How Often Should a Car Radiator Be Flushed
Many times, you must have seen a car standing on a road side, with smoke coming from the hood. Most often, the reason of this is the overheated engine. An engine overheats when there is a problem with the engine coolant. This engine coolant circulates between the radiator and the engine so that they can stay cool and any heat produced is absorbed and transferred. A radiator flush is the process in which a cleaner is added to the cooling system to remove any rust or sediment. In this OneHowTo.com article, we are going to talk about how often should a car radiator be flushed so you don't find yourself in this annoying situation.
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What is a radiator flush?
Also known as a coolant flush or a cooling system service, a radiator flush is the process in which a cleaner is added to the car’s cooling system to remove any rust or sediment. After that, the system is thoroughly flushed and a new conditioner and anti-freeze is added to protect the car against corrosion. Doing a radiator flush undoubtedly prolongs the life of your car’s cooling system, along with its other components, including heater cores, radiators, water pumps, gaskets, coolant pipes, hoses etc. A radiator flush is required to flush out any harmful contaminants from the car’s cooling system and to add clean, new fluid. In order to prevent any damage or failure of your car’s engine, experts recommend adding a radiator flush to your vehicle’s regular maintenance program.
Why you need a radiator flush
A car radiator is designed to provide cooling effect to the engine through a heat exchange program. The coolant passes through your vehicle’s cooling system and takes away any heat produced while the normal engine is in operation. The entire process prevents overheating of the car which can be devastating for your car’s engine. But with time, the cooling system develops problems due to leaks and corrosion and needs a flush out and replacement. Coolant boosts the water’s capacity to keep the car’s engine temperature under check, even during extremely hot and cold temperatures. But as the engine coolant breaks down with time and loses efficiency, it needs to be flushed out at regular intervals of time.
A radiator flush schedule
Generally, there are no set rules to go for a radiator flush, but car manufacturers say that it should be done every 3 years or every 40,000 to 60,000 miles, whichever appears first. Getting the flush done before this recommendation is not a problem, as it will only help in cleaning and preventing any dirt or sediment build up. New anti-freeze added to the cooling system will definitely contribute towards protecting your car from the effects of extremely hot or cold temperatures.
Factors that may affect your radiator flush schedule
If you are living in extremely hot or cold climatic regions, then you would need to get your radiator flushed at the start of every season. The water type that you use in your car’s radiator also affects the schedule of your radiator flush. If the water you use has high mineral content in it, it will result in increased deposits and will clog your cooling system sooner. In that case, you will need a radiator flush every year.
If you want to read similar articles to How Often Should a Car Radiator Be Flushed, we recommend you visit our Car Maintenance and Repair category.
