Your vehicle uses coolant to help keep your engine from overheating. This fluid is usually called coolant, a half-and-half mixture of water and antifreeze. When you get an antifreeze flush and refill, you’re removing all the old dirt, rust, sludge and old fluid that has been left behind. Dirty coolant can wreak havoc on your vehicle, so it’s important to have regular flushes in order to keep your engine operating at the correct temperature.
The Role of Antifreeze
Your coolant flows through the radiator, water pump, and various hoses in your engine. It then goes through an internal engine passageway that keeps everything from overheating. When coolant or antifreeze levels are too low, they can’t cool your engine down enough. The same is true if your coolant is dirty and filled with grime and sludge. Modern engines are not able to handle too much heat, so an overheated engine means extremely costly repairs and extensive damage. Clean coolant at a healthy level will prevent this from happening, even during the hot summer months. When checking your coolant, look for a translucent shade of green, red, or orange. Dirty coolant will be dark brown in color and opaque with a sludgy consistency.
Why You Need an Antifreeze Replacement and Flush
When you have your antifreeze flushed and replaced, it will protect your vehicle and its cooling system. You may notice a low coolant warning light, or your engine temperature gauge may start creeping into the danger zone. Other common warnings include the check engine light coming on, steam coming from underneath the hood, or you may even observe coolant leaking. A system flush and replacement can help to remedy this problem. Your mechanic should check all of your cooling system components including the drive belts, radiator hoses, water pump, and cooling fan.
An antifreeze flush is not the same as a simple fluid replacement. Just replenishing low levels of coolant will not remove the dirty fluid that’s already there. A proper flush will not only eliminate all old and dirty fluid, but it will also completely remove any remaining dirt and other contaminants. This means that the new antifreeze will be brand-new and clean. A proper flush removes gunk from all components of your cooling system to ensure that every element is clean and in good working order.
If you need vehicle diagnostics, preventative maintenance, or repair, contact Benton Road Auto and Diesel Repair in Bossier City, LA for all your automotive needs.
