Coolant Flush

[Bogatyr]

Oldswagon,
I'm a little leary of the chemical flush stuff as I have always seemed to develop cooling system problems after using one of these products. What I do now is to drain the system completely, fill with distilled water, run that up to temp, drain again and then fill with the coolant mix.
Bogatyr

 

[rpn453]

I don't really think the chemicals are necessary unless your coolant system has been neglected for many years or had poor tap water used in it.

 

[Kestas]

I'd be careful with the flush product. If it isn't completely removed after treatment, it can continue eating your cooling system.

 

[Oldswagon]

Thanks for the advice so far. I should probably explain a little further though.

The car that I plan to flush is 20 years old and the cooling system should probably be chemically flushed. The system is still all original (other than the hoses) and is starting I am starting to notice deposits in the rad. Winters are pretty harsh here, so cooling system peformance is critical. As I said, I have used chemical flushes in the past without any issue. However, I would like to find a better flush to ensure that my rad, coolant passages and heater core are as clean as possible.

 

[Jelly]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Oldswagon:
Thanks for the advice so far. I should probably explain a little further though.

The car that I plan to flush is 20 years old and the cooling system should probably be chemically flushed. The system is still all original (other than the hoses) and is starting I am starting to notice deposits in the rad. Winters are pretty harsh here, so cooling system peformance is critical. As I said, I have used chemical flushes in the past without any issue. However, I would like to find a better flush to ensure that my rad, coolant passages and heater core are as clean as possible.

---

Here's what I do for a first time flush in a vehicle with a few miles on the clock...

Buy many gallons of distilled water.
Buy two little jugs of Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner (NOT THE FLUSH!).

Basically, drain all the coolant from the radiator (using the tap on the bottom of the radiator) and fill it back up with distilled water. Run the engine until you fill the upper hose turn hot, and then drain the radiator again, and again fill up with distilled water. Continue to do this until the liquid flowing out of the radiator drain is clear.

BTW, make sure when your doing the routine that you have your heater on so you get the stuff out of the heater core as well.

Anyways, once the system is full of clean, distilled water, add the jugs of the cleaner and drive it around for several days (Instructions are on the cleaner bottle).

After the period of time, do the same routine again. Drain radiator and fill with clean, distilled water. Do this until the drain runs clear.

After this, fill radiator with new antifreeze/coolant (pre-mixed stuff is easier to use)...cycle system again, and keep filling and draining until you've put in enough antifreeze to equal the capacity of the system (whatever your manual says).

*This might sound complicated (or confusing), but it's very simple, and will leave you with a spotless coolant system.

[ September 04, 2003, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Jelly ]

 

[Amkeer]

Agree with the responses above! Do not use radiator flush! Just use DISTILLED, yes DISTILLED water and repeatedly flush the system with it until the water is clean. Then fill 50/50 anti and distilled.

Daily Drives
-2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner XtraCab, Impulse Red, Peppy 2.7 Liter 4 Banger, Running Mobil1 Synthetics SS 5W-30.
ODO 4700 Miles.
-1995 Toyota 4-Runner, Evergreen, 3.0 V6, Running Mobil1 Synthetic SS 10W-30.
ODO 81000 Miles.

 

[Oldswagon]

Who makes a good coolant flush? I have tried Prestone and Kleen-Flo's formulas in the past, and they seemed to work okay. Are their any better ones out there that will clean an old cooling system well?

 

[Gsleve]

before one adds a 50/50 mix should'nt one account for the amount of distilled water in the block that has not been drained, if one considers the volume of the total cooling system and subtracts for the what remains in the block generally it accounts for about half, only thing one would need is to add anti and if system demanded more fluid distilled water could be added either way you'd probably achieve between a 50/50 or 60/40 mix.

 

[frank2009]

would you consider installing a flush and fill kit? easy to install and worth the extra time it takes to install. i've seen alot of debris removed from neglected cooling systems with these kits.

 

[Kestas]

Gsleve, that's why I first learn the capacity of the cooling system I'm working on. After flushing the old fluid out, I put in the proper antifreeze charge, then top up with distilled water.

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Oldswagon:
Who makes a good coolant flush? I have tried Prestone and Kleen-Flo's formulas in the past, and they seemed to work okay. Are their any better ones out there that will clean an old cooling system well?

---

Well I dont exactly subscribe to the NO coolant flush as the posters here. I have never had a problem with good hoses. Although I have not used many flushes in the recent past but one
The BG flush.
They make TWO, one is a FLUSH and the other is a Drive as you go flush. The latter is not as harsh but cleans over time, and did a real good job on my system. I am assuming based on your latter post
that you are doing a "refurbish-ing" of the system. I would suggest that you 1. Replace ALL the hoses after the flushes and 2. don't neglect the Thermos either.
If it were me I would get two or three drive as you go flushes (I think like 4.00 ea.) and either one stronger (???8-10.00) or anyone elses flush and go fron there.
I'd put one in the existing fluid and go a few hunderd miles, fill with cheap fluid, and add the second and maybe the third. Then the normal flush, change of hoses etc. And yes I do subscribe to using CLEAN bottled water.
Cheers! :-}

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Oldswagon:
Who makes a good coolant flush? I have tried Prestone and Kleen-Flo's formulas in the past, and they seemed to work okay. Are their any better ones out there that will clean an old cooling system well?

---

Well I dont exactly subscribe to the NO coolant flush as the posters here. I have never had a problem with good hoses. Although I have not used many flushes in the recent past but one
The BG flush.
They make TWO, one is a FLUSH and the other is a Drive as you go flush. The latter is not as harsh but cleans over time, and did a real good job on my system. I am assuming based on your latter post
that you are doing a "refurbish-ing" of the system. I would suggest that you 1. Replace ALL the hoses after the flushes and 2. don't neglect the Thermos either.
If it were me I would get two or three drive as you go flushes (I think like 4.00 ea.) and either one stronger (???8-10.00) or anyone elses flush and go fron there.
I'd put one in the existing fluid and go a few hunderd miles, fill with cheap fluid, and add the second and maybe the third. Then the normal flush, change of hoses etc. And yes I do subscribe to using CLEAN bottled water.
Cheers! :-}

 

[Jelly]

Best stuff I have come across...it's like flush on steroids (Prestone also makes a flush as well...this stuff is just much more potent and cleans a lot better). Worked very good in my truck. Can pick it up over at Wal-Mart. Throw a couple bottles of it into cooling system (system with distilled water only, no antifreeze!). Run it for a week, then drain thoroughly with distilled water again, then fill with 50/50 mix.

Bottle will fill you in on the rest.

 

[Jelly]

Oh...something else that the bottle won't tell you.

Make sure to turn your heater on when your driving around (not all the time, just sometimes) so the cleaner will circulate through the heater core as well.

 

[TheTanSedan]

Was happy to be reminded of this method.

Just finished using the PRESTONE Super Radiator Flush (2-bottles for 12-quarts and above) in our 2001 JEEP Cherokee. Took a long time to get system emptied -- running clear with distilled water -- (JEEP radiator tank [2001] is plastic with lousy plastic draincock assembly difficult to get to without a "sidewinder" ratchet; went and bought one as book says to remove entire front grille assembly) -- added flush and drove about 7-hours ina one day period with heater on max temp and #2 fan position. (Doesn't hurt that ARX in fresh conventional oil was just added, plus fuel system cleaning). Got on local highways and just cruised for the time period.

Had quite a dirty solution to change out. Again, took a long time (hours), but am well-satisfied with results. Sparkling clean water prior to adding anti-freeze (XEREX G-05) and more SCHAEFFERS #258 Clean & Cool. Used 10-gallons distilled water per gallon cooling capacity: 3 gls = 30 gls distilled. Wal-Mart had cheapest distilled. (Worst junk came out early for transport to recycle, rest went on fence edging).

Ph came in at 8.8 at finish.

Ph level had dropped since last change, and since addition of #258 last summer prior to a 1000-mile light tow. This is truly a vehicle hard on its cooling system. (Currently at 65k)

Will change again in October: third set of hoses and fasteners, first replacement of thermostat and water pump (should be at about 80k at that point) and a power flush.

(Have posted elsewhere about satisfaction with #258 performance.)

[ January 06, 2004, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: TheTanSedan ]

 

[terryr]

I used vinegar.
It was suggested on a web site, and I know it cleaned out my humidifier, so I put in water and vinegar and drove for several days. All the white deposits on the rad were gone and a bunch of rust came out. I refilled and emptied 12 times before the water stayed clear!
Then I filled with anti-freeze and de-ionized water.

 

[radiometer]

Terryr: VINEGAR: Cool. My wife uses that to clean calcium and iron deposits that get deposited in our coffeemaker, resulting in its clogging up. It works very well in that application. I replaced a radiator in my truck to learn my lesson about using our well water in automotive cooling systems. I've since been buying demineralized water for my autos. WHERE did you get the idea of using vinegar to clean automotive cooling systems? Unless someone comes up with good reasoning against it I'll use it next time.

 

[txmatt]

CLR anyone?

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jelly:
Best stuff I have come across...it's like flush on steroids ... Run it for a week, then drain thoroughly with distilled water again, then fill with 50/50 mix.

Bottle will fill you in on the rest.

---

I got some to use in my car, which I plan to do today.

Read the label first. It used to contain Sodium Hydroxide, but doesn't now. The new versions"Contains Sodium Citrate" on the back label. I just got an MSDS sheet from Prestone today to make sure of what's in it.

It said:
Prestone Super Radiator cleaner AS101 MSDS 102
Non-Hazardous Components >1%
Water 60-90% 7732-18-5
Sodium Citrate 7-13% 68-04-2

I'll post my results in a few days. I'm going to use it in an 8 year old car I just bought. The cooling system doesn't look super rasty, but I want to start with a clean system, good coolant and new hoses so I'll know what I have.


I also looked up
Prestone Super Flush, AS107
it's MSDS (which I got from another source) says:
Water 60-90% 7732-18-5
Sodium Citrate 7-13% 68-04-2
Sodium Xylene Sulfanate 1-5% 1330-72-7

It looks the same, except the "milder" Flush has the additional Sodium Xylene Sulfnate!

It looks like the primary difference is that when you use the Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner, you use more of it and leave it in longer.

Any chemists care to comment?

****

 

[road_rascal]

If one would just drain and refill the radiator on an annual basis, flushing would be a moot point, right? I did that on my old 1990 Dodge and never had any cooling/ radiator problems.