Cooling System
Reliable Auto Repairs from Christian Brothers Automotive
Coolant flushes provide many benefits to your cooling system. It is important
to maintain your cooling system, just like every other part of your vehicle,
which is why the experts at
Christian Brothers Automotive recommend a coolant flush once a year to keep your it working effectively.
If you don’t remember when your vehicle last had a coolant flush,
our team is ready to help you.
What Is the Cooling System?
The engine cooling system is comprised of several parts, including:
- The water pump
- Anti-freeze (or coolant)
- Upper radiator hose
- Radiator
- Lower radiator hose
- Several pipes and fans
First things first, the cooling system is not the AC system. This could
be a fatal mistake for your engine. While air conditioning is a nice luxury,
the cooling system is vital to your car’s drivability.
The cooling system has three primary functions:
- Keeps the engine from overheating
- Keep the engine’s temperature high enough to meet emission requirements
- Provide heat in the winter
Keeping your engine at a safe operating temperature is the main goal of
the cooling system. This is easier said than done. The cooling system
utilizes coolant (also called antifreeze) to dissipate heat created by
the combustion engine. Coolants are typically a mixture of ethylene or
propylene glycol with de-mineralized water.
It’s also important to note that coolant does not last the entire
lifetime of the vehicle. It needs to be consistently monitored. The cooling
system doesn’t need a full maintenance overhaul with every oil change,
but the antifreeze levels should be checked and corrected. It’s
also important to check the quality of this fluid.
Why Coolant Is Important
Your engine temperature is maintained by a flow of antifreeze, also called
“coolant.” When we do a coolant flush, we push antifreeze
through your car’s cooling system to completely clear out the old
antifreeze and any contaminants that have built up. All the old coolant
is evacuated from the system so that when we put new antifreeze in, it
won’t just mix with the old. Lastly, conditioners are added to prevent
rust and scale deposits, resulting in a new, longer-lasting antifreeze.
Every make and model is different, so the recommended maintenance schedule
varies. Check your owner’s manual to see when your vehicle needs
a coolant flush. Usually, it should be done once a year. If it’s
been longer since your vehicle received a coolant flush, call your local
Christian Brothers Automotive today.
When Should You Schedule A Maintenance Service?
Most manufacturers recommend full service
every 30,000-60,000 miles (or 3-5 years). While your cooling system does not need frequent work, there’s
no better auto repair shop than Christian Brothers Automotive. During
service, our ASE-certified technicians drain the old coolant and refill
it with fresh coolant, ready to work.
At Christian Brothers Automotive, we’re committed to making car maintenance
as easy as possible. Call your nearest Christian Brothers Automotive location
today to learn more.
