First dive under the hood. thermostat, water pump, oil

[nc318tigurl]

Originally Posted by Mopho

This is the best advise you can get. I totally agree with cooljess on this plan.
The fitting on the side of the block is VERY important, due to the plastic IS deteriated and I don't care how well the vehicle was maintained, they ALL need replacement after 100K. Radiator hoses are also a must. Make sure the lower radiator hose is on correctly, mine was replaced by a squid that put it on backwards (L shaped hose) and caused mine to rub, thus blowing all the coolant out when it popped, causing a blown head gasket.
You did not mention how many miles are on your car, for the cost of these extra parts it's the best insurance.
And as mentioned before a few times, make sure you burp out all the air. I did mine one time (after changing the water pump) by using my steep driveway, then doing it over and over again as the directions given here.
Good luck and happy motoring when you are done.
And run synthetic oil, of course. Wix filters are better made than most others, check it out on u-tube. Frams, like I have used for years (until I saw what they looked like cut open) are not really one of the better filters.

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