Flush n Fill?

[jrmcx]

I've got a 2001 Ram V6 with 25000 miles on it. Owners manual recommends anti freeze change at 36 mos. no matter what the milage. Dealer I bought truck from offered $40 "deal" to replace anti freeze in local paper. I called to make appointment assuming that this was gonna be a backflush and fill. Service mgr. tells me "nah it's just drain and replace"..... Hell, I can do that. Money's really tight now. Can I get by with drain and refill done by me, and flush it maybe next year. If so what brand anti freeze do you like?

[LTJGWorth]

Yea, a drain and fill would do just fine. Mine hasn't been flushed in... probably ever. Just make sure you use half water half coolant when you do it. I don't really have a recommendation on what kind of anti-freeze to use.

[BleedDodge]

I buy whatever happens to be on the shelf, and I never buy antifreeze.

My Turismo sat for 11 years, then when I started to drive it, I didn't touch the antifreeze, I didn't test it or anything. I only ended up replacing it when I blew my head gasket, and then again when I blew a heater hose. I don't care.

[indyram]

If you really want to flush it yourself it's pretty easy. Pick up a bottle of flush at a parts store. Make sure your engine is cool. Drain the radiator to get most of it out, then pull off your lower radiator hose. Make sure you don't just let it all go on the ground. Put it back together and put in flush. Fill it up with water. Let the truck run until it hits normal operating temp, turn heater on, and run for 10 minutes. Drain the same way as before and fill it back up with anitfreeze/water and you're done.

[fredjacksonsan]

On every vehicle I've owned, I do a drain and fill every 18 months, no matter what color the fluid is. I've never had any cooling system failure or problem, aside from water pump or thermostat failure.

On a used vehicle that I'm purchasing I will flush the system, no telling when the coolant was changed.