Oil and coolant change

[dpetersen]

Hi guys just after a bit of advice.
Gu patrol series three I think (01/03), 290000ks. 3lt diesel, manual.
I want to change the oil and coolant.
With the coolant are there any tricks to it? Or is it as simple as opening a tap or disconnecting a hose, dropping the fluid and topping it up? I was going to change the thermostat aswell but looks like I'd have to pull the 2nd battery and other stuff out to get to it.
With the oil change iv got valvoline 15w40 synthetic. Is that ok?
Also another quick question..My dashlites, taillights and park lights stopped working. Have checked all the fuses under the dash. Under the bonnet there is a few missing that say they are for taillights but I havnt taken them out, and they used to work?
Thanks in advance guys! Daniel

[Winnie]

All those lights do run through one fuse. You should find it in the drivers side kick panel

[the evil twin]

What Winnie said...
Did you check the fuse visually, with a multimeter or by replacing it with a known good one?
Sometimes they look OK but are shagged

[dpetersen]

Tested with one of those screw drivers with the light, both sides of all fuses. Will try again though.

[4bye4]

I did a coolant change a few weeks ago and after reading the manual, looking it up on the net and various forums, I ended up removing the bottom rad hose and dumping it into a large shallow tray. To get at the tap on the block you will probably have to pull out the second battery. Not the proper way but that's what I did. Refilling can be an issue but if you take the time to bleed the system and park it facing uphill and remember to turn the heater on should be OK.
I have one of these 55424 but an empty coke bottle works also.
Oil change is nothing special but try not to get oil everywhere over the chassis etc.

[the evil twin]

Tested with one of those screw drivers with the light, both sides of all fuses. Will try again though.

Fuse 15 - 10 Amp, end of the row, 3rd one down, above the spare fuses.

If that fuse has power on the equipment side and none of the dash or clearance lights work then you have a problem with your stalk switch I reckon.

[dpetersen]

Ok re checked it, the only one not working is a 7.5amp fuse, number 26, (start ignition). Not sure why it's not working.

[dpetersen]

What's a stalk switch?

[the evil twin]

What's a stalk switch?

The switch what turns on the clearance, dash and headlights on the end of the RH stalk on the steering column.
They aren'ty the most reliable things however it is usually the headlamps that play up not the clearance lamps

Apart from the wire from the fuse to the stalk switch it is the only thing common to all lamps and also the most logic fault.
That doesn't mean that it definitely is tho