Radiator flush

[Ahgongwolve]

this could be one of the most overlooked area for most car owners...

do u flush your radiator by yourself? or do it often?

[Ghostrider]

I dun go flush...cos I very suay when I do flush...3x I ask to do flush then next thing I know....radiator leak !!

 

So now...every year I just drain all the coolant and replace. So far so good....TOUCH WOOD !! (Wait...I think better go hug a tree better !!)

[Moomoocow]

err..how to flush??? need to flush one meh???

 

[Blue850r]

this could be one of the most overlooked area for most car owners...

do u flush your radiator by yourself? or do it often?

Don't do it, you may end up with leaks or corrosion subsequently. There is no need to flush radiator. It is a thing of the past in the 50s and 60s.

[Dwoon]

I had an old car which I flush personally when in the UK. You could see the rust particles and pieces coming out.

 

Now our cars are using Aluminium alloys for radiators... is there any need too? JUst drain & replace and you'll find out if its really dirty.... sa far, the coolant coming out every 1.5 years has been clean (though smelly).

 

I'm now even wondering if its even necessary to change the coolant that often. Maybe once every 3 years???

[Blue850r]

I had an old car which I flush personally when in the UK. You could see the rust particles and pieces coming out.

 

Now our cars are using Aluminium alloys for radiators... is there any need too? JUst drain & replace and you'll find out if its really dirty.... sa far, the coolant coming out every 1.5 years has been clean (though smelly).

 

I'm now even wondering if its even necessary to change the coolant that often. Maybe once every 3 years???

 

Nowadays our engines are Euro4 and emission is much less, the acids and by-products that seeps into the water is also very little. So the coolant in the radiator is able to perform its job for a much longer time. Drain and refill with coolant very 3 yaers is more than enough.

 

Flushing is when you have rust particles stuck in the holes. These rust and scales come from rusty water pump which nowadays you hardly find them rusting. The only other reason to flush is when temperature is getting higher for no reason, then we suspect radiator efficiency is below par.

[Dwoon]

Yah hor.... when I changed out my water pump at ~ 100K kms ..... it still looked good.... no rust in it at all.

 

BTW, when the radiator is flushed..... does one also flush out the channels in the engine block? I remembered I also channeled water in the other direction through the engine and laods of rust also came out.

Edited January 16, 2009 by Dwoon

[Doosan]

even draining also be careful, after topping up fresh proportion of antiRust+H2O, certain makes of ICE needs to bleeds air.