To ensure that your car’s cooling system is operating correctly and effectively, it is essential to use the right amount of coolant. The make and model of your vehicle might affect the cooling system’s capacity and the type and amount of coolant recommended.
You can check with the manufacturer or the owner’s manual to see how much coolant your vehicle needs. The manual often lists the cooling system’s capacity and recommended coolant type.
For optimum performance and defense against freezing and overheating, it is recommended to use a mixture of 50% coolant and 50% pure water. The recommended coolant type and capacity for your vehicle can be found online or by asking a mechanic if you cannot check it in the manual.
In our guide, you can learn more about the 5.7 Hemi coolant capacity to ensure you have sufficient. By the end, you’ll know how many gallons of radiator fluid do I need to stop the truck from freezing and keep the engine cool. (Learn How To Reset A Brake Proportioning Valve)
Checking Your Antifreeze Level:
First, it’s essential to routinely check your car’s antifreeze level to ensure it is at the right level. The radiator is often a sizable metal tank with a cap on top and is located toward the front of the engine compartment. A pressure rating, such as “15 PSI” or “20 PSI,” will be marked on the cap. To remove the radiator cap properly, you will want a special tool.
You may check the radiator’s antifreeze level and remove the cap after you’ve located it. Antifreeze should come from the filler neck’s base or just below the cap. It will be necessary to add more antifreeze if the level is too low. It could be required to drain some extra antifreeze if the level is too high. Using the correct mixed ratio can help stop rust inside your radiator system.
Tips For Refilling Antifreeze:
- It’s crucial to check that your car is cool before adding more antifreeze. The antifreeze could boil if the engine is hot and result in burns or other harm.
- You must buy the proper antifreeze for your car type to refill because using the incorrect type could harm your car’s cooling system.
- To help you pour the antifreeze into the radiator, use a funnel. It’s essential to fill the radiator gradually because doing so too quickly could cause an overflow of antifreeze.
- You can put the radiator cap back on once you’ve added the right amount of antifreeze to the radiator. Check the antifreeze level once more to ensure it is at the right level, and ensure the top is secured.
Steps For Flushing Your Radiator System
- Trucks from 2009 to 2012 use either HOAT coolant or Mopar’s 5 orange-colored coolant.
- OAT coolant, or the Mopar 10-year purple coolant, is used in trucks manufactured from 2013–2018.
- Only use distilled water for flushing
What You Need:
- Ten or more gallons of distilled water (depending on how many flushes you will do)
- Thread sealant
- Mopar concentrated coolant in 3 gallons since concentrate is more straightforward than a 50/50 coolant mix ratio.
- To prevent a mess, use a 1/4″ hose to connect to the radiator petcock drain.
- Shop towels or rags
Tools:
- 3/8″ Allen socket
- 1/4″ Allen socket
- Torque wrench that goes as low as 10 ft/lbs
- 14mm socket for the block drain plug
- 13mm socket for the thermostat housing bolts
- Pliers for the hose clamps
- Antifreeze tester
Directions:
- Start the engine while it is cool, preferably cold.
- To drain the radiator. Feed the 1/4″ hose into a container after connecting it to the drain nipple and removing the radiator cap.
- Use the 3/8″ Allen socket to turn the petcock counterclockwise. Use large enough containers to hold the 2 gallons of coolant.
- The thermostat housing is the next stop. Since you will remove the water pump’s housing, it would be an excellent opportunity to adjust your thermostat.
- The water pump’s bolts should be loosened to remove the housing with the 1/4″ Allen socket.
- Remove the thermostat’s outer head gasket with a pry tool, then replace the housing with the gasket still in place.
- The heater core hoses are at the water pump’s base. Note where they attach to when you remove them from the water pump.
- To blow out any remaining coolant, use 12 psi of compressed air to one heater core pipe.
- Anything leftover should be allowed to drain.
- Reconnect the heater core hoses, lower the radiator hose, and insert the passengers block drain plug. For the time being, leave the bleeder plug on the thermostat housing.
- Next, fasten the spill-proof funnel to the radiator.
- When the distilled water reaches the thermostat bleed plug hole, fill the radiator with almost 2 gallons.
- Reinstall the bleeder plug after it has been removed.
- Start the truck, let it idle, and your HVAC is on heat. The water will be sucked into the radiator, so add distilled water.
- For a minute, repeatedly rev the engine, then turn off the truck.
- Start emptying the radiator’s water, along with the heater core hoses and lower radiator hose, then take out the thermostat housing bleeder plug.
- Drain again, refill with purified water, and restart the engine as usual.
- If the water is clear, your system flush is finished. Repeat the drain flush and fill process if the water is not clear.
- Apply thread sealant to the block drain(s) and place them back into the block once you’re pleased with the flushing procedure.
- Remove the gasket you previously installed, then take out the thermostat housing.
- Both the thermostat and the attachment must be reinstalled—the bolts to a 10 ft-lbs torque.
- Turn off the thermostat bleeder plug for the time being. Each hose should be reattached.
- If you merely add premixed 50/50 ratio coolants, it will be diluted to a certain point, and you won’t have the proper freeze protection because there is still some distilled water in the system.
- Use 1.5 gallons of Mopar concentrated coolants per 3 gallons blended 50/50 water mix.
- To start the fill. 2 gallons should be poured into the radiator until they exit the thermostat bleeder port, just as before. The thermostat bleeder plug should be sealed with thread sealant and installed.
- Start the truck, then allow it to idle. Coolant should be added until the radiator is full.
- The thermostat won’t open till you let the truck reach 203° (or lower if you have a different thermostat).
- The coolant will all be sucked down by the water pump as soon as it does. Fill the radiator to the top with a 50/50 mix.
- Check the drain plugs and all the hoses for leakage. To mix and circulate the coolant, take a bit of a drive.
- Check the freeze and boil-over protection with the antifreeze tester when you return.
- You ought to be near 50/50 if you could drain the driver’s side block.
- Check the coolant capacity overflow and fill it 50/50 if necessary.
FAQs
What color coolant does a Ram 1500 use?
2017 Ram 1500 coolant is in two colors. Knowing color doesn’t matter is monumental. Most Organic Acid Technology (OAT) coolants are orange, yellow, red, or purple. (Read Can I Mix Engine Oil)
How much coolant fluid do I need?
Answer: A car’s coolant tank can hold 3 gallons. To replace the engine coolant, follow these steps: Let your car sit on a level surface for an hour or two to cool the engine.
How much coolant does a 2014 Ram take?
14.0 qt (13.33 liters) of coolant capacity.
How many quarts does a 5.7 Hemi take?
6.6 liters or 7 quarts of oil are needed for the 5.7L Hemi engine. Covers 2003-2020 5.7L Hemi engines. Not only does the 5.7L’s oil capacity matter.
What coolant does a 2015 Ram 1500 take?
Zerex 1 Gallon Orange 50/50 antifreeze is an antifreeze product.
What kind of coolant does a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 take?
One gallon of yellow 50/50 antifreeze from Zerex.
How much coolant to fill an empty radiator?
Once the coolant is 1 inch below the radiator’s neck or a few inches below the full mark on the coolant tank, the radiator or coolant tank should be progressively filled with new coolant. Allow the engine to run for some time. The coolant level in the radiator/coolant tank rapidly decreases as the engine warms up. (Read Water Remover For Gas Tank Guide)
Is it bad to overfill coolant?
Overfilling coolant might cause difficulties. Hot engine coolant can damage wiring and electrical components. If a hose bursts, your engine will lose coolant, causing damage. (Read Why Does Water Come Out My Exhaust)
How much coolant do you need for flushing?
Use equal parts distilled water and coolant. Your mechanic will combine these before adding them to your engine. Radiator bleeding removes air pockets. Your mechanic will remove the radiator cap and run the engine for 10 minutes to discharge trapped air.
