Replacing coolant on a VAZ 2109, how to drain and refill antifreeze

03/03/2022 2,972 Cooling system

Author: Victor

If the cooling system of a VAZ 2109 car uses antifreeze that has lost its technical properties, this will lead to overheating of the engine and serious problems with the unit. In this article we will look at how to drain the VAZ 2109 Antifreeze and fill it with new fluid, as well as how often this should be done.

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Replacement frequency

According to official regulations, the manufacturer provides for replacing the coolant in cars with carburetor or injector engines every 50-75 thousand kilometers. Such a large interval is due to the fact that it is at this interval of kilometers traveled that the refrigerant begins to lose its properties. And the use of used antifreeze is not allowed. It is not advisable to change the coolant more often than every 50 thousand km.

Signs of the need for urgent antifreeze replacement

The need to change the coolant earlier than required by official regulations may arise in several cases:

1. If sediment has formed in the refrigerant. The presence of deposits in the substance indicates that it has begun to lose its properties. When sediment settles in a dense layer at the bottom of the expansion tank or in the lines, this leads to the fact that the liquid cannot circulate effectively through the pipes and channels. Refrigerant deposits are more noticeable at low air temperatures.
2. Increase in coolant crystallization temperature. To determine at what temperature a substance will begin to freeze, you need to check the density of the refrigerant. The diagnostic procedure is carried out using a hydrometer. In the absence of a device, you can visually determine the increase in crystallization temperature. This refrigerant develops a yellow coating. It will not be visible in the liquid itself, but it can be clearly seen on the expansion tank plug in the engine compartment.
3. Change in color of the refrigerant and formation of a brown tint. If the substance becomes browner, this indicates the presence of corrosive deposits on the metal components of the cooling system. A change in color may be due to the fact that the antifreeze additives have lost their performance characteristics.
4. Overheating of the power unit. If the problem is not related to mechanical problems in the car engine, then you need to check the quality of the refrigerant.

The Avto-Blogger channel published a video that describes in detail the reasons for antifreeze leakage from the car’s cooling system.

When should you change the coolant?

If you follow the manufacturer’s advice (we don’t recommend doing as the manufacturer says, but just take a note to yourself), then the fluid needs to be changed in cars of the Samara family every 50,000-75,000 thousand km. mileage, but in reality the liquid may become unusable earlier, factors such as the quality of the liquid (If it is fake, then 1000 km will be enough for it to change its color) and its expiration date (Each coolant has its own) are responsible for this. expiration date and after its expiration it must be drained and replaced with a new one, otherwise all the additives that are in it will stop working and the engine will firstly boil faster and secondly corrosion inside the parts will begin where the liquid leaks, the liquid has an anti-corrosion additive and thus when the shelf life of the liquid expires, then all additives cease to act as they should), by the way, when the liquid becomes unusable let’s talk, any liquid you probably paid attention to when purchasing has a color (Red, blue, etc.) .d.), if after short-term use the liquid changes its color to reddish (a shade of rust), then the liquid is fake, it must be immediately replaced with a new one, in general, high-quality liquids have a very persistent shade and they retain their color for quite a long time and in the end they only darken, so if your fluid immediately changed color after filling it and driving the car for a short time, then you also filled it with a fake, which is best replaced with new fluid.

Level control and required volume

Before changing the working fluid, the car owner should know what the volume of the Nine’s cooling system is and how much refrigerant it will contain in order to buy the required amount of fluid to complete the task. When changing, the plastic reservoir under the hood will hold about 8.7 liters of antifreeze. If the working substance is not completely drained from the system, then approximately 7-7.5 liters will be poured into it. As for the level control, it is carried out according to the expansion tank marks in the engine compartment. Please note that when the car engine is warm, the fluid volume may be higher. Therefore, before checking, the engine must be turned off and allowed to cool.

Ideally, the refrigerant level should be between two marks - MIN and MAX.

Serber24 user Sani4 in his video clearly demonstrated the procedure for changing antifreeze in a VAZ 2109 car.

For what reasons is coolant consumed?

There are several reasons why the volume of refrigerant will decrease in the refrigeration system:

1. Low negative temperatures. In severe frost, the liquid decreases in volume. This reason cannot be called a leak, but car owners in winter often confuse this problem with a fluid leak. During the cold season, experts recommend adding refrigerant to the system.
2. Formation of cracks and damage in the expansion tank or on its cover. As practice shows, if the defect on the container is insignificant, it will not be easy to detect it visually. The crack may resemble a scratch. Detailed diagnostics will be required. To identify the location of the leak, you will have to use a special dye that is added to the liquid.
3. Lack of tightness in the connections of the lines or damage to the pipes. This problem can be clearly identified. In places of malfunctions, wet traces of refrigerant are visible. If the defect is minor, then it will also not be possible to detect it through visual diagnostics. You will have to add dye to the refrigerant.
4. Damage to thermostat or gasket. If there are defects in the device seal, liquid will leak out, and over time its amount in the cooling system will decrease.
5. Damage to the radiator device of the heating system. During operation, the radiator wears out. If it has already reached the end of its service life, refrigerant may leak through cracks formed on it or through the hose connected to it. Adding liquid is not practical; the cooling radiator must be replaced.
6. Presence of defects on the cylinder head gasket. If there is damage, a leak will form. As a result, the antifreeze will begin to mix with the engine oil, which will enter the coolant. Repairing the problem involves replacing the cylinder head gasket.

Topping up

The coolant addition procedure is performed with the engine cold. In order to add antifreeze, you need to open the hood of the car and unscrew the cap of the expansion tank. The required amount of liquid is added to the reservoir, after which the lid is screwed on.

If it is not known what fluid was used previously, it is better to change it. Because mixing different types of refrigerants will cause the substance to lose its properties.

Required accessories

Maintenance of the engine cooling system is possible with at least 8 liters of special composition.

In the service book, Lada specialists display a list of suitable coolants:

• Antifreeze AM;
• "OZHK LENA";
• "LENA-40";
• Antifreeze A-40M;
• SPEKTROL ANTIFREEZE;
• AGIP ANTIFREEZE EXTRA;
• Glisantin G 03.

The accessories are an open-end wrench set to “13”, a screwdriver and a container for draining antifreeze with a volume of at least 8 liters.

Instructions for self-replacement

Below we will look at how to replace the coolant in the Nine.

What will be required for replacement?

If you change the refrigerant yourself, you will need the following:

• wrench 8;
• hex wrench 12;
• a cut-off bottle or bucket into which you will drain the used refrigerant;
• distilled water or a special product if there is a need to flush the cooling system.

From the video by AvtoDrive user you can learn how to replace the refrigerant in a VAZ 2109 car.

How to drain?

To completely drain the Antifreeze in a VAZ 2109 from the system, do the following:

1. The vehicle is driven into a garage with a pit or onto an overpass. The surface on which the machine stands must be level. If it is not possible to provide such conditions, then make the front of the car a little higher. To do this, place the front wheels on a jack.
2. Start the car's power unit and move the heater control knob to the extreme right position so that the heater blows hot air.
3. Reach under the vehicle and remove the engine crankcase protection. To do this, unscrew the screws that secure it.
4. Stop the engine and loosen the bolt holding the negative battery terminal. This is done to prevent a short circuit from occurring during the draining process.
5. Unscrew the filler cap on the expansion tank. This will reduce the pressure when draining the waste substance.
6. Place a container for collecting waste under the drain plug on the cylinder block. Unscrew the cap and the process of draining the waste liquid will begin.
7. When draining is complete, replace the plug. Now you need to drain the working fluid from the cooling radiator. To do this, unscrew the plastic plug on the radiator, placing a container under it in advance. When the draining is complete, screw the lid back on.

How to properly wash?

If the drained refrigerant is too dirty or contains traces of deposits, the cooling system must be flushed. To do this, you can use distilled water or a special cleaning agent, which is sold at any car store.

The correct washing procedure is as follows:

1. The distillate or flushing agent is poured into the VAZ 2109 power unit through the filler hole located on the tank under the hood. To do this, unscrew the cap and add enough liquid there so that its level is between the MIN and MAX marks on the container.
2. Start the car engine and let it idle for about ten minutes.
3. Turn off the engine and repeat the process of draining the substance.
4. Assess the quality of the drained liquid. If it is too dirty and there are traces of sediment left in it, the procedure for flushing the system is repeated until the water becomes more or less clear.

An Aveo Show user in his video showed how to replace antifreeze and clean the cooling system in a VAZ 2109 car.

How to fill?

You need to fill in antifreeze as follows:

1. Unscrew the reservoir cap in the engine compartment. For greater convenience, you can install a watering can in it.
2. Make sure all caps (drain and radiator) are securely tightened. Check the integrity of hoses and lines. Make sure the thermostat is in working order.
3. Pour fresh fluid into the expansion tank. The refrigerant level should be between the MIN and MAX marks.
4. Tighten the expansion tank cap and start the engine.
5. The engine should run for about ten minutes at idle speed.
6. Reach under the car and make sure there are no coolant leaks.

Necessary tool for draining coolant on VAZ 2109-2108

You won’t need too many tools, but it’s still worth mentioning the minimum that will be needed:

• Phillips screwdriver
• socket head 13
• ratchet handle or crank

You will also need the following materials:

• two 5 liter canisters of antifreeze - I used a red Fellix Carbox
• a dry rag to wipe up traces of liquid if you spill it
• thin hose about 50 cm long - optional
• drain container

What are the consequences of an untimely change?

If replacement deadlines are not met, the car owner will face the following problems:

1. Antifreeze will not be able to perform its intended functions. This will result in the car's heating system not working as efficiently at low temperatures. In some cases, the stove does not function at all.
2. Due to the appearance of sediment in the pipes and radiator of the car, the circulation of the working fluid will be disrupted. This will cause excessive heating of the power unit. Prolonged use of a machine with an overheated engine can lead to failure of the unit.

Photo gallery

Photos of replacing the refrigerant are shown below.

1. Open the hood and unscrew the reservoir cap

2. Move the heater control lever

3. Unscrew the plug on the radiator device

4. Fill the expansion tank with fresh refrigerant

Video “Visual aid to replacing antifreeze”

User markozia in the video showed how to do the procedure for replacing the coolant on a VAZ 2109 car with your own hands.

Do you have any questions? Specialists and readers of the AUTODVIG website will help you ask a question

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Discuss the article:

What to choose?

What do we choose?

Many car owners often wonder about the choice of coolant - antifreeze or antifreeze: which is better? Let's try to figure out what's what without going into deep truths.

Antifreeze

• In fact, all coolants are and are called antifreeze. And antifreeze is no exception to the rule. In fact, antifreeze is just the name of one of the types of antifreeze developed in our area, for our area and for our cars.
• In terms of its performance and characteristics, antifreeze is in many ways inferior to other antifreezes.
• The price of antifreeze is much lower than other coolants.
• Antifreeze is more common among domestically produced cars.

Antifreeze

• There are very, very many antifreezes in the world. They differ in composition, base, color, and so on.
• Various antifreezes include various special additives that help better maintain the car's cooling system and at the same time increase the service life of the antifreeze itself.
• The cost of antifreeze is higher than antifreeze, and it is quite widespread.

Conclusion

Summarize. Antifreeze or other antifreeze? So:

• Antifreeze is undoubtedly better in quality.
• BUT antifreeze is much more practical for several reasons.
• Antifreeze was SPECIALLY designed for our climate and our cars.
• Antifreeze is available in almost every domestic car that passes you. And this can sometimes save (in case of a breakdown on the road).
• There is enough antifreeze for the car to function normally and the cooling system to work as expected.

It is more practical and cheaper (which is very important) to use antifreeze.