What does the radiator do?
Inside your car’s engine, coolant is used to keep the engine at an appropriate temperature and stop it from overheating. When the coolant is not flowing through the engine, it flows back to the radiator where it is cooled back down to a suitable temperature.
Learn more about how the radiator works >
What is the purpose of a radiator flush?
Over time, your car’s coolant can become old, stale and rusty looking, resulting in it losing its effectiveness. Stale or rusty coolant won’t cool your engine down to the same level and eventually can cause internal rust scale build up and engine overheating. It can also pick up small contaminants which can wear down your radiator and engine over time.
Electrolysis (which is the small flow of electrical currents in liquids) occurs between the different metal parts of your engine and cooling system. For example most modern engines have a cast iron engine block, steel frost plugs, and aluminium cylinder head, copper and aluminium radiator parts, aluminium and steel water pump parts and so on.
If you use just water in the engines cooling system the PH level will change over time allowing for significant electrolysis to take place. This often shows up as corroded cylinder heads (and blown head gaskets) or water pump parts, and blocked engine radiator cores.
A radiator flush removes all of the stale coolant from your engine, replacing it with new antifreeze coolant which contains rust and electrolysis / corrosion inhibitors. This allows for your engine to stay at the right temperature and prevents your coolant from freezing on frosty winters days. It also means that any potentially damaging contaminants will be removed from the radiator, engine block, cylinder head and so on.
When should you replace your coolant?
A correctly scheduled coolant replacement will improve the lifespan of your vehicle and keep your radiator and engine in great condition. We recommend that you have your coolant replaced if it ever looks rusty and every 50,000 km or five years, whatever comes first.
How to check your coolant:
Warning: To avoid serious burns, never remove the radiator cap while the vehicle is still warm. Wait at least 45 minutes for the engine to cool down completely and very carefully remove the radiator cap with a rag or towel over it to prevent possible serious burns.
The most efficient way to check your coolant is by physically examining it. Once the vehicle is cool, remove the radiator cap and look at the fluid inside.
Do you see particles floating? If so, you may have rust in your coolant system. Rust can cause damage to your cooling system over time, resulting in expensive replacements. Rust can also be identified by brown stain marks appearing on the coolant tank.
We recommend that you get your coolant flushed as soon as you notice rust in your cooling system. This will keep your radiator and surrounding components in better condition.
Learn more about checking your cooling system for damage.
Radiator/Coolant Flush Service in Hamilton
Are you in need of a radiator flush? If so, we can help you.
When you bring your car to Grimmer Motors, we can thoroughly examine your cooling system, conducting a coolant flush if necessary. We will replace your old, dirty coolant with new, high-quality antifreeze coolant that will last the test of time.
For quality radiator flushing in Hamilton, contact Grimmer Motors today!