DIY Auto Repairs Saved Me Thousands! - Part 4

Once all the coolant was drained, it was time to use the coolant flush. I used the Prestone brand, as again, it was the cheapest they had at Auto Zone. First, I put the lower radiator hose back on, but if you have a drain valve, you would just tighten it back up. Next, I poured the bottle into the radiator and filled it the rest of the way up with distilled water. Now it was time to run the engine with the heater on high until the temperature gauge showed that the normal operating temp had been reached (right in the middle for ny 2002 GMC Envoy -about 210 degrees F). Then I let it run for another 10 minutes, before shutting the car off and letting everything cool back down.

Once cooled, I installed the flush kit. This probably wasn't totally necessary, but I wanted to make sure I really got all the old stuff out, especially where it runs through the engine block, which can be hard to get out otherwise. You are supposed to install the flush kit on the heater inlet hose, where it comes out from the firewall (basically what separates the inside of the car from the engine compartment). I had no idea which of the lines was the heater inlet hose, though and the vehicle manual didn't have any diagrams. I couldn't find any online either, unless I wanted to pay, and I wasn't sure I would even be able to decipher the diagrams even then.

FInally I made an educated guess, that turned out to be correct (whew). I cut the line and put in the valve, which stays on the line permanently so that you can use it again if need be. I disconnected the lower radiator hose again, and using a garden hose and the spout that came with the kit, I flushed out the coolant system really well. Once everything was running crystal clear, I just let it all drain again. Then I reattached the radiator hose, and added the new coolant and distilled water, along with the K-Seal to (hopefully) seal any leaks or cracks in the engine block. I let the car run for a while again, to let the K-Seal do its thing. The last thing I did was change the oil.

And guess what? It worked!! Instead of scrapping the truck or replacing the engine for thousands of dollars, I spent less than a hundred bucks, and the vehicle made the 7 hour return trip with no incident. That was almost a month ago, and still no problem! I wish I would have known about K-Seal and similar products a long time ago... not once did any mechanic ever mention such a thing existed to me, though I have definitely dealt with similar problems in the past. It sucks to to learn DIY auto repair all on your own, especially if you have no aptitude for it ( I don't) but eventually it can be really worth it!