Does anyone have experience draining 100% of the engine coolant out of the radiator system on a 2002 911 996?


I should have read more before I put Prestone "all makes all models" antifreeze in my car after loosing 1 gallon of coolant from my expansion tank due to a leak at the expansion tank factory seam. I have made it through the odyssey of replacing the tank and I have now purchased 2 gallons of OEM Porsche Coolant. I do not know if I need to dilute my new coolant with 1/2 distilled water or if I should put it in full strength. The bottle has a chart on the back panel for mixture but it does not say to mix with water. Most of the writing on the bottle is in German. I have also heard that the car holds in excess of 6 gallons of coolant.


I have drained about 2.5 gallons of the old coolant with the Prestone mixture back out of the car and I am guessing that there is another 3.5 gallons yet to remove before I put back the new OEM Porsche coolant. I do not have a fancy pump to remove the remaining fluid. Does anyone have a suggestion of how to do this on a budget.


as always...
Thanks in advance for any help that you can provide.

 

Plenty of experience. I drive over to the dealership, drop off the car, come back when it's done and - smile all the way home. I never wonder if I did it right.

 

Drain it all by disconnecting lower radiator hoses up front. Refill the system with distilled water (NOT TAP WATER!) and get the car up to operating temp so it is circulating throughout the entire system. Let it cool down then drain it all again. Whatever remaining Prestone crap should be sufficiently dilluted that you'll be ok. Remix 50/50 with genuine Porsche coolant and distilled water and refill.

BTW, if you ever plan on doing this again, a Uview Airlift is about $100 on Amazon and worth every damn penny.

 

I'd also suggest pulling the hoses by the transmission that connect the rear of the engine plumbing to the tubes running forward to the radiators.

 

I take it to the dealer, $99.00 and worth every penny. Also, $109.00 for brake fluid flush.

 

How is that possible when the coolant is $42.00/gal. (at least that's what I just paid at my local dealer) ?

 

The $42/gal is retail to you, not what the dealer pays. Heck, their oil change special is $109.00.

 

Pentosin SF is available at O'Reilly Auto Parts for a reasonable price. It is either an "equivalent" or actually the stuff that is OEM Porsche branded. I don't recall which, but many Porsche owners are using this.

 

yeah, I get that... But even given the low dealer cost for the coolant, it would seem more of a "nuisance job" than anything else. I could see them using it as a "value added" type of service if you're having other work done, but as a standalone (i.e. - you bring your car in specifically for this $99.00 job and nothing else) it's got to be a $$ loser.