You Must Flush a Car Radiator

Your car's radiator is the cornerstone of its cooling system. If it failed to do its job, your engine would quickly overheat and sustain damage. Coolant moves through your engine and absorbs the intense heat produced by the assembly. If flows through a network of hoses into your radiator. Within this component, it flows through a series of small tubes, which are equipped with fins. These fins allows heat to dissipate as air is blown across the component's surface. With the heat removed, the coolant flows back to your engine to repeat the process.



The Breakdown Of Coolant And Its Effects

Over tens of thousands of miles, rust and deposits can build within the radiator. This occurs as the antifreeze begins to break down and become acidic. At a certain point, the accumulation of these materials becomes significant enough to cause minor obstructions, which prevents the coolant from flowing as freely as it should. The coolant thus becomes less capable of drawing heat away from the engine, causing the assembly to operate at higher temperatures than normal. Severe restrictions can lead to overheating.

Flushing The System To Clean It Out
One way to address the buildup of rust and deposits is to perform a radiator flush. The question is, should you? The service sounds ideal, but may provide less value than initially seems to be the case.

A "flush" has traditionally involved forcing water through the assembly in order to clean out the buildup. A high-powered pump is used to accomplish this. The problem is, the small tubes through which the coolant travels are positioned in such a way that the pressure cannot sufficiently clean them of rust and deposits. This is especially true of the tubes that lie near the bottom of the assembly.
Another problem is that flushing the radiator can do more harm than good on older models. The rust within them can break away and float through the assembly, resting in areas that create worse blockages. For these reasons, flushing has largely been replaced with draining and changing the coolant.

Setting The Right Expectations
Before flushing your radiator, it's important to have the right expectations regarding what the service can and cannot do. First, most of the rust and sediment that collects within the assembly tends to do so near its bottom. If these materials cling to the inside of the component, a simple "drain and change" will be insufficient for removing them. This means there is unlikely to be a noticeable change in the performance of your engine.
On the other hand, changing the coolant every two years will help minimize the extent to which it breaks down. This, in turn, minimizes the likelihood of further sediment buildup and additional restrictions. This prolongs the operating life of your engine.

Draining And Replenishing The System

Draining the old antifreeze is relatively simple. You'll need a screwdriver, some rags, the new coolant, flush detergent, and a container to hold the old antifreeze. The first step is to find the drain plug along the underside of the radiator. Once you find it, place the empty container underneath. Then, use the screwdriver to remove the plug and drain the system.
Once you have completely drained the cooling system, replace the drain plug and fill the assembly with the flush detergent. Then, start your vehicle and allow it to idle for fifteen minutes with the heater turned on. This allows the detergent to circulate through the assembly, cleaning the small tubes of some of the sediment.

Next, turn your car off, remove the drain plug, and drain the flush detergent. Then, replace the plug and replenish the radiator with the new coolant. Use a 50-50 mix (i.e. 50 percent coolant and 50 percent water). Lastly, replace the cap.
While "flushing" your radiator in the traditional sense may be inappropriate for your car, draining and replacing the coolant is necessary. Doing so regularly helps to ensure your engine will operate smoothly without overheating.

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