Engine Cooling System: Maintenance Saturn Aura I

Draining Procedure

1. Place the coolant container under the radiator drain cock located at the bottom of the right radiator end tank.
2. Open the drain cock and drain the coolant. A small amount of coolant will drain from the system.
3. Remove the surge tank cap from the surge tank and the coolant will drain from the system.
4. For LE5 and LAT vehicles, if the engine block needs to be drained, a drain bolt is located near the bottom of the water pump assembly.
5. Inspect the coolant.
6. Follow the appropriate procedure based on the condition of the coolant. Normal in appearance-follow the filling procedure. Discolored-follow the flush procedure. Refer to «Coolant System Flushing»(ref-301507-S12363702812008101700000) .

Cooling System Draining and Filling (GE 47716 Fill)

Tools Required

1. J 26568 Coolant and Battery Fluid Tester. See «Special Tools»(ref-301507-S03788199182008101700000) .
2. GE-47716 Vac N Fill Coolant Refill Tool. See «Special Tools»(ref-301507-S03788199182008101700000) .
3. J 42401 Radiator Pressure Adapter. See «Special Tools»(ref-301507-S03788199182008101700000) .

1. Place the coolant container under the radiator drain cock located at the bottom of the right radiator end tank.
2. Open the drain cock and drain the coolant. A small amount of coolant will drain from the system.
3. Remove the surge tank cap from the surge tank and the coolant will drain from the system.
4. For LE5 and LAT vehicles, if the engine block needs to be drained, a drain bolt is located near the bottom of the water pump assembly.
5. Inspect the coolant.
6. Follow the appropriate procedure based on the condition of the coolant. Normal in appearance-Follow the filling procedure. Discolored-Follow the flush procedure. Refer to «Coolant System Flushing»(ref-301507-S12363702812008101700000) .

Vac-N-Fill Procedure

1. Install J 42401-2 into the surge tank fill neck.
2. Install J 42401-3 to the surge tank fill neck.
3. Attach the Vac N Fill cap to the J 42401-3.
4. Attach the vacuum gage assembly to the Vac N Fill cap.
5. Attach the fill hose to the barb fitting on the vacuum gage assembly. Ensure that the valve is closed.
6. Pour the coolant mixture into the graduated reservoir.
7. Place the fill hose in the graduated reservoir.
8. Install the vacuum tank on the graduated reservoir with the fill hose routed through the cut-out area in the vacuum tank.
9. Attach the venturi assembly to the vacuum tank.
10. Attach a shop air hose to the venturi assembly. Ensure the valve on the venturi assembly is closed.
11. Attach the vacuum hose to the vacuum gage assembly and the vacuum tank.
12. Open the valve on the venturi assembly. The vacuum gage will begin to rise and a hissing noise will be present.
13. Continue to draw vacuum until the needle stops rising. This should be 610-660 mm Hg (24-26 in Hg). Cooling hoses may start to collapse. This is normal due to vacuum draw.
14. To aid in the fill process, position the graduated reservoir above the surge tank.
15. Slowly open the valve on the vacuum gage assembly. When the coolant reaches the top of the fill hose, close the valve. This will eliminate air from the fill hose.
16. Close the valve on the venturi assembly.
17. If there is a suspected leak in the cooling system, allow the system to stabilize under vacuum and monitor for vacuum loss. If vacuum loss is observed, refer to «Loss of Coolant»(ref-301507-S26230156032008101700000) .
18. Open the valve on the vacuum gage assembly. The vacuum gage will drop as coolant is drawn into the system.
19. Once the vacuum gage reaches zero, close the valve on the vacuum gage assembly and repeat steps 12-18.
20. Detach the Vac N Fill cap from the J 42401-3.
21. Remove J 42401-2 from the surge tank fill neck.
22. Add coolant to the system as necessary.
23. Inspect the concentration of the coolant mixture using J 26568 . See «Special Tools»(ref-301507-S03788199182008101700000) .
24. Detach the vacuum hose from the vacuum gage assembly.
25. Attach the extraction hose to the vacuum hose.
26. Open the valve on the venturi assembly to start a vacuum draw.
27. Use the extraction hose to draw out coolant to the proper level.
28. The vacuum tank has a drain valve on the bottom of the tank. Open the valve to drain coolant from the vacuum tank into a suitable container for disposal.

Flushing

When the cooling system becomes contaminated, the cooling system should be flushed thoroughly to remove the contaminants before the engine is seriously damaged.

1. Drain the cooling system. Refer to «Cooling System Draining and Filling (Static Fill)»(ref-301507-S13982568612008101700000) or «Cooling System Draining and Filling (GE 47716 Fill)»(ref-301507-S12163304372008101700000) .
2. Remove the surge tank. Refer to «Radiator Surge Tank Replacement»(ref-301507-S36982116252008101700000) .
3. Clean and flush the surge tank with clean, drinkable water.
4. Install the surge tank. Refer to «Radiator Surge Tank Replacement»(ref-301507-S36982116252008101700000) .
5. Follow the drain and fill procedure using only clean, drinkable water. Refer to «Cooling System Draining and Filling (Static Fill)»(ref-301507-S13982568612008101700000) or «Cooling System Draining and Filling (GE 47716 Fill)»(ref-301507-S12163304372008101700000) .
6. Run the engine for 20 minutes.
7. Stop the engine.
8. Drain the cooling system. Refer to «Cooling System Draining and Filling (Static Fill)»(ref-301507-S13982568612008101700000) or «Cooling System Draining and Filling (GE 47716 Fill)»(ref-301507-S12163304372008101700000) .
9. Repeat the procedure if necessary, until the fluid is nearly colorless.
10. Fill the cooling system. Refer to «Cooling System Draining and Filling (Static Fill)»(ref-301507-S13982568612008101700000) or «Cooling System Draining and Filling (GE 47716 Fill)»(ref-301507-S12163304372008101700000) .