We all know that our vehicles require regular maintenance to keep them running safely and reliably. Most people change their oil at some regular interval, which is one of the most important and cost-effective things you can do to make sure your car doesn’t take an early trip to the scrap yard. Transmission fluid is also high up on the list of regular maintenance items. However, a regular coolant flush is a car-maintenance game changer that often flies under the radar of even the most experienced mechanics. Continue reading below to find out everything you need to know about the necessary act of flushing your radiator. Watch this video for a quick overview of the benefits of a coolant flush.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=N-21pFdeeQ0&feature=emb_logo
Everything You Need to Know About the Coolant Flush
What Is Coolant?
To know if you need a coolant flush, it’s important to understand what antifreeze, or engine coolant is and what it does. The internal combustion uses heat to expand gases, which move the engine’s pistons (and your vehicle). Therefore, there will always be left over heat after each cycle. This excess heat needs to be removed to keep your engine from overheating. The more quickly this excess heat can be removed, the more efficient the engine will be. The original internal combustion engines were air cooled, but water-cooled engines quickly replaced them.
Why is a coolant flush necessary?
The main reason to regularly change your antifreeze is to protect your engine from internal corrosion. For instance, antifreeze contains different chemicals to maintain pH levels and keep various materials from corroding. Over time, these chemicals are depleted and will no longer protect your engine and cooling system from corrosion. This can lead to costly leaks and component failures.
Replacing your vehicle’s coolant is the best way to prevent future cooling system problems. If you want to keep your engine in the best shape possible, perform a flush every time you replace the coolant. With the old precipitants and corrosion products removed, heat transfer will be restored to its maximum.
Signs Your Car Needs a Coolant Flush
While it’s a good idea to regularly perform a coolant flush, there are some tell-tale signs that your car runs the risk of damage to the radiator or cooling system. In this case a coolant flush should be performed as soon as possible:
- Leaking coolant
- Knocking engine noise
- Visible debris in coolant
- Odd smells or odors
The Dangers of Not Flushing Your Radiator
If you’re not regularly flushing your radiator (we recommend every 40 to 50 thousand miles), you may be setting the table for damage and engine corrosion. As a result, here are a few of the main issues you can run into if you let your coolant sit in the radiator for too long:
- Engine scale and erosion
- Clogged radiator or heater core
- Cooling system leaks
- Stuck or broken thermostat
- Water pump problems
How Long Does a Coolant Flush Take
Now that you understand why a coolant flush is necessary, it isn’t hard to make time for one. Coolant flushes typically take no more than an hour, so there’s no excuse not to flush your engine every 50,000 miles!
How Do You Flush a Cooling System?
If you’re ready to flush your cooling system at home, check out our directions or watch our Live Leak Free video! The only other thing you’ll need is BlueDevil Radiator Flush. Our concentrated formula has advanced cleaning agents that will remove all of the build up from your vehicle’s cooling system due to regular use (or even many miles of neglect). Protect your vehicle from wear and tear and engine corrosion today!
You can find BlueDevil Radiator Flush at your favorite auto parts store:
- Advance Auto Parts
- Pep Boys
- Car Quest Auto Parts
- Bennett Auto Supply
- Autozone
- Prime Automotive
Or you can purchase BlueDevil Radiator Flush online here.
Pictures provided by www.cherokeeforum.com and www.aprilliaforum.com