Simple Tips For Flushing Your Radiator

When getting your radiator replaced, it's important to look for a radiator shop that can provide you quality products and customer service without compromising your time. However, before you shop online for a new unit, you might want to check first if a radiator flush can fix your problems. This is easy enough to do yourself with a few simple tips:

Step back.

Never forget that radiators are extremely hot while the engine is running, and remain so immediately after the latter is turned off. It is, therefore, important to step back, wait a bit, and let the entire engine cool before even thinking of taking the cap off. Safety first!

Catch the coolant.

Speaking of safety, never let old coolant just drain into the ground or the sewers. Not only is this illegal in some places, it is also extremely dangerous because dogs and little children may accidentally ingest the coolant and get poisoned.

Do the math.

The ratio of coolant and water is important in order to set the balance between efficient cooling and the prevention of rusting and corrosion within the radiator. Generally, 50:50 is a safe ratio to follow, but it may differ depending on specific needs.

A radiator flush is the most important maintenance procedure to keep your radiator running smoothly. If it's not enough and you'll need an actual replacement, however, just be sure to source from the most reliable suppliers.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Car Radiators

Cars can be difficult to figure out at times due to all the parts that could potentially encounter problems at any given time. The radiator and cooling system alone can give some drivers a headache, prompting them to ask questions. Here are a few of the common ones:

How long should I wait before getting a radiator flush?

In a radiator flush, old and dirty coolant is drained from a radiator and replaced with a fresh batch to ensure consistent and efficient cooling. There is generally no concrete rule on when a flush should be performed, but a good guide to follow is every other year or around 40,000 to 60,000 miles.

Can I run the car with a broken radiator?

Too much heat can be disastrous for any engine. Thus, driving a car with a broken radiator is not advisable. In a worst-case scenario, you can still drive your car to a radiator shop for replacement, but keep a close eye on engine temperature the whole way.

Should I get a repair or a replacement?

The answer to this question depends on what kind of damage the radiator actually has. small leaks, for example, can be remedied temporarily, but rusting, corrosion, and bigger leaks call for a replacement.

There are quite a few more questions regarding radiators that drivers and vehicle owners commonly ask. The average driver should at least be aware of some of the answers to avoid more serious damage and even catastrophic accidents.

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Things to Know About Radiator Coolant

Without its cooling system, your car is essentially a chunk of metal that wouldn't go very far before overheating and experiencing serious engine problems. This is why your radiator and the coolant in contains are so important. Here are three valuable questions and answers about radiator coolant:

What is it?

Coolant actually serves several different purposes for a car, although the two most important functions are to prevent overheating and, interestingly enough, prevent freezing. Coolant is also called “antifreeze” at times, but it really proves its mettle as a fluid that draws heat away from the engine and brings it to the radiator to be dissipated into the surrounding air.

How much do you need?

When you buy a coolant that still needs to be mixed with water, the typical ratio is 50:50. Some motorists raise the amount of water to around sixty percent, but this is mostly for high performance cars that need the better heat dissipation properties of the water. Some coolants come pre-mixed and ready to just be poured into the radiator filler.

When should it be replaced?

A simple maintenance task called a “radiator flush” involves draining off the old coolant and refilling the radiator with new coolant. There is no set rule on when a flush should be performed, but it is good to follow the every other year rule or every 40,000-60,000 miles.

Coolant is important to a water-cooled car as blood is to a human. Without it, your car would be not function properly.

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Unusual But Effective Radiator Leak Quick Fixes

When you're out for a drive, the last thing you want to happen is to get a leak in your radiator tank or radiator hoses. Not only is this an inconvenience but it can also potentially lead to overheating and serious engine problems; so the quicker you address the issue, the better. Here are three unusual but effective quick fixes for your radiator:

Black pepper

If you're having trouble with pinholes or small cracks in the radiator, try pouring in a container of ground pepper into the tank. The pepper will rush into the holes and expand due to the heat, thereby plugging the breaches and allowing you to get home or to a repair shop.

Eggs

Eggs don't just make a delicious breakfast -- they're great for temporarily plugging leaks, too. Cracking one or two eggs into the radiator filler helps plug up the leak as the pressure forces the egg into the gaps as the heat cooks it.

Duct Tape.

For problems with a radiator hose, a good roll of duct tape should be enough to temporarily mend a break. This is only applicable for hoses since it would be hard to look for the holes in the tank, and the intense heat of the radiator may just melt through the tape and leave a big mess.

Know these quick fixes and never get sidetracked by a leaking radiator ever again.

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Car Safety Tips: How to Open a Radiator

Earlier this year, the famous Hulk Hogan made the news after a terrible radiator accident left his hand a blistered mess that needed immediate medical attention. This is one of the most horrific fates a person can face when working on any vehicle's radiator. If you don't want it to happen to you, here are a few tips to consider:

Wait and get a towel.

When an engine has been running for some time, radiator coolant is not only hot–  it is boiling hot. This is why you should always wait for the engine to sufficiently cool down before even thinking of touching the radiator. In the meantime, just get a towel for added protection.

Don't open it all the way.

If you're still not entirely sure the radiator has cooled down enough, try using the towel to twist the cap a bit. If you observe coolant and steam still trying to escape, close the cap again and resume the wait.

Use the cap as a shield.

Finally, when you do open the radiator all the way, pull the cap toward you so that any escaping steam and coolant will be diverted away from you. Ideally, the radiator will have cooled down already to avoid this entirely; but you can never be too careful.

Since working on a radiator is dangerous business, it is always best to take a few extra precautions along the way. Don't wait to learn the hard way like Hulk Hogan did.

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On Human Homeostasis and Car Radiators

It is surprising just how many parallels you can draw between the function of the human body and a car's engine. For example, radiators (along with the rest of a car's cooling system) have the crucial function of preventing the engine from overheating, and this can be compared to how a person's body works to maintain constant body temperature. While these two systems are not exactly the same, they are similar in a way.

When temperatures become elevated, the human body perspires to cause heat to be drawn away from the skin as the perspiration evaporates. For water-cooled cars, this is like the circulating coolant that draws excess heat away from the engine, and to the radiator. Beyond certain temperature levels, however, the body stops perspiring, which brings on a fast transition to heat stroke, which is analogous to engine failure in an automobile. The bottom line here: just as mechanisms for homeostasis are important in keeping a person alive, a cooling system is crucial for a car, and without either of them, there would be trouble.

You wouldn't last long in the summer heat if your body cannot maintain a constant temperature; so you should understand just how crucial it is for your car to have a working cooling system. That said, the good news is that you have the choice of buying quality parts for your car, which you should only source from trusted suppliers. It's not “just” a radiator; it's your car's chance at life.

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