My neighbor asked me to replace the thermostat in her 1996 Acura Integra. The 1.8-liter engine in the car was overheating and she didn't have the money to take it to a garage. Since I would do the job for a plate of her cookies, my fee was within her budget.
To drain the coolant, I started the engine, turned the heater control all the way to "Warm", and then turned the engine off before it got hot and developed pressure in the cooling system. I centered the floor jack on the front floor-jack-lift platform and put jack stands under the pinch welds behind the front wheels. I found the drain valve on the bottom, passenger-side of the radiator. I turned it counterclockwise to open it and let the coolant drain. After I closed it, I put the car back on the ground. When replacing the thermostat, I made sure the jiggle valve was at the top when I put it in the housing. When it was all back together, I refilled the system with a 50 percent solution of Genuine Honda Antifreeze-Coolant and water.
