Every vehicle has a cooling system called a radiator which holds water and keeps the engine cool while preventing cracks, seizes and other damage to the engine block. A radiator flush is an important maintenance procedure that should be done every few years.
It involves draining the coolant, flushing it out with fresh water, and refilling it with new coolant. Radiator flushes are often seen as a way to extend the life of your vehicle’s cooling system because they remove any buildup in the engine block or radiators and keep it away from corrosion
Although flushing the radiator may not seem like a big deal, trust us it is an important factor to keep your car running smoothly. With that being said you’d probably know the answer to the question is radiator flush good or bad by now.
Yes a radiator flush is good for your vehicle and you can easily do it yourself with tools like a drain pan, gloves, eyewear, fill kits etc…
Why You Need a Radiator Flush?
Flushing a radiator is the procedure that removes the dirt, rust, harmful particles from the cooling system and keeps it working smoothly. When your cooling system has 50 percent distilled water and 50 percent antifreeze, it becomes too contaminated to efficiently cool your car’s engine while running.
Furthermore it can’t keep your car from freezing up during the winter when it’s not in use. Overall It has the potential to cause significant engine damage.
Besides, when you don’t change your coolant for a long time, it will lose its anti-corrosion capability. It can cause deterioration of some metals such as aluminum, copper and others from the engine. This corrosion can clog some passages in the water pump and radiator. So, a radiator flush is very important for your car engine.
How Often Should You Flush The Radiator?
It is better to check the instructions in the user manual of your car to determine how often to flush the radiator. While at it, you could also follow other car-maintenance tasks.
But occasionally you may need to do a radiator flush before the recommended time. Besides, it depends on driving habits such as, in what weather condition you drive the car. Generally, you have to flush your car radiator every couple of years or when you complete driving 100,000 miles.
Moreover, some signs or symptoms will show that your car needs a radiator flush. When you face overheating problems and notice that the coolant is rusty, you should flush the coolant. It is better to install a new one in this case. You should not flush only when there’s an overheating problem but it should be considered a necessary part of automobile maintenance because it removes the dust and junk of the radiator.
Benefits of Radiator Flush
A radiator flush benefits your car’s cooling system in a variety of ways and it is not so expensive either. You can do it one time a year or as per the user manual’s recommendation. By the way, a radiator flush and simple draining are not the same. So, before paying for a radiator flush, you should make sure that you know what you are paying for. Let’s see some advantages of a radiator flush.
It Removes Corrosion and Scale Deposits
Inside the radiator, rusts and scale deposits grow. When you flush the radiator, all these come out along with old antifreeze. It is very important for your car because build-ups like that can overheat and damage the radiator.
Grease The Water Pump
The additives in the radiator lubricate the car’s water pump. It is good for the life span of the pump. It keeps the pump moving smoothly.
Removes all Contaminants
Radiator flush drains the antifreeze from the system that means all the contaminants that grow in the path to the radiator will come out. Due to these contaminants, the coolant can lose anti-corrosive characteristics over time that result in the scale deposits. So, flushing the radiator removes all of these particles from the coolant system.
Inspection of Coolant System
You will see that you are getting a full inspection of the cooling system after a radiator flush. When you take it to flush the coolant, they will check any leaks by doing pressure tests. This test will be included in the flush price.
Protect the Radiator against Rust
After flushing, new anti-freeze provides additives which help prevent rust and other build-up particles. It also prevents foaming that helps to keep the system running efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean by radiator power flush?
Radiator Power flush is something more than a regular radiator flush. It works through the entire cooling system of the vehicle. It is far more effective for overheating problems and radiator damage. Plus it also enhances the efficiency of the cooling system.
Is a radiator flush bad within the first 1000 miles of the vehicle?
For a new car, there is no need for major repairs or work. But you should read the user manual if you face any problems or questions regarding radiator flush. For the 1st 10k miles, you may not face any radiator setbacks. If contaminants build up in the radiator, you should flush it. If you do not face any problem, you should avoid radiator flushing.
Is a radiator flush bad for a car?
The time of radiator flush depends on the condition and contamination of the cooling system. If done when there are no problems, a radiator flush can harm the radiator. When you face overheating or contaminants in the coolant, you should check the necessary cause for this problem. Then if you see that then a radiator flush is the best solution
Wrapping Up
That’s it for this post, so now you should know in what situations a Radiator flush good or bad. However, the advantages of a radiator flush outweigh the negatives and you should do it for the sake of your car’s performance.
The procedure is simple. You can do it at any car repairing shop or can do it yourself at home. When the coolant of the cooling system gets contaminated with lots of rust, contaminants, it cannot keep the engine cool. At this point, a radiator flush is needed. Do a radiator flush and it’ll remove all the contaminants, rusts, dirt and protect the radiator from getting damaged. It makes the radiator perform better under all types of weather.
