The importance of a complete cooling system flush
Your cooling system plays an important role in keeping your vehicle running properly. Anti-Freeze serves four purposes in your cooling system:
1. The most obvious is that it prevents the fluid from freezing in your engine block preventing severe engine damage.
2. Anti-Freeze also has anti-corrosion additives that prevent the metal parts from rusting internally.
3. Anti-Freeze has lubricants added that help keep the water pump from prematurely wearing out.
These additives wear out over time preventing the coolant from performing its job.
4. Anti-Freeze also raises the boiling point to a higher temperature than just water alone, preventing the fluid from “Boiling” inside the engine on hot summer days.
Over time, your Anti-Freeze looses its effectiveness and should be replaced. Flush your cooling system at least every five years or 100K Miles. Some manufacturers have more frequent intervals, so be sure to check your Owner's Manual.
Not all Cooling System Services are the same so you need to ask your auto repair shop for details about what the "Flush" entails.
A good cooling system flush is more than draining the radiator and filling it back up. A complete system flush should include draining the radiator, heater core (supplies heat to passenger compartment), engine block and hoses using the factory original type of coolant mixed with distilled water. Tap water should not be used in the mix because it leaves mineral deposits in the cooling system.
Some auto repair facilities are now using “Recycled” Anti-Freeze. Although this is an ecologically friendly product, it only has a life span of 30k to 40k miles. If the shop only flushes the radiator and uses this “recycled” anti-freeze, then only half of the old fluid is replaced and the coolant service is only effective for approximately 15K to 20K miles.
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