Warning! Do not allow antifreeze to come into contact with your skin or painted surfaces of your vehicle. In case of contact, rinse immediately with plenty of water. Antifreeze is extremely toxic and deadly if ingested. Do not leave antifreeze in an open container or spilled on the floor; its sweet smell can easily attract children or pets. Check with your local authorities for disposal of used antifreeze. In many areas there are special centers for its reception.
1. The cooling system must be regularly drained, flushed and refilled. This procedure is performed to maintain the quality of the cooling mixture and prevent the formation of corrosion, which reduces the efficiency of the cooling system and can cause engine failure. When servicing the cooling system, you should also check the condition of all hoses and the radiator cap and replace defective components if necessary. Check the frost resistance of the coolant using a special hydrometer.
Dehumidification
Attention! The radiator and cooling pipes are made of aluminum. To avoid damage due to corrosion, the system must be filled only with liquid approved by Opel. Other types of liquid must not be used, even if they guarantee reliable operation of the cooling system.
1. Set the heater control lever on the instrument panel to the "Heiss" ("Hot") position.
2a. Unscrew the expansion tank cap. If the engine is hot, wait and then remove the plug completely. The location of the expansion tank is shown in the illustrations below.
2b. Unscrewing the expansion tank cap (2.0L engine).
2c. Expansion tank for 2.4 l engine.
3. Drain the coolant by removing the radiator cap or disconnecting the lower hose. If the coolant is in satisfactory condition, it can be collected in a container for further use. Otherwise, it must be disposed of properly.
Flushing
1. Once the system is completely drained, flush the radiator with clean water from a garden hose until clean water comes out of the drain hole or bottom hose. If the radiator is badly rusted, damaged or leaking, it should be removed (see chapter Cooling and heating systems) and send it to a repair shop to a radiator specialist.
2. The flush described above will remove various deposits from the radiator, but will not remove rust and scale from the engine surfaces and cooling pipes. All this can be removed with a chemical cleaner. To perform this procedure, follow the cleaner manufacturer's instructions. Before flushing the engine, open the drain plug of the cylinder block.
3. On suitably equipped models, remove the overflow hose from the expansion tank. Dry the tank, rinse it with clean water and connect the hose.
Filling
To prevent air from entering, fill the system with coolant as follows:
1. Set the heater control lever to the "Heiss" ("Hot") position.
2. Connect the lower hose to the radiator.
3. Make up a coolant from antifreeze and water in a ratio corresponding to the operating temperature of the vehicle (see chapter Cooling and heating systems). Separate filling of water and antifreeze is not allowed, as this will not ensure the required quality of the mixture.
4. Pour liquid into the expansion tank up to the top edge and tighten the cap.
5. Start the engine and let it run until the fan comes on (at about 90°C). It is recommended to let the engine cool down completely again after this.
6. Check the coolant level in the expansion tank. If the level does not reach the "Kalt" ("Cold") mark, you need to add fluid. The air comes out of the system itself, i.e. there is no need to open any plug for this.
Adding plain water to the system is not allowed.
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