What Is A Coolant Flush And Does My Car Need It?
Coolant needs to be changed too. Not as often as your oil does, but still, you will need to change or "flush" the coolant in your car.Coolant needs to be flushed because it breaks down over the years and then loses the ability to serve its purpose of maintaining optimum temperature of the engine and preventing corrosion. Dirt and rust particles are floating inside the coolant which can clog your radiator or heater core. Clogs in the radiator will cause your car to overheat. A clog in the heater core will prevent heat from getting into the car. A heater core replacement is a very expensive repair, like $600-$900 expensive. All to have some heat. Yikes!In a coolant or radiator flush, all of the old coolant is drained or flushed out and new clean efficient coolant is added in. So, how often should you get a coolant flush?It is best to follow your owner's manual. Each car has its own maintenance schedule and your owner's manual will tell you when in miles or month/years to have your coolant flushed.
Here's a rule of thumb. Factory coolant or coolant that was added to the car when it was built should be drained by 100,000 miles if not before. After 100,000 miles, it should be done every 3 years to keep your engine running at it's best!A coolant flush should cost less than $100 including the coolant. A lot of repair places offer it as a special for $50 or so.Questions about coolant and coolant flushes? Email me info@girlsautoclinic.comNext week we will talk about what to do if your car is leaking coolant.