JD 4115 Coolant capacity manual error?

[OCDLubeman]

My 4115 manual says the SYSTEM capacity is 2.5 quarts. I drained almost 3 quarts just out of the radiator (including 10 oz out of the overflow).

If I were to flush both the block and radiator, following the manual procedure, I would only install 1.25 quarts coolant and 1.25 quarts H20 to refill.

Something tells me there is still about 2.5 quarts in the engine after draining the radiator (like ALL of my other JD tractors).

Thus, 1.25 quarts coolant would not provide a 50/50 mix.

Local dealer can't help. Called JD customer service - they are confused.

Any one have experience with this???? Manual error?? Why can't I find someone at JD that knows?

Thankyou.

 

[ducati996]

My 4115 manual says the SYSTEM capacity is 2.5 quarts. I drained almost 3 quarts just out of the radiator (including 10 oz out of the overflow).

If I were to flush both the block and radiator, following the manual procedure, I would only install 1.25 quarts coolant and 1.25 quarts H20 to refill.

Something tells me there is still about 2.5 quarts in the engine after draining the radiator (like ALL of my other JD tractors).

Thus, 1.25 quarts coolant would not provide a 50/50 mix.

Local dealer can't help. Called JD customer service - they are confused.

Any one have experience with this???? Manual error?? Why can't I find someone at JD that knows?

Thankyou.

I would use JD's already pre-mix 50/50 and be done with guessing the ratio. Just pour it in until filled...

Duc

 

[OCDLubeman]

I must be missing something. On nearly all vehicles, about 1/2 of the coolant solution remains in the engine block after a radiator drain (+/-).

If you follow the manual and flush out the entire system with clear water, you are left with 1/2 the capacity of clear water in the block. If you fill the radiator with pre-diluted 50/50, it will mix with the H2O in the block and give you much less than a 1/1 coolant:water ratio.

It seems like the 50/50 mix is only for top ups or just a radiator drain/refill.

ALL of my four JD manuals (up to a 5420) recommend a complete system flush every two years, not just a radiator flush. Yes, I know, some people never change their coolant and get away with it!

 

[RalphVa]

My 4010 says 2.5 qts, too. However, when I drained the engine and radiator and refilled, it took most of the gallon of 50/50 coolant. I found that I needed to remove the vent off the thermostat housing to get the coolant to drain readily (with the radiator cap in place like the instructions say). Makes it easy to fill, too, with the vent open.

Think I had to separately empty the overflow container. Leaving the radiator cap on didn't suck it out. Don't recall exactly what I did to change its fluid.

Ralph

 

[OCDLubeman]

Thanks, Ralph. Guess I need to read my manual closer. Leaving the cap on is a new twist for me. All my other JD manuals say to remove the cap.

Also, I just do multiple drain/flushes with water, let it warm up to circulate (avoiding cold water in a hot engine), until it runs fairly clean. I'm squemish to remove the engine block drain plug (in the manual). I assume "drained the engine" meant you removed the block plug as well as the radiator plug.

Your info backs up my suspicion that the manual is wrong. It bugs me that they can't confirm it.

 

[ducati996]

I must be missing something. On nearly all vehicles, about 1/2 of the coolant solution remains in the engine block after a radiator drain (+/-).

If you follow the manual and flush out the entire system with clear water, you are left with 1/2 the capacity of clear water in the block. If you fill the radiator with pre-diluted 50/50, it will mix with the H2O in the block and give you much less than a 1/1 coolant:water ratio.

It seems like the 50/50 mix is only for top ups or just a radiator drain/refill.

ALL of my four JD manuals (up to a 5420) recommend a complete system flush every two years, not just a radiator flush. Yes, I know, some people never change their coolant and get away with it!

I just assumed you would test the protection level with a coolant guage, and I was assuming you drained most if not all of the water out.

 

[CATMAN]

Guys, If you use straight antifreeze with water, I recommend you use distilled water. It is cheap insurance. After I flush my pickup with garden hose, I buy enough distilled water to do the last flush/rinse with straight distilled water before I drain and add antifreeze and more distilled water. Might be wasting 5-6 dollars, but my radiator tubes(internally) look great after 22 years on that truck. I also change thermostat every 2 years(at the same time). This truck has a block drain petcock also. It is pretty easy to get most everything completely drained between radiator petcock and block petcock. You can buy nice brass petcocks that fit 1/4" NPT for engine blocks, too. I like the Peterbilt style that they use on their bottom radiator tubes. You know they work, because there are thousands of Semi-tractors bouncing around over millions and millions of miles every year on our highways.

 

[RalphVa]

I open the block drain on my 240D Benz as well. The block drain and the thermostat vent on it are identical to the 17mm plugs on the JD. I refilled it last time with 4 quarts of distilled water and 4 quarts of antifreeze. I don't flush with distilled water. Can't be much water in there when finished. It's 23 years old this year. Do it every other year. Went 3 years and saw some deposits when looking into the radiator. Did a chemical flush the next change. Never had seen deposits before, changing every other year.

On my Tacoma, it's block drain is too hard to get to; normally, I just open the radiator petcock, the thermostat vent and put a hose into the radiator while the engine is running. When the water is clear for a while, I shut off the engine and let it drain. Shut the petcock and put pure antifreeze into the radiator and watch for it to come out the vent. Then close the vent and finish filling the radiator. It's system takes a total of 8 quarts, and I can get 4 quarts of antifreeze in for the 50/50 mix. This last change, since I bought the official Toyota antifreeze, I drained the block and refilled with 4 quarts distilled water and 4 quarts of antifreeze. Go three years, Toyota recommendation.

Redid the VW at 5 years and plan to do it again after 5 years. That's what they recommend, using the VW coolant. Haven't figured out how to do it without a great deal of problems draining and refilling. Thermostat is on the bottom of the engine.

 

[OCDLubeman]

Case solved.

Two dealers told me the manual was correct.

This is the first correspondence back from JD Consumer Contact Center: Thank you for contacting our Web site.

The specification for the cooling system is correct...........

Here is the next correspondence:

Our engineering staff found the information in the manual is incorrect, the coolant capacity for a 4115 is 1 Gallon (4 Quarts).

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! Reinforces my opinion on JD's sinking quality control regarding the bean counters that are over-seeing some of their products and the competence of their customer service hotline.

 

[ducati996]

Case solved.

Two dealers told me the manual was correct.

This is the first correspondence back from JD Consumer Contact Center: Thank you for contacting our Web site.

The specification for the cooling system is correct...........

Here is the next correspondence:

Our engineering staff found the information in the manual is incorrect, the coolant capacity for a 4115 is 1 Gallon (4 Quarts).

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! Reinforces my opinion on JD's sinking quality control regarding the bean counters that are over-seeing some of their products and the competence of their customer service hotline.

I think thats a stretch - they have always been notorious for inaccurate specifications. Thats just sloppy workers and its a plaque in other mfg's as well.