Your cooling system requires a clean and stable coolant (also called antifreeze) mix to ensure proper cooling. Over time, coolant can strip impurities and particles from your engine components (a byproduct of standard daily operation) and create corrosive sludges and deposits. Given enough time, these deposits can build up and block coolant channels in your engine or cause corrosion of various components and gaskets.
A regular cooling system flush is the best way to ensure you’ve removed all of the dirt and contamination from your engine’s cooling system and are starting new with fresh, properly mixed coolant. Cooling system flushes are often ignored (trust us, we hear horror stories about this on our tech line), so don’t fall into this trip. Consider a flush a detox for your entire cooling system.
More Than a Simple Top-Up
From time to time, it’s important to check your coolant level. Small amounts of coolant can leak out or get burnt off, so a top-up is a good idea. If your coolant level gets too low, your cooling system can’t remove enough heat from your engine and you risk overheating or damaging your engine.
A full coolant flush is different. It’s best to get a qualified mechanic or service center to perform this unless you are knowledgeable and have the equipment you need at home. A coolant flush involves:
- Draining the old coolant
- Flushing an approved cleaning solution through your engine to remove old debris and contamination
- Rinsing out the cleaning solution to ensure no impurities remain
- Checking all radiator and hose seals and gaskets and replacing those that are worn
- Filling the cooling system up with approved coolant in the right ratio (coolant/water mix)
- Starting up the engine and verifying there are no leaks and that the cooling system is working
Failing to flush your cooling system can cause degradation to your radiator, water pump, cooling hoses and your engine itself. It is advisable to perform a flush every five years or every 30,000 miles. Take care of your cooling system today and it will keep you running cool and smooth for years to come!
Before you tackle this project (or hire a mechanic to do it for you), make sure you have a quality cooling system flush solution. We, of course, recommend our tried-and-true 10 Minute Radiator Flush or Super Radiator Flush. You can find a store near you that sells Bar’s Leaks using our online locator tool, or check for our products in major online stores like Walmart and Amazon for even more convenience.
Questions about any of this? Contact us and we’ll be happy to chat with you. Easy peasy.
