Vehicles utilize antifreeze, aka engine coolant, to remove excess heat made by internal combustion engines. This heat gets removed through the radiator. The term antifreeze comes from the idea that the coolant has chemicals in it that keeps it from freezing in cold weather. If did freeze up once the temperature dipped below 32, your vehicle wouldn’t be able to operate.
Engine coolant gets circulated through the engine block, radiator and heater core thanks to the water pump. Coolant not only helps take away excess heat but also serves as a lubricant for your vehicle’s water pump. Ideally, when your coolant is working well, there’s good heat transfer taking place as intended. Coolant also acts as a corrosion inhibitor.
Don’t Wait on a Coolant Flush
When a mechanic tells you it’s time for a coolant flush, he or she wants to help protect your engine from internal corrosion. Chemicals in coolant can deplete over time and not be as effective, thus allowing for corrosion, leaks, and, perhaps, component failures.
Therefore, vehicles get new coolant while a coolant flush occurs as well. Basically, a mechanic wants to get rid of any old coolant from the system and replace it with totally brand new coolant.
New coolant will help a vehicle’s engine run cooler. Meanwhile, flushing the system gets rid of any built-up dirt, rust or sediment. Obviously, you don’t want that stuff in the system over time because it could easily mess with the water pump and/or clog your radiator.
So when do flushes happen? Typically, about every 40,000 – 60,000 miles. Oftentimes the vehicle owner’s manual will recommend coolant change intervals. It’s best to take your vehicle to a professional for the flush because they have an expensive machine that does the job properly.
Keep in mind that a flush is more than just draining the old coolant and filling the system with new… by having a professional coolant flush, the mechanic’s machine circulates fluid through the system several times to remove any debris that’s in there. With a flush, you’re able to get “gunk” out of the system.
AV Bumper to Bumper can do a professional coolant flush on your vehicle. Please call 661-949-1999 to make an appointment.
