jgwalker

The 2009 Equinox just hit 50,000 miles so I decided to change out the DEX COOL myself and save some $$$$.


Its pretty straightforward maintenance, HOWEVER, I would advise anyone who does this type of work on their own vehicles to buy in advance a new drain-plug (aka petcock) for the radiator since the old one could be a problem to re-use. I bought mine at the dealer for about $27


The reason I recommend this is because my plug did not come out so easily and I ended up breaking the rubber "O-ring" on it.


Anyhow, remove the reservoir cap and then the radiator drain-plug and let it drain into a bucket or container that can hold about 1 1/2 gallons; this won't take but a few minutes and make sure the engine is COLD.


Then add fresh water into the coolant tank reservoir and allow it to drain until clear water comes out; could take some time but the system does drain pretty fast.


Install new drain-plug (petcock) and refill the reservoir with new coolant with a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and DEX COOL; fill tank until fluid is 1 inch above the COLD level then install the cap and run the engine until HOT. Wait for the engine fans to cycle on twice and then turn off the engine and add more coolant. Repeat the process to ensure you have the proper level of DEX COOL in the system. It took me about 3 times to get the level correct.


CHECK FOR LEAKS - continue to monitor until an adequate amount of fluid is in the system. Generally, about 1 1/2 gallons.


Side Note: Whenever I do this type of servicing to my cars I also clean those reservoir tanks since they get pretty dirty in most cases. Removing the tank on the Equinox is easy and it only has two bolts and 2 hose clamps to remove it from the vehicle. Once removed plug the hose connections (I use plastic and zip ties) and fill about 1/3 with white vinegar and add some pink aquarium gravel (for abrasive power). Install the cap and shake to clean the crud off the inside walls. Once cleaned, remove all the rocks (can be difficult since tank has 3 partitions in it) and flush with clean water. Reinstall tank in vehicle.

ruley73

Opening the radiator drain plug alone does not allow all of the coolant to be drained. The block drain plug (located below the starter) must be also be removed to get all of the coolant out. If you didn't drain the block after running the water through the engine, then you currently have less than a 50/50 ratio of coolant/water. It's probably more like 30% coolant/70% water. This applies to both the 3.6L (LY7) and the 3400 (LNJ).

According to the owners manual, the cooling system capacity is 12.5 quarts (3.125 gallons) for the 3.6L and 10.5 quarts (2.625 gallons) for the 3400.

7474

I know this is long since dead but this was the answer to my question......

Performed the same procedure as the OP today and couldn't figure out why system was only taking ~1.25 gallons of the 2.625 gallons the manual calls for. Will now search for the starter and the radiator block drain plug.

edward fernandez

hi Ruley73,how does the block drain plug look like?,is it a bolt inserted in the block?does it need a seal or something once removed? i want to go the right way,thank's

ruley73

It's been a while since I saw it last, but I believe it is a flanged bolt that looks similar to the oil drain plug except the flange is smaller. It doesn't require a seal or sealant. I'm going to change the coolant again, along with the water pump and thermostat later this year. I've had the coolant in there for 5 years, and the vehicle will have about 160K miles on it by the time I do it.