Drain and fill radiator?

[SnipesXxX]

What steps do I need to take to drain the coolant and fill it back up? Also where is the drain plug on a 2000 Grand Am SE 2.4L? Should I put Dex Cool back in it? If someone has a link to some info on it that would be great aswell.

Thx

[xeroinfinity]

I'm sure if you do a search in the grand am forum,
you'll find many threads answering your many questions.

Here try this....
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...archid=1930179

[SnipesXxX]

the link says:
Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.

I tried searching for dex cool and coolant without much luck.

[jem270]

I did a search here using dexcool and found lots of stuff. You could always google it.

I swapped mine out to the dual purpose green stuff. I think it is personal preference. Some switch some don't. Spend some time surfing here. You will learn a lot. I have.

[SnipesXxX]

Originally Posted by jem270

I did a search here using dexcool and found lots of stuff. You could always google it.

I swapped mine out to the dual purpose green stuff. I think it is personal preference. Some switch some don't. Spend some time surfing here. You will learn a lot. I have.

I still don't see anything that shows step by step(where the drain plugs are) and stuff. I may take it to a mechanic and have it done. Could someone tell me if $180 is a fair price for labor and parts for a flush and thermostat change on a 2000 GA 2.4L with 145,000 miles?

Reason I am looking at getting it flushed and thermostat changed is because when idling the temp wants to creep up a bit past 200 where before the spring it didn't do that. Fans work and all so I don't know what else the problem could be. The coolant afaik hasn't been changed along with the thermostat.

[xeroinfinity]

look for radiator flush or radiator drain , I found 3 pages.

Radiator Flush Help-
'98 2.4L: Engine overheats in warm weather when stopped
Coolant System Flushing

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by SnipesXxX

What steps do I need to take to drain the coolant and fill it back up? Also where is the drain plug on a 2000 Grand Am SE 2.4L? Should I put Dex Cool back in it? If someone has a link to some info on it that would be great aswell.

Thx

It is recommended that if your vehicle came from the factory with Dex Cool you should continue to use it. Basically Dex Cool is different from the green antifreeze which is ethylene glycol based. Dex Cool is an Organic Acid Technology based coolant or OAT. Each coolant has their own separate protection packages designed to meet the needs of the engines they are in. Dex Cool is designed for the newer, modern engines with different metals and technology. Substituting the green coolant will not give you the proper protection your engine needs and may cause issues "down the road". The interval change for Dex Cool has been lowered from the original 5 yr/150,000 mile period to that similar to the ethylene glycol based coolant. I change mine every couple of years or between 30 to 40,0000 miles.