How to change antifreeze for Opel Zafira

For the normal operation of the Opel Zafira engine, high-quality cooling is necessary, because without it the power unit will overheat and, as a result, wear out faster. To quickly remove heat, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the antifreeze and replace it in time.

Stages of replacing the coolant Opel Zafira

Opel's cooling system is well thought out, so replacing it yourself is not difficult. The only thing is that it will not work to drain the coolant from the engine block, there is no drain hole there. In this sense, it is necessary to rinse with distilled water to wash away any remaining liquid.

The model has become very popular in the world, so in different markets it can be found under different brands of cars. But the replacement process will be the same for everyone:

• Opel Zafira A (Opel Zafira A, Restyling);
• Opel Zafira B (Opel Zafira B, Restyling);
• Opel Zafira C (Opel Zafira C, Restyling);
• Vauxhall Zafira (Vauxhall Zafira Tourer);
• Holden Zafira);
• Chevrolet Zafira (Chevrolet Zafira);
• Chevrolet Nabira (Chevrolet Nabira);
• Subaru Travik).

A wide range of engines was installed on the car, including gasoline and diesel power plants. But the most popular with us is the z18xer, this is a 1,8-liter gasoline unit. Therefore, it would be logical to describe the replacement process using the example of him, as well as the Opel Zafira B model.

Draining the coolant

The engines, as well as the cooling system of this model, are structurally the same as those used in the Astra. Therefore, we will not delve into the process, but simply describe the process:

1. Remove the expansion tank cap.
2. If you stand facing the hood, then under the bumper on the left side there will be a drain cock (Fig. 1). It is located at the bottom of the radiator.
   
   Fig.1 Drain point with coated hose
3. We substitute a container under this place, insert a hose with a diameter of 12 mm into the drain hole. We direct the other end of the hose into the container so that nothing spills out and unscrew the valve.
4. If sediment or other deposits are observed in the expansion tank after emptying, it must be removed and rinsed.

When performing this procedure, it is not necessary to completely unscrew the drain cock, but only a few turns. If it is completely unscrewed, the drained liquid will flow out not only through the drain hole, but also through the valve.

Flushing the cooling system

Usually, when replacing antifreeze, the system is flushed with distilled water to completely remove the old coolant. In this case, the properties of the new coolant will not change and it will fully work within the stated time interval.

For flushing, close the drain hole, if you removed the tank, replace it and fill it halfway with water. We start the engine, warm it up to operating temperature, turn it off, wait until it cools down a bit and drain it.

We repeat these steps 4-5 times, after the last drain, the water should come out almost transparent. This will be the required result.

Filling without air pockets

We pour new antifreeze into the Opel Zafira in the same way as distilled water when washing it. The difference is only in the level, it should be slightly above the KALT COLD mark.

After that, close the plug on the expansion tank, start the car and let it run until it warms up completely. At the same time, you can periodically increase the speed - this will help expel the air remaining in the system.

It is better to choose a concentrate as a filling liquid and dilute it yourself, taking into account the water that has not been drained, which remains after washing. But it is not recommended to use ready-made antifreeze, since when it is mixed with the remaining water in the engine, its freezing temperature will deteriorate significantly.

Frequency of replacement, which antifreeze to fill

For this model, information about the frequency of replacement is very inconsistent. In some sources, this is 60 thousand km, in others 150 km. There is also information that antifreeze is poured throughout the entire service life.

Therefore, nothing concrete can be said about this. But in any case, after acquiring a car from your hands, it is better to replace antifreeze. And carry out further replacements according to the intervals specified by the refrigerant manufacturer.

The service life of the original General Motors Dex-Cool Longlife antifreeze is 5 years. It is his manufacturer who recommends pouring it into cars of this brand.

Of the alternatives or analogues, you can pay attention to the Havoline XLC or the German Hepu P999-G12. They are available as a concentrate. If you need a finished product, you can choose Coolstream Premium from a domestic manufacturer. All of them are homologated by GM Opel and can be used in this model.

How much antifreeze is in the cooling system, volume table

Model	Engine power	How many liters of antifreeze is in the system	Original liquid / analogues
Vauxhall Zafira	1.4 gasoline	5.6	Genuine General Motors Dex-Cool Longlife
1.6 gasoline	5,9	Airline XLC
1.8 gasoline	5,9	Premium Coolstream
2.0 gasoline	7.1	Hepu P999-G12
diesel 1.9	6,5
diesel 2.0	7.1

Leaks and problems

In any system that uses a liquid, leaks occur, the definition of which in each case will be individual. It can be pipes, a radiator, a pump, in a word, everything related to the cooling system.

But one of the frequent problems is when motorists begin to smell refrigerant in the cabin. This indicates a leak in the heater or radiator stove, which is a problem that needs to be addressed.