I Need Help Changing Coolant !!

devil

Hello all !!I want do change coolant by myself on my car Opel Vectra B Z22SE year 2000, any tips and pictures are very welcome.I want to do the write way without damage the motor any air locks or otherwise.....Greatings froms Estonia,this forum is very good for Z22SE fäns....

ecky1972

make sure your heater controls are set on hot when refilling
and check level once engine has heated up as thermosat will have opened and could need more water

JohnnyN

This is the way I was shown:

Pull off bottom hose from radiator. Use hose pipe to flush system through if you need to. Replace bottom hose. Add 2 ltrs of coolant directly to the coolant tank. Add water until until the tank is full. LEAVE CAP OFF!

Start the engine and allow the coolant to mix around the engine. The level will start to drop as the coolant mixes and is pumped around the engine.

Replace the tank cap. Allow the engine to get upto 90 degrees so that the fan cuts in. Once the fan has stopped, turn the engine off. Let the engine cool down and recheck levels.

sdbutler10

pefect write up there by johnny could not have put it better my self. if you follow that u cant go wrong.

Turbo_Shane

No need to undo botton hose though. Theres a plastic yellow screw at the bottom of the rad, left hand side. Use a large size short flat head screw driver. Undo about 3-5 turns and the water will pur out with screw still in place. 🙂

JohnnyN

This option is not available on the Vectra. Only the Astra has the drain screw.

devil

thänks,but air docks does the z22se motor need any specific air docks to remove like bmw and audis like air screw or something or the air in system goes imself without any air ventilate....i hope you understand what i meant do....my english is very bad but i understood pretty good cryb.. ....thänks for the good answers....

RoniN

I have changed my coolant today, exackly as been tould ond now car running nearly an hour and temp hardly achived 80 celsius notsure.gif . Is that right?? I have disconected radiatr hose, than reconected is again and 2 litres of genuine GM coolant went in. Than about 1/2 l of water and its nearly an hour and 80 degrees celsius. Its seems like a bit too long. Hose thermostat->radiator is still cold. Hmmm...

Huskyman

devil said:
thänks,but air docks does the z22se motor need any specific air docks to remove like bmw and audis like air screw or something or the air in system goes imself without any air ventilate....i hope you understand what i meant do....my english is very bad but i understood pretty good cryb.. ....thänks for the good answers....

These types of engines use a header tank for the coolant, meaning that it is the highest part of the coolant system, and it self bleeds if you follow johnnyN's write up you will not go wrong. Hope this helps 🙂

JohnnyN

RoniN_ said:
I have changed my coolant today, exackly as been tould ond now car running nearly an hour and temp hardly achived 80 celsius notsure.gif . Is that right?? I have disconected radiatr hose, than reconected is again and 2 litres of genuine GM coolant went in. Than about 1/2 l of water and its nearly an hour and 80 degrees celsius. Its seems like a bit too long. Hose thermostat->radiator is still cold. Hmmm...

Have you sorted it yet? Has the level changed at all? You can help things along a bit by taking off the header tank cap with the engine running and putting your mouth over the opening creating a seal and then blowing into the tank. MAKE SURE COOLANT IS NOT SCOLDING HOT!!

Daz changed the coolant on my Vectra a few weeks ago and we had trouble with an air lock and all of a sudden after much blowing and squeezing hoses, the level in the tank dropped all of a sudden and all was well. Topped up and away we went.

RoniN

Well. I went to Vauxcare in lincoln and they said thats ok is ok. Apparently level didnt changed at all, but as I was driving to and from work engine temp was max 85 celcius (only when stuck at the tafic lights it came up to 92 Celsius). I suspecting faulty thermostate, becouse even if I have drained all coolant, than put new one in it didnt make any difference in level, becouse thermostate was always open. Does this make any sence?? notsure.gif What You think?? I am thinking about changing thermostate and temp sensor (Also becouse it can couse misfire, unfortunetely my car has got it)
thanks

JohnnyN

Have you thought about changing your coolant temperature sensor onthe back of the head? £14 from Vauxhall. It does have a control over fuelling too!

As for what you've explained above, all sounds perfectly normal temps to me. 82/85is normal temps and 92 in traffic is bingo!! At that point the fan should cut in to help out.

:thumbup:

RoniN

Exelent!!! Few quid saved in the pocket 🙂. BTW Coould You show me a picture maybe where this sensor is and what GM part number.

MikeS

needles on the Vectra B are temperamental as well

give the top of the dash a smack and watch the needles move

RoniN

heheh will do! Youre right,sometimes only hard hand can help 🙂

BTW
JohnnyN Thats photo of back of my engine. Is this the sensor You were talking about (red arrow)? Becouse I can find any other sensors notsure.gif

sophos9

Yes, that is the coolant temperature sensor 🙂

RoniN

I just got the idea, I will do pressure test on all cylinders and than I will sort the rest out, if all will be ok. What reult at pressre test should I get if all is ok??

JohnnyN

As said above, I confirm that the picture above is the coolant temp sensor.

;-)

RoniN

Thanks! I will change it as soon as possible, after I will check cylinder pressure. As I suspect that also can couse misfire
thanks

stuartmc

Hi,

Can you drop the coolant out of a Z22SE Vectra B series 150 SRI by simply removing the drain plug on the water pump instead of removing hoses off the radiator?

Thanks

Stu