Wayne wrote on 16. Sep 2007 at 17:14:

As I keep saying, the offer of assistance is there if you are prepared to pop up here.  Vauxhall 'Red' is about £12 from dealer at retail prices.

Tap water is fine, esp if not too hard (I know Oxford is a little hard, should be OK).

If you have access to a hose then this will aid you no end, drain the radiator with the drain off valve when cold. Add a bottle of forte cooling system flush and top up with water to the cold mark. Run the engine or go for a drive to get the engine up to temp and get the flush around the whole system. Run the heater fans on full and hot settings to help get the heater matrix flushed.

Stop the motor and drain the radiator via the valve.]BEWARE THE WATER WILL BE VV HOT]
REMOVE THE RAD CAP SLOWLY  and wait for the engine to cool, remove the hose from the rad to the engine on the left of the engine[ silver pipe] and more water will pour out here.
if you have a secondary coolant pump bolted to the inner wing below the header tank remove one pipe and place your hose in this hose and flush through the heater matrix untill clean water emerges. open the rad valve again and now place the hose pipe into the disconnected rad hose and back flush the rad. close the rad valve and refit the rad to engine hose and coolant pump hose and refill the header tank.
Start the engine and the header tank level will drop as the water is taken around the system so keep an eye on the level top up untill the level stays the same. drain and repeat untill you have cleared all the flush and the water comes out clear. It takes a while to flush the v6 but it is worth it in the end.

Wayne wrote on 16. Sep 2007 at 17:14:


I thought you were a musician? 

Thinkit would be worth taking out the thermostat next time I do mine (like some of you did say, but honestly it didn't say it on my bottle )
I am still getting green stuff in my reservoir.... keep trying to dilute it by dropping the water, flushing  then refilling with clean water....... will get there in the end

Wayne wrote on 16. Sep 2007 at 20:56:

No, don't take the thermostat out just yet - that job is a little more challenging


In the week, I can only do evenings, as I work all day.  Tuesday evening may be difficult, Wed evening may be better, I'll check...

Thanks to all   Water is now very nearly clear, its had 8 changes .. and the 7th had a 250 mile drive . Mrs E dinked her clio, needs a new bonnet and headlamps ... found a source let me have them all for a tenner .. trouble was 125 miles away. Bonnet now fitted .. lights after work tomorow with luck. Then a final water flush and in goes the antifreeze

Off topic ... 250 miles at around 70-75 ...  80% motorway  averaged 36.7 mpg  , and the boot was open all the way back with a clio bonnet sticking out of it !!

YOU KNOW OXFORD WELL THEN MATE 

i know where them stores are

i will pop into holloway autoparts tomorrow, do you think they will do FORTE then?