Pressure Test
- Turn the engine off. WARNING: To avoid personal injury, do not unscrew the coolant pressure relief cap while the engine is operating or hot. The cooling system is under pressure; steam and hot liquid can come out forcefully when the cap is loosened slightly.
- Check the engine coolant level. Refer to «COOLING SYSTEM INSPECTION»(ref-194631-S08024987122005092900000) .
- Connect the Radiator/Heater Core Pressure Tester to the degas bottle nipple and overflow hose. Install a pressure test pump to the quick-connect fitting of the test adapter. NOTE: If the plunger of the pump is depressed too fast, an erroneous pressure reading will result.
- Slowly depress the plunger of the pressure test pump until the pressure gauge reading stops increasing and note the highest pressure reading obtained.
- If the pressure relief cap does not hold pressure, remove and wash the pressure relief cap in clean water to dislodge all foreign particles from the gaskets. Check the sealing surface in the filler neck.
- If 8-9 kPa (13 psi) cannot be reached, install a new pressure relief cap. If more than 12 kPa (18 psi) shows on gauge, install a new pressure relief cap. NOTE: If the pressure drops, check for leaks at the engine to heater core hoses, engine-to-radiator hoses, water valve hose (if applicable), oil cooler return tube gasket, radiator and heater core or other system components and connections. Any leaks which are found must be corrected and the system rechecked.
- Pressurize the engine cooling system as described in Step 4 (using a pressure relief cap that operates within the specified upper and lower pressure limits). Observe the gauge reading for approximately two minutes. Pressure should not drop during this time.
- Release the system pressure by loosening the pressure relief cap. Check the engine coolant level and replenish, if necessary, with the correct engine coolant mixture. refer to «COOLING SYSTEM DRAINING, FILLING AND BLEEDING»(ref-194631-S05090087632005092900000) .
Radiator Leak Test, Removed From the Vehicle
| CAUTION | Never leak-test an aluminum radiator in the same water that copper/brass radiators are tested in. Flux and caustic cleaners may be present in the cleaning tank and they will damage aluminum radiators. |
Note. Always install plugs in the oil cooler fittings before leak-testing or cleaning any radiator.
Note. Clean the radiator before leak-testing to avoid contamination of tank.
- Leak-test the radiator in clean water with 138 kPa (20 psi) air pressure.
COOLING SYSTEM INSPECTION
| WARNING | To avoid personal injury, do not unscrew the coolant pressure relief cap while the engine is operating or hot. The coolant system is under pressure; steam and hot liquid can come out forcefully when the cap is loosened slightly. Failure to these instructions may result in personal injury. |
| CAUTION | Check the coolant level, engine oil and transaxle fluid, top off the coolant if needed, if there is engine coolant in the engine oil or transaxle fluid the cause must be corrected and oil/fluid changed or major component damage may occur. |
- Inspect the coolant color: If engine coolant has a clear, light green or blue color, this indicates higher water content than required. Dark brown could indicate unauthorized stopleak may have been used. A light or reddish brown color indicates that rust may be present in the cooling system. Flush the system and refill with the correct mixture of water and engine coolant. An iridescent sheen on top of the coolant could indicate a trace of oil is entering the system. A milky brown color may indicate that either engine oil or transaxle fluid is entering the cooling system. If transaxle fluid is suspected the cause may be a leaky radiator, pressure test the cooling system. refer to «PRESSURE TEST»(ref-194631-S34946033162005092900000) . If engine oil is suspected the cause of the leak may be internal to the engine. If transaxle fluid is contaminated with engine coolant the cause may be a leaky radiator, pressure test the system. refer to «PRESSURE TEST»(ref-194631-S34946033162005092900000) .
- If engine coolant appearance is good, test the engine coolant range with the battery and antifreeze tester: Maximum range is 60/40. Minimum range is 40/60.
- Adjust coolant range and level if necessary: If coolant is low, add specified coolant mixture only. If the engine coolant tests to weak, add straight engine coolant until the readings are within acceptable levels. If the engine coolant tests strong, remove some of the engine coolant and add water until the readings are within acceptable levels.
