Coolant Flush How-to: 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Van 5.2L V8 Standard Passenger Van

Dodge Ram 1500 Van Model Years - 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

1. Getting Started - Prepare for the repair

2. Overview - How to determine cooling system type

3. Open the Hood - How to pop the hood and prop it open

4. Find Reservoir - Locate the coolant / antifreeze reservoir and clean it

5. Drain Reservoir - Remove coolant / antifreeze from the reservoir

6. Radiator Cap - Remove the radiator cap before draining

7. Drain Point - Locate the drain point on the radiator

8. Drain Coolant - Drain the coolant from the system

9. Circulate Water - Run engine with distilled water and flush

10. Fill Coolant - Dilute coolant / antifreeze with distilled water and fill

11. Locate Hoses - Locate the coolant / antifreeze hoses and connection points

12. Burp System - Remove excess air in the cooling system

13. Cap Radiator - Replace the radiator cap

14. Replace Cap - Put the reservoir cap back on

15. Clean Up Tips - Secrets to dealing with spilled coolant

16. More Info. - Additional information on coolant flushes

Author

Hans Angermeier is an ASE certified Maintenance and Light Repair Technician and has produced over 100,000 videos showing drivers how to fix things on their cars. He has broad expertise on basic repair procedures covering the majority of cars on the road. Over the past 10 years, Hans has been focused on building CarCareKiosk, which is visited by millions of drivers each month.

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Video Description

Learn how to flush the coolant (antifreeze) in your 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Van. Coolant / antifreeze circulates through Ram 1500 Van radiator and engine to maintain the proper temperature. Coolant / antifreeze also passes through the heater core under your cowl to provide heat to the cabin of your Ram 1500 Van. In addition to preventing your car from overheating, coolant / antifreeze also helps lubricate the seals in the water pump and hoses. Start your coolant flush by draining the coolant / antifreeze that is in your reservoir, then drain the coolant that is in your radiator by opening the petcock or removing the lower radiator hose. This video shows where the radiator drain plug (petcock) is located on a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Van. Fill up the radiator with distilled water and run the engine. Turn off the engine and drain the water, fill up the radiator with antifreeze until you have a 50/50 coolant / distilled water mixture and burp the system.

Like the oil in your Ram 1500 Van, coolant gets dirty over time and loses its ability to cool down your 5.2 liter engine. When you flush your coolant, which is antifreeze, on your 2002, you are draining out all of the old dirty coolant and preventing costly radiator and cooling system repair down the road. The video above shows you where the petcock on your radiator is located, how to flush the coolant / antifreeze and how to burp the system to get the air out of your Ram 1500 Van.

Coolant is toxic and animals are attracted to the sweet taste of coolant (antifreeze). If you spill coolant when you flush your Ram 1500 Van, be sure to put down cat litter to soak it up to discard it. Flushing the coolant on a regular basis removes gunk and mineral deposits from your engine, while prolonging the life of your heater core, thermostat, hoses and water pump.

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