Is there a simple way to swap coolant?
 

Hello All:

My 2009 Grand Marquis will be two years old next month with 20K miles.

Call me old fashioned, but I like to swap my coolant every two years. I guess this is why I've not had any heater core, or water pumps issues in my other cars at over 100K miles?

Anyhow, the procedure in the FSM is to drain the radiator, remove the thermostat, and remove one heater hose. Then refill until you see coolant at the water box, replace thermostat, then fill until the heater hose purges air.

Due to the plastic/aluminum intake, I'd like to leave that thermostat alone, and that same plastic intake has the heater hose connected, that I would like to keep as is, too.

Could I just drain the radiator with the car on ramps, and top off with GOLD coolant, run the motor with the cap off and top off again like I do in my other cars?

Thanks for any tips, techniques, or advice.
Take care, Bill

The answer to your question is you cannot to it that way with todays cars. The cap is no longer the high point of the cooling system which means you cannot get the air bled out. Often this air will get trapped in the heater core and block the flow of coolant thru the heater. So that is why you have to remove the heater hose and thermostat.

But there is no need for you to even change the coolant at this time. The GOLD coolant is not glycol antifreeze like the old green stuff was and does not loose its corrosion resistance properties so quickly. The coolant can be tested for proper properties and if it is ok, leave it be.

Keep in mind I am a retired truck driver and when they told me the new coolant could go 500,000 miles or 5 years, like you I thought that was crazy. That 11 year old truck now has 1,250,000 miles on it and it still has its same heater core. It has been thru 2 water pumps. The engine has not been overhauled in all that time.

So our 2009 MGM (I also have a 2009 MGM with 26,000 miles on it) should have no problem going 5 years or 100,000 miles on the Gold coolant. Granted it wouldn't hurt to change it a lot sooner, but about the only thing it will do is lighten you bill fold and maybe make you feel better.

Thanks for the details of whether we can swap the coolant or not.I am new here and learning a lot from the forum.