a top off? ( Owners manual says stick with OEM Honda coolant - but not sure how important that is re: Radiator anti-freeze coolant fluid? )

2) If I decide to do a complete fluid flush - do I have to stick with OEM Honda fluid - or can I use the Prestone I picked up at Autozone?

Thanks

 

Mixing different types can be the worst problems. To top it off, get Honda fluid - unless you have reason to believe that's not original fluid in there.

If you want to switch to Prestone, then disconnect a radiator hose & flush thoroughly with a garden hose. There's at least a quart that doesn't drain, so you really need to rinse A LOT to get everything out.

All antifreeze has reasonable corrosion inhibitors. If you use anything other than Honda then keep changing it every couple years so it NEVER gets old. Then you can be less picky about the type.

 

Is flushing the radiator a big deal or like an oil change. If it's something simple, sounds like that will be what I do. I saw in teh Haynes Manual - there was some kindof plug I could undo under the car - or a hose connection if the plug does not come undone.

Any suggestions when flushing out the radiator - do I just let the excess flush drain down the sewer? If not - waht's teh best practice to contain the flushed fluid. I can collect the initial drian with an oil pan - but the extra quart in radiator for the full flush will that be diluted enough to drain to the sewer?

Thanks

 

Dont drain it down the sewer!

Do you realize how poisonous coolant is? One of the ingredients has been found in MULTIPLE products from China and has caused many deaths. The melamine for example was found in toothpaste.

Find a place that accepts waste material. Or bring it to a local car shop that might charge you a few bucks.

 

I purchased the straight unmixed - but already mixed up to the 50/50 dilution per Manual specs. The guy at Autozone - said the radiator holds about 1 gallon with reservoir. Is that about accurate for the 2000 accord?

 

The concentrated coolant is pretty much ethylene glycol. That is pretty poisonous particularly to animals. It has a sweet smell and a dog will try to lick it.

You can call your local waste treatment facility to find out how to properly dispose of the coolant. Some auto parts store may recycle it.

 

I'm gonna stop by Jiffy Lube before I do anything. They recycle my oil changes for no charge - hoping they'll take the coolant too. Otherwise - I'll just stop by Honda and get some fluid to top off what I've got.

 

Some city sewage plants can take it. Worth a phone call, if they say OK then pour it down the drain. Don't pour it down a storm drain, because that eventually comes out in creeks & open water.

I kinda wish you hadn't already diluted it. I should have explained...
The 1 or 2 quarts that won't drain are in the block, not in the radiator. Even with the block drain opened, you still have that much left inside the engine.

Specs say the car holds a total of almost 2 gallons, including radiator, engine, heater, etc.

Drain & rinse the daylights out of the system. Fill & drain at the end with distilled water. When you drain that out, you'll have some distilled water left inside.

Now pour in 1 gallon of straight antifreeze. Then enough distilled water to fill it. You'll find that's about 2 to 3 quarts. Now you'll have 50/50 including the water left over from the last drain.

 

Found out my local Jiffy Lube will take the stuff.

But the fluid sounds like it'd be simpler to drain what's in the radiator - and the reservoir - with pre mixed Honda Radiator Fluid - rather than try and rinse this thing and try and get the mixture proper after flushing the system with a hose.

I could at least get half of the fluid changed out with new stuff this way? Would that be the best route to go. Getting the mixture right the other way seems like more of a headache than I had anticipated.

Edit: I phoned Honda and I just found out that it costs 14 for a pre-mixed gallon at my local dealer.

a) Following this post - it seems like b/c of the reservoir - it's more complicated than I had anticipated. So best option is to open up the drain plug - and refill it with some new radiator fluid? Does this sound like the best option as far as getting new fluid in there? My car was purchased as a dealer certified auto several years ago - so I assume it's got Honda fluid in the radiator. ( Current fluid is blue - is Honda Fluid blue ? )

b) Will 1 gallon be enough if I open the drain plug and flush out whatever comes out of there through gravity?

c) Is it not necessary to replace the fluid - would it be just best to get the Honda radiator fluid as a top off to bring my levels up a bit and forget the whole idea of flushing out the old fluid?

Thanks

 

What I did was drain the radiator, the reservoir, and the block, then filled with Honda coolant. I did this at 45k miles, cause I don't think any coolant should be expected to last 100k miles. I assume, if I do this every 45k miles, the coolant will be kept fresh. I don' think it took more than 1 gallon, so not too bad.