Help w/ Flushing my 00' XJ Radiator @ Home

[Ice_Man]

:?: I planning on flushing my coolant system on my 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport (4.0L I-6 Automatic w/ AC). I have noticed some rust starting in the radiator and can't remember when that last time I had the coolant flushed was. I’m looking to do the job at home with a garden hose and a few bottles of quick-fill. If anyone could help me locate the drain plug and explain to me the steps and proper technique for thoroughly flushing my radiator I would appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Saurian]

The drain on the radiator is located on the passenger side, somewhere behind the headlight bracketry... It's a pain to get to, and you have to take a lot of stuff apart to do so. My advice, as I had to do a radiator flush to correct an overheating problem, is to drain it from the lower radiator hose... It's at the same level as the drain, but is a heck of a lot more accessable...

Prestone sells a kit designed for the reverse-flushing of the cooling system; you cut and clamp in a fitting on your heater hose, and you have a fitting that goes in the radiator cap to deflect and aim the coolant coming out. This enables you to flush not only the radiator, but the heater core, block, water pump, etc... Rather affordable, and worked extremely well for me; the fitting hooks to your garden hose, so it's not like you need a special adapter or pressurewasher or anything like that.

Just my suggestion, I'd recommend it.

 

[NCjeeper]

i went through hell and back with my xj's cooling problems. this is the way i flushed mine, which didnt help because i needed a new radiator no matter what and ended up changing it in auto zone parking lot...

i pulled the plug from the drain dock- it's on the passenger side of the radiator a few inches up from the bottom. it kinda screws out, and i wouldnt even try it without some grips, trust me, it'll make it 10x easier. when you put it back in, it's a pain to try to put it back in by hand OR pliers, so i just tapped it in with a hammer, and that worked very well.


about flushing - i parked the jeep by the woods, took my garden hose and stuck it in the radiator cap and let it run full blast while i took a trip in the ford exploder to advance auto parts, got some radiator flush (i recommend getting a new 'failsafe' thermostat and gasket) and came back home. put the plug back in, added the flush, used it as directed, removed the plug, put the hose back in the cap and let it run while i went in and ate dinner, came back out, let it all drain, put the plug back in and added a 50/50 coolant and mineral water. mineral water is supposed to keep deposits from collecting in the radiator.


when youre adding water, let the jeep keep running and get up to operating temp. with the heat on defrost. it'll push out the air bubbles so you dont get vapor lock. i do this until i'm 100% sure theres no air in the cooling system.


i tried my best to help because i didnt know any of this when i had my problems. good luck!

 

[NCjeeper]

oh and by the way, you dont have to remove anything to get to the drain plug. you can reach it from under the front bumper.

 

[dingus]

good writeup NCJeeper, my only addition is that you can get to the drain plug via removing the grille (6 screws). I put a 1/4" ID hose on the drain plug and aimed it into a bucket, otherwise your drain plug aims directly at the headlight and tends to make a huge mess when everything hits the ground.

 

[Ice_Man]

Thanks for the info fellas. I decided to go to Autozone and pick up a bottle of Prestone flush as well as a Prestone Flush Kit (that apparently ties in-line with the heater hose). I will have to read the instructions, but I have a feeling that its a no brainer.