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There is an easier way, remove the thermostat and reinstall just the cover. Disconnect upper radiator hose and put a flexible funnel (large mouth) in the radiator hose and then start car and pour coolant into funnel and let the upper hose drain out the old coolant, do this with 4 gallans of new coolant.
Then take off thermostat housing and place new thermostat in and then let engine get up to normal temp and top off as needed and you are done.
You have replaced all coolant and have a new thermostat, if car is over 6 yrs old I would replace upper and lower radiator hoses for added piece of mind.
Will need 5-6 gallons of coolant for this procedure and no jacking the car up and down.
For the environmently minded people, get a coolant tank to save off old coolant.
Hi
I've just done this to my 2005 DB9, as yet I do not have the use of a car lift, although I will soon have a inspection pit.
Not as easy, but doable. Your post was very helpful
Best
Peter111
I'm currently looking at buying a 06 Vantage but noticed that the coolant was under pressure when the engine was cold. Is this usual? I have had a litmus done which came back all clear but that may be a waste of time if it's supposed to be like that...
Thanks for this great write up. I just did my 5 year service this weekend and fiund this very helpful. My old coolant looked ok but i wasn't able to get Havoline Dex-cool so i bought the prestone dex-cool as you did. Just wondering if you ever had any problems with mixing different brands even though they are the same product. I wouldn't think so. But i was just curious because you did this a few years back.
Hello 6 speeders I decided to change the coolant in my 05 DB9 and figured this was a good time to document it. I haven't noticed any threads regarding this procedure so this might help some of you do-it-yourselfers. Just a little about myself -- I'm not an Aston Martin mechanic by any means, just a hobbyist that enjoys working on his own cars, so with that being said I take no responsibility for any damage that occurs if you decide to follow my instructions below on your own car.
I was told the coolant capacity for a DB9 is around 4 gallons. If you decide to follow this method you will remove about 75% (3 gallons) of the old coolant. If you want to remove all of the coolant just follow these instructions twice for a full flush, making sure to drive the car at least 1/2 hour before the second flush.
Tools Required:
-Torx T30 bit for belly pan.
-Large phillips or flat head screw driver for radiator drain plug.
-Garage lift or hydraulic jack and jack stands
Fluids Required: I used "Prestone Dex-Cool Extended Life" antifreeze with distilled water (50/50 mix). Dex-Cool extended life is a Havoline OAT equivalent antifreeze that our cars require.
Note: Never open the coolant reservoir cap on a hot engine!
Step 1: Remove coolant reservoir cap (cold engine).
Step 2: Raise vehicle to desired height that is comfortable for you -- make sure you have enough room to comfortably remove the belly pan.
Step 3: Remove the T30 torx bots that secure the belly pan. I started at the front of the car and worked my way back. If you decide to use this method, the front bumper lip keeps the belly pan secure while working your way towards the back of the car. While working the final bolt out make sure to support the belly pan until you ready to slide it back and out from under the car.
Step 4: Once the belly pan is removed its time to remove the radiator drain plug located on the passenger side of the radiator. Warning, this will be messy! Once you have the drain plug loose and flopping around give it a tug to pull it out. After about 5 minutes all the coolant should be out (about 3 gallons). Re-install the drain plug and lower the car.
Step 5: Now that the car is lowered and on level ground its time to start filling the reservoir with coolant. I used a 50/50 ratio of coolant to distilled water. Once the coolant reservoir is full its time to start the car.
Step 6: Start the car and turn the heat to max. As the car is running monitor the coolant reservoir level and add as needed. I let the car idle for about 10 mins and watched the system burp air. As the car was running I also squeezed both coolant hoses on the front of the engine a few times to help accelerate the bleeding. As the temp needle nears the middle mark you should start to feel nice warm heat coming out of the vents. If you don't feel warm air, bring the car to a fast idle (2000 RPMs) for about 30 seconds and let off and repeat until you do -- this will help accelerate the bleed time. While all of this is going on be sure to monitor both the temp needle and coolant reservoir. If for any reason the temp needle goes above the middle mark shut the car off and check for leaks and coolant level. note: mine took almost 3 gallons of coolant to fill and burp.
Step 7: If you are reading this step that means you have nice warm heat and the coolant reservoir level is holding steady. Now is the time to screw on the coolant reservoir cap and let the system build pressure (car still running). After about 5-10 minutes of the car running check to see if any coolant leaks are present. If no leaks are present take the car for a short drive, then return and shut the car off to let cool.
Step 8: After the car has cooled from the short drive you can remove the coolant reservoir cap and check the level. If level is low add coolant and repeat step 7.
Step 9: At this step you have burped the system and the coolant reservoir level is holding steady after a test drive. All that's left is to re-install the belly pan and monitor the coolant level for the next few days. Since this process only removes 75% of the coolant you can drive the car for about 30 mins to an hour and do a drain refill again if you so desire.
Now bask in the satisfaction that you did the job yourself while also saving about $1k.
so if i understood well, you need more than 1 gallon of coolant to do it if 3 gallons are needed of 50 water and 50 coolants then you need more than 6 liters of coolant? or?
Hi all, is there a way to know if the coolant needs to be flushed out if I just purchased a used Aston Martin? (Don't know when/if done)
Are there any symptoms to look out for to know that it's time to flush the coolant? Does engine performance degrade if coolant not flushed?
Thanks
It's always cheap insurance to flush all fluids on a car you have no service history for.
Coolant itself is not that expensive, so I think it's a "no brainer"
Thanks ej, just did an annual maintenance and didn't think about the coolant. Coolant temperature gauge shows fine and no low coolant warning lights so thinking might be ok until next service date?
