so ive got 70,000 miles on my 03. my res- is empty so i figure i may as well flush it and refill it. however i didnt get the owners manual with the jeep. is this an easy thing to do. can someone kinda give me some pointers. thanks everyone.

That owners manual is kind of a PITA to find.Make sure you look all the way at the very top of the glove box,as there is a little shelf thats hard to see.As for flushing,before we got our new flush machine at work,we just lowered the radiator about a quart or so,added the flush chemicals,ran at idle for about 1/2 an hour,carefully remove radiator cap(after it cools a bit),stick a garden hose in the top of radiator,turn on just enough water pressure to flow over with the draincock open at the bottom of the radiator.Let it run another 1/2 an hour till the water at the bottom comes out good and clear,turn off engine,let radiator drain completely to the last drop,then add the conditioner and coolant till full and thermostat has cycled a couple of times,cap it off,test drive,check level again,and you should be set.Hope this helps.

OFF TOPIC: When I was growing up,we used to go every year to a place in Illinois to visit my uncles.It was a little place along the "Rock River" near Rockford called "Lost Nation".The name "Dekalb" souds very familiar.My uncles and my dad would build summer cabins and sell them for extra money.Even though I did'nt live there,I still loved to visit often,cause that area was some of the most beautiful country you would ever see.I really miss the visits since my father and his brothers are now all deceased.Just curious if you were near or knew the area?And by the way......Welcome to L.O.S.T.

Ron

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Ron
03 Red Libberty Sport
3.7 V6 Auto 4x4
Lifted
Cooper Discover ATRs 265/75/16
American Racing 16x8 Polished Baja Wheels
Moog Lower Ball Joints
Member#051397 L.O.S.T. Midwest

thanks for the info. and yes dekalb is very near rockford. about 45 min with the fuzz buster on. those are some insightful tips and i really thank you for them. this is really a great web site. gotta love the way everyone comes together. go bears!!

I would just drain the radiator by the petcock, put some new hoses on it along with a stat and call it a day.

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

I'm just getting ready to do this, and I'll be installing new rad hoses at the same time.

How important is it to replace the thermostat, and what's involved? Also, do recycle places take old rad coolant?

I actually got 2 owner's manuals with my '03 KJ. I've been thinking about selling the extra one. Send me PM if your interested.

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The Jeep Family:
2003 KJ Renegade - wife's daily driver
2001 WJ Limited - sister's daily driver
1997 XJ Sport - my daily driver
1995 YJ - the trail rig
1979 CJ5 - dad's toy
1966 M416 - the jeep trailer
1948 CJ2A Willys - my new project

It's not a big deal but is a good peace of mind if you've gone to this much trouble and change the hoses go ahead and replace the thermostat. In comparison they are inexpensive but if you've gone this far just replace it. one less item to worry about down the road just good maintanance practice

Thanks, I'm going to replace the thermostat then.

My KJ is heading into its 5th winter, so I'm doing a bit of prep work on it: new rad hoses, new fluid, thermostat and battery. The hoses should be in this week (from All-J).

I got another good laugh from the dealership yesterday: they want $63 for a thermostat! Plus taxes, that's over $70.

The battery I ordered is an Odyssey PC1500. Took a while to track one down and finally found one at, of all places, Home Depot. Now when the cold hits, I feel like I'll be ready (knock wood).

Make sure whenyou get your replacment thermostat that you get one that stays open. I mean they have one out in the market that if it does fail it fails in a fully open position. This is just a good option to avoid over heating. As I stated before this is a cheap insurance policy to protect you KJ.

Okay, thanks! I hadn't heard of those. I'll check into it.

I've always installed the Prestone Flush and fill kits on my trucks, it makes flushing the coolant fun! On the Liberty it took me a while to decide how to install it b/c it was designed for a traditional system (open to atmosphere reservoir) as opposed to the pressurized reservoir. I installed the "T" just below the reservoir and flushed out the radiator cap until water was clear, with the engine running and warmed up. At least that's how I remembered it. I may have taken one of the upper radiator hoses off to flush thru with the radiator cap on....hmm....i'll figure it out pretty soon when I do it again this fall.

Where is the thermostat located at on the libby?

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05 Liberty 4x4, Atlantic Blue
Extended Breathers
3/4 Mopar Skids
OME Lift, 245/75/16 General Grabbers AT2, ProComp Extreme Alloys 7189
Mopar Tow Hooks

Open the hood, look down at the pulleys. The thermostat housing is to the left, below and behind the pulleys. You'll see where the rad hose ends at the housing.

Does anyone know if a gasket has to be used or will RTV work when doing the swap? What about thread lock on the bolts?

The t-stat housing is plastic,takes a special plastic o-ring,can't use RTV.You can get both the t-stat and o-ring from Napa.

T-stat = gasket(o-ring)-part# THM380195 for $22.29

Thanks!