How Often Do I Need a Coolant Flush?
Does your vehicle have over 30,000 miles? If so, its important that you make sure you flush your coolant system regularly, especially before the winter comes.
Why Do I Need a Coolant Flush?
- It provides freeze protection
- Continued protection against over heating
- Reduced thermal stresses by having uniform temperatures around your engine and radiator
- Improved cabin heater efficiency
The cooling system is your engine’s only way of releasing heat inside the engine block. Over time, your coolant’s protective additives will become depleted, begin to break down, and is acidic to engine surfaces. Without the proper ratios of antifreeze and water, your cooling system has a higher probability of freezing during the winter. Since water expands as it turns into ice it can have tragic effects on your cooling system, such as cracks in the engine.
Signs of a Bad Radiator
Don’t wait until you start to see the signs of a deteriorating radiator:
- A low coolant warning light
- The engine temperature gauge going to the red zone
- Low coolant levels
- Leaking coolant
- Steam from under the hood
- Cool or cold air coming from your heating vents (instead of hot air)
- Difficulty starting the car
Eventually severe corrosion can occur such as rust, scale, and sludge. This will plug the cooling system fins, thus preventing proper circulation of coolant. If you don’t know if you need a coolant flush, we can check it for you and it only takes a couple minutes.
Every vehicle is different and might have different requirements for when to get a coolant flush. You can read about it in your owners’ manual. See what our service expert, Bill Fletcher, has to say:
Andy Mohr Automotive Service Departments, all offer this service at your convenience.