Antifreeze
From time to time, every driver will have to deal with this operation. It is worth noting that the coolant must be replaced on time, otherwise engine problems cannot be avoided.
Do I need to change antifreeze (antifreeze)? How to properly replace coolant. Answer: definitely necessary! The fact is that over time, the coolant loses its cooling properties, heats up quickly, and the engine wears out.
How often do you change antifreeze or antifreeze?
To determine when to change antifreeze or antifreeze, you need to consider the following factors:
- Shelf life of antifreeze.
- Manufacturer's recommended coolant mileage when replacing.
- Current state of the liquid: color.
Each coolant has its own expiration date:
- Antifreeze – 2 years.
- Antifreeze - 5 years.
You also need to pay attention to what mileage your coolant is designed for: the bottles always indicate the lifespan of the coolant: it could be 20 thousand, maybe 40 thousand.
The color says a lot: if you initially poured blue antifreeze, and after some time it turned green, brown, then this means the demise of the additives - the coolant needs to be replaced.
Types of coolant for VAZ 2114
In order to replace the old mixture with a new one, you need to decide on its choice. In most cases, the manufacturer fills the VAZ 2114 with Felix TC-40 (bright green) or CoolStream Standart 40 (weak green) liquid at the factory. These types of antifreeze belong to class G11.
The most popular coolant categories include:
- T1 – classic blue liquid;
- G11 - green antifreeze;
- G12 – red antifreeze;
- G13 – yellow coolant.
When choosing a refrigerant for a VAZ 2114, you can confidently call it coolant of category G11. It is safe for the radiator and the entire cooling system. On the VAZ 2114, the coolant is replaced by choosing the following types of antifreeze: AK - concentrate, A65 - diluted liquid, A40 - the most popular type of antifreeze for the VAZ 2114 car.
Is it possible to mix antifreeze with antifreeze?
Many people write that it is absolutely forbidden to mix antifreeze with antifreeze. In part this is true, but in part it is not. The fact is that this established stereotype is the result of a marketing ploy. You can mix, but not everything. Antifreeze and antifreeze are based on the same ethylene glycols and other additives. Also, don’t forget the dye. It’s just that if we mix red and blue, we’ll get a dirty brown color, and we won’t see any leaks on the pipe if they appear.
There is a special additional antifreeze labeled G12+. This antifreeze is used as an additional antifreeze, i.e. You can add it to both antifreeze and antifreeze.
G11 <cannot be added> G12, (i.e. cannot be mixed) G12+ can be added to G11 G12+ can be added to G12 G12+ can be added to G12+
1.5 liters of such additional antifreeze cost about 220 rubles. It can be diluted with water to obtain:
- 3 liters of ready-made antifreeze with a freezing point of up to -37;
- 4 liters of antifreeze with a freezing point of -25;
- 5 liters of antifreeze with a freezing point of -15.
It can be diluted with either distilled water or boiled or melted water.
Thus, we answered the following question: Is it possible to dilute antifreeze and antifreeze with water? You can, but keep in mind that by diluting the coolant with water, you lower the boiling point and reduce the freezing point.
Replacement
Now we can talk directly about how the coolant is drained and new antifreeze is added.
We noted that 7.8 liters of antifreeze are required to fill the entire volume of the coolant tank. But it is best to purchase a 10 liter canister. This is useful in case you spill some of the liquid past the neck, and also if you need to top up the coolant over time.
If you carry out the work in a clear sequence, watch preliminary training video instructions, then replacing antifreeze or antifreeze will become an easy task for you.
- Remove the main motor protection. To do this, there are four fasteners under the engine compartment. Although not all cars have protection.
- Remove the protective cover. It is located in front of the body under the engine.
- Unscrew the cap from the expansion tank.
- We climb into the cabin and open the heater tap all the way. This will prevent some of the coolant from remaining inside the system when drained.
- Prepare a container where all coolant from the system will be drained. A basin or other wide dish is better suited so that nothing spills past.
- There is a drain plug on the radiator. You will find it on the lower left, in close proximity to the radiator.
- Don't rush to drain the coolant. First, be sure to protect the generator from antifreeze. To do this, you can wrap it in plastic and put on a bag.
- Now drain all contents from the radiator.
- Give yourself access to the drain plug on the cylinder block. To do this, you will have to remove the three bolts securing the ignition module.
- Place the module aside. Underneath it you will find a plug.
- Unscrew the plug and drain the old coolant solution.
- Let the car sit for about 15 minutes. This time should be enough for all the coolant to leave the system. Just remember, the engine must be cold.
- At this stage, you can flush the system if desired and necessary.
- After draining and flushing the system, tighten all plugs.
- Arm yourself with a canister and go to the expansion tank, which is located in the engine compartment. Remove the lid and begin to gradually pour in antifreeze or antifreeze.
- To avoid spilling the mixture, use a funnel. By inserting it into the fill hole, the coolant update procedure will be much easier.
- Be guided by the amount of coolant remaining in the canister. In some situations, an air lock may form in the system.
- To get rid of the plug, compress and release the upper hoses on the radiator.
- When filling is complete, you should have no more than 2 liters of liquid left in the canister.
Removing the airlock
Useful tips
Finally, we want to share a few very useful tips that will help you avoid mistakes that beginners often make:
- Coolant can only be changed when the engine is cold. If you do this on a hot engine, there is a huge risk of serious burns;
- When adding coolant, make sure that the required amount of mixture is in the system. If it is not enough, there is a high probability of engine overheating;
- Be sure to cover the generator with thick polyethylene or other material so that the solution does not get on it;
- If you mix antifreeze and antifreeze, nothing bad will happen. But try to avoid such situations, so as not to run into problems with the operation of the cooling system.
This is not to say that draining and replacing the coolant is a simple procedure. There are some nuances when updating the contents of the cooling system on a VAZ 2114. But with the right approach, even a car owner without repair experience can cope with this task.
How to flush the cooling system?
If the car is very old and the cooling system has never been flushed, then there is a risk that if you flush it now, you will clog the radiator, heater core, or thermostat. Also, the use of various types of coolant additives is not recommended, because There is also a risk of clogging the same elements of the cooling system.
- After draining the old coolant, screw all the plugs back into place and fill the tank with distilled water up to the max mark.
- Start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature.
- Let it run for 10 minutes at 2500-3000 rpm. But do not forget to monitor the engine temperature, do not overheat it.
- turn off the engine and let it sit for 6-7 minutes. Then we drain again as we did earlier. We look at the condition of the water: if it is dirty, then we repeat this operation several times until the distilled water is clean.
What's in it?
So, you purchased a car and don’t know what exactly is in the cooling system. If there is water or already used coolant there, this does not bode well for your engine.
Therefore, first of all, check whether there is any coolant in the engine at all, and what exactly it is. At the same time, make sure there are no leaks from the pipes or radiator.
It is not difficult to independently determine the type of fluid used by the old owner.
Mixing different coolants. Yes or no?
In some cases, the quality of the fluid is good enough that it is not necessary to replace it. Only the quantity is somewhat below the required level.
Let's say you have antifreeze filled, but you only have antifreeze on hand. What to do in such a situation? Many VAZ 2114 owners are interested in whether it is possible to mix different compounds.
There is no consensus on this matter. Let us say for sure that a disaster will not occur from mixing, antifreeze and antifreeze will not react and will not explode the car. But we definitely cannot recommend combining two types of coolant in one tank. Follow the instructions in your car's manual, fill in what the factory recommends, and then you won't have any problems.
How to add antifreeze?
Throttle assembly
- Tighten the drain plugs well.
- Unscrew the hose on the throttle assembly as shown in the figure.
- Start adding new coolant.
- Fill until it flows out of the hose.
- Reinstall the hose and secure it well with the clamp.
- Add liquid to the barrel up to the max mark.
- Close the expansion tank with a lid and start the engine and heater.
- Warm it up to operating temperature and turn it off.
- If necessary, add liquid to the barrel.
If cold air blows from the heater at operating temperature, it means there is air left in the cooling system. To expel it, read the article: How to remove an air lock?
When to change?
We have already determined that, from the point of view of the needs of the VAZ 2114, antifreeze is best suited for this car. Although the plant itself has clear recommendations and standards in this regard. If you have a really high-quality antifreeze, which costs more than antifreeze, its performance efficiency will not be inferior to VAZ’s development, and in some places it may even be better.
But first, let’s determine exactly when the coolant needs to be replaced. It all depends on each specific situation, so there are several recommendations in this regard.
- When buying a new car, it should be replaced after every 60 thousand kilometers traveled.
- The standard service life of filled coolant is 2 years. Under normal operating conditions, it is sufficient to change it every two years.
- The coolant must be replaced immediately if its color has acquired a cloudy structure or a rusty tint.
- If the coolant leaked and water was used as a top-up, you need to eliminate the source of the leak and replace all the antifreeze.
- If the engine has been repaired or dismantled, the coolant must be replaced, regardless of its current condition.
What to fill?
A question that interests many is the volume of liquid that should be poured into the engine cooling system of the VAZ 2114. We answer. The volume of antifreeze or antifreeze is exactly 7.8 liters.
Since we agreed that antifreeze would be the best choice, let’s talk about its varieties and determine which one is best to use.
Type of antifreeze | Peculiarities |
AK | This antifreeze is a concentrate, so it cannot be poured in its pure form. Diluted with water in proportions of 1 to 1. The freezing point after dilution will be -30 degrees Celsius |
A65 | Already diluted antifreeze that does not require adding water. The freezing point of the liquid is -65 degrees Celsius |
A40 | The most common version of antifreeze for the VAZ 2114. Its freezing point is -40 degrees Celsius |
Decide for yourself which of this you will pour into the engine cooling system. Each of the three presented types of coolant has its own characteristics and works equally effectively for the benefit of your car.
Do not forget about the existence of high-quality antifreezes. They cost more, but last about 1-2 years longer.
Flushing the system
Flushing the system should be done if the coolant has traces of rust, as well as when changing antifreeze to antifreeze and vice versa.
As a washing liquid, you can use special products, distilled or boiled water. It should be noted that chemicals intended for washing SOD do a better job of the task, but their cost is much more expensive than distilled water.
Washing procedure
- It is necessary to drain the old fluid;
- Pour flushing fluid into the system;
- Start the engine and let it run for 30 minutes;
- We drain the liquid; if it has traces of rust and is quite dirty, the procedure must be repeated;
Why change the coolant?
The fluid is replaced due to the loss of its properties of forming various reactions. If you do not change the coolant for a long time, it begins to react with parts of the cooling system, which leads to the formation of rust and can soon destroy parts of the engine cooling system, such as the radiator, thermostat or pump.