I drained the radiator and about a gallon of s****y brown used up coolant poured out. I thought that was all just fine, but I checked the (original ) user's manual, and apparently there was another 1.5 gallons of this crap inside of the engine block and trapped in other areas.

The Haynes told me that there was a nut/bolt/plug that needs to be removed from the engine block in order to allow complete drainage. Thanks for telling me, jerk, there wasn't a photo so I had to come to this forum with my tail between my legs "I do beseech you oh mighty Diesel Demigods, reveal unto me the location of this plug/bolt/nut." Anyway you d00ds were a real help, someone described to me the area where I would find it; and I did.

Alright, so I couldn't get this blasted plug/nut/bolt to loosen. I had to reach in at a weird angle and couldn't get enough leverage to really muscle it. I could have sprayed it with WD-40 or something, but whatever; I didn't think of it. Shut up.

Right, so, I did the next best thing. I started the engine and waited for the thermostat to purge all of the crap into the unplugged radiator.

DAME. Here I thought that I'd gotten it all. As soon as the temp gauge hit 80 degrees, the radiator started to piss out this disgusting brown coolant. I had it changed at a service station about 20K ago, but I guess that all they did was flush the radiator and forgot about the block, because this stuff was ripe for getting rid of, I can't believe that it cooled so well for being so filthy.

Anyway, I ran the engine like this until it started to get warmer than its usual running temp, then I closed the radiator and filled with water. Ran the engine for a while, then unplugged the radiator again. More yucky brown. I filled the radiator and ran the engine to purge it two more times. Once I'd gotten most of the water out I filled it with antifreeze and called it Kosher.

One thing that aggravated me, though; once I filled the radiator with that sexy green colored antifreeze, I started the engine and watched the contents of the radiator turn Brown AGAIN as the fluid cycled through. Whatever.

Why the hell do these cars take so much fluid? I mean....7 quarts of oil and 10 quarts of coolant for a 2.4 litre engine that turns out less than 70 HP...what is going on here?


Wow I wrote a lot. I'm going to go to bed now I think. Or something.

__________________
1982 240D.
My name is Michael, and I am an 18 year old binge-drinkin', cigar-smokin', novel-writin', all around unsavory and unnattractive guy. I tell long-winded stories, and I only shave once a week, although I've had to do it every day since I was 16.