# 2.0 ABA Coolant Flush



## Baumbauer (Aug 12, 2011)

I have a mk2 with an aba swap, recently started dailying it after picking up last year. Tested the coolant to see it needed a flush, previous owner was uncertain if it had green coolant or was updated to g12. 

I have the local dealership deliver some g12 to the shop, pull the lower radiator hose(couldn't reach the hose on the water pump, low and wasn't on a lift), drain and refill with water.These motors hold around 6 quarts of coolant? Must not have drained all the way since I could barely fit a gallon of water. Ran it topped off with water, drained again. Filled with g12, thermostat opens, fan kicks on, all good. 

Here's my problem, my heat doesn't work, blower motor is done, haven't bothered fixing. Still had the ignition on with heat at max and blower on, regardless. I'm worried that if I didn't clear out all the old coolant and it was different, I've mixed two seperate types. My new coolant looks orange in the resevoir, but that's not bothering me. 

Anyone have an opinion/advice? I'm paranoid and don't want to run it mixed.


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## OddJobb (Nov 6, 2004)

ABA coolant capacity is 6.5 QTs. If you simply pull the lower radiator hose (which IS the correct way to drain the system - not by disconnecting the pump) only about half this amount will come out. To completely flush the system you can either keep filling the system with water after you drain ~3.5 QTs each time until it runs clear or pull out the thermostat to get it 99% of it out at once (you'll have to drop the power steering pump to do this; if you have one that is). 

If your heat isn't working there's probably air trapped in the cooling system. 

It already sounds like you added the G12 without knowing what amount of coolant you already got out. It usually takes a few complete fills with water to flush the system completely. G12 is pink, so if you have orange coolant, I'm 99% sure you mixed it. Why didn't you look to see what color it was before you started this?


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## Baumbauer (Aug 12, 2011)

OddJobb said:


> ABA coolant capacity is 6.5 QTs. If you simply pull the lower radiator hose (which IS the correct way to drain the system - not by disconnecting the pump) only about half this amount will come out. To completely flush the system you can either keep filling the system with water after you drain ~3.5 QTs each time until it runs clear or pull out the thermostat to get it 99% of it out at once (you'll have to drop the power steering pump to do this; if you have one that is).
> 
> If your heat isn't working there's probably air trapped in the cooling system.
> 
> It already sounds like you added the G12 without knowing what amount of coolant you already got out. It usually takes a few complete fills with water to flush the system completely. G12 is pink, so if you have orange coolant, I'm 99% sure you mixed it. Why didn't you look to see what color it was before you started this?


 I did look before. It was orange. Orange orange. 100% of it. I flushed about 4 gallons of distilled water through it and removed the resevoir for cleaning. My heat isn't working because my blower motor is shot. As I said before I was paranoid about it, so I drained and refilled it with water again earlier today, twice. Now the orange color is gone and the resevoir looks pink/purple.


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## Anony00GT (Mar 6, 2002)

You might have mixed stuff in there now, yes. Like OddJob said, remove the thermostat to drain the coolant. Then flush the block, radiator, and heater core in three separate operations: not by filling and running the car, but simply taking a hose and running water through them until it comes out clear.

Then refill with G12 and burp the system.


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## OddJobb (Nov 6, 2004)

And you can test your heat without the blower motor working. Simply put it on the hot setting and drive with the re-circ button off. You'll feel some heat coming through the vents. Also the coolant reservoir may be discolored from age adding a orange like color to anything when viewed from the outside.


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