I am planning to get the new antifreeze in my car in a few weeks. I am getting the stuff for the job and a shop will do the work. Wondering what should i get for a flush. Just got the car so no nothing about the history except the P.O. said he had new antifreeze put in along with a t stat. I tested the antifreeze and its has 3 balls floating and he had car for 1.5 yrs. Antifreeze appears to be orange in the tester. Car is a 2004 Buicl Park Ave with a 3.8 motor. Will most likely use dex cool antifreeze and plan to use the pre mix. Shop said or understood distilled is not needed. Autozone said Blue Devil flush is what most shops they deal with get. Thanks
Radiator flush product
- Thread starter moparguy
- Start date
Is that all you know about the vehicle's maintenance?
Was the P.O. some guy who had to replace his thermostat and merely topped it off after the job was finished?
What's the condition of the coolant that's in there now? Is it the clear, orange/red color of Dex-Cool?
How does it look down the radiator's filler neck? How does the coolant reservoir bottle look?
You might need NO flush product.
Many have luck simply using dishwasher soap. Scaled up systems need a citric acid flush.
Yes, if you use any pre-mixed coolant, you're not mixing it, so you don't need distilled.
If you go with concentrate, you mix it with distilled.
What are "elbows"?
Was the P.O. some guy who had to replace his thermostat and merely topped it off after the job was finished?
What's the condition of the coolant that's in there now? Is it the clear, orange/red color of Dex-Cool?
How does it look down the radiator's filler neck? How does the coolant reservoir bottle look?
You might need NO flush product.
Many have luck simply using dishwasher soap. Scaled up systems need a citric acid flush.
Yes, if you use any pre-mixed coolant, you're not mixing it, so you don't need distilled.
If you go with concentrate, you mix it with distilled.
What are "elbows"?
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I would be somewhat leery of using chemical coolant flushes. If you flush the system until clear clean water is coming out, that should be all that is required.
I always avoid "premixed" antifreeze, mainly due to cost. For example, if you use plain Prestone "premix", (50/50 mixed with water), Walmart charges $9.98 a gallon.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone...assType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1200&adsRedirect=true
If you buy the one gallon concentrate, which is 100% antifreeze, they only charge $3 dollars more. So you get twice as much coolant for only an additional $3 bucks.
So it ends up that you're paying almost the same or even more for water, as you are for antifreeze. And with concentrate you can also mix it heavier than 50/50 if you choose to do so. Other brands of coolant have a similar cost breakdown.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone...assType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1103&adsRedirect=true
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone...assType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1200&adsRedirect=true
If you buy the one gallon concentrate, which is 100% antifreeze, they only charge $3 dollars more. So you get twice as much coolant for only an additional $3 bucks.
So it ends up that you're paying almost the same or even more for water, as you are for antifreeze. And with concentrate you can also mix it heavier than 50/50 if you choose to do so. Other brands of coolant have a similar cost breakdown.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone...assType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1103&adsRedirect=true
Unless you're having issues with cabin heat it's unlikely you'd need to use a radiator cleaner. Prestone products are an obviously safe choice or Blue Devil. They're all safe when used as directed.
I would determined that the work needs to be done, before planning a way to do the work.
Does it need to be flushed?
Sure, it needs a coolant change - but I would just change the coolant.
Does it need to be flushed?
Sure, it needs a coolant change - but I would just change the coolant.
Like Kira and others have said, first assess the cooling system's condition before selecting a potentially unnecessary product. Does the coolant appear oily, greasy, or just plain filthy? How does the inside of the radiator tank look? Any calcium, lime, or similar buildup on the ends of the tubes? Pull a hose. Is there white slimy buildup on the inside?
If nothing significant, you probably don't need any cleaning products. If there's minor crud buildup, you could use Dawn or an aluminum-safe Simple Green product (such as their motorsports variant).
If you have significant buildup you'll probably need citric acid.
In any case, you can pull and clean the overflow reservoir separately if that's full of crud.
Bottom line is any product, if used at all, should be targeted toward your specific issue(s). Asking the guys at Auto Zone isn't an actual assessment.
If nothing significant, you probably don't need any cleaning products. If there's minor crud buildup, you could use Dawn or an aluminum-safe Simple Green product (such as their motorsports variant).
If you have significant buildup you'll probably need citric acid.
In any case, you can pull and clean the overflow reservoir separately if that's full of crud.
Bottom line is any product, if used at all, should be targeted toward your specific issue(s). Asking the guys at Auto Zone isn't an actual assessment.
I mean this sincerely - some of the dumbest, most ill-informed opinions I have ever heard have come from the mouths of clerks at auto parts stores.
That said, if a product is popular, and the clerk would know what is popular, then, that is an interesting observation.
Not a compelling recommendation, but an interesting observation.
That said, if a product is popular, and the clerk would know what is popular, then, that is an interesting observation.
Not a compelling recommendation, but an interesting observation.
Elbows was plastic and metal now and around the water pump. Theres 2 of them
Be more descriptive.
Seen a dishwasher descaler and cleaner (presumeably removes soap and grease residues) for sale today, and was thinking that might work to clean out a cooling system.
It's a pain to track down distilled and deionized water though.
Even just distilled is ~$2 a gallon at the grocery, so not saving all that much, plus the time to buy it and mix it.
That's cheap on antifreeze. Most parts houses are $15-18 a gallon.
The shop said he does not use distilled water. And said i been online. I beliwill get the kind already mixed
A lot of places don't. And there is no way to prove it either way. Walmart has isles full of the stuff, and dirt cheap.
I recently had my car's coolant changed by my local indie BMW shop. I bought a gallon of distilled water at the commissary the day before. I left the water in the front passenger seat foot well. Greg, the shop's owner, told me that they use pre-mixed exclusively. The distilled water made coffee!
Prestone radiator cleaner and flush in the yellow bottle. They also sell a kit that goes with.
