If you're wondering, “why should I flush my coolant?” Here are the top purposes:
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- Preventive measure purposes
- Engine repair purposes
There are many fluids in your vehicle, and all these fluids have specific purposes. In addition, many of them are involved in critical processes, which means that you should keep up with these fluids.
Your vehicle's coolant is one of the critical fluids you must maintain all the time. You don't only need to keep the right coolant level, but you also need to keep the right coolant quality.
The coolant is expected to go bad over time of use; you'll have to flush it based on what's recommended new vehicles owner’s manual. Unfortunately, many customers still underestimate the reason for flushing the car coolant.
This article walks you through all the details to help you answer the question, “why should I flush my coolant?” It will highlight two different categories where coolant flush is needed, including preventative measures and engine repairs.
What is the coolant, and what does it do?
The coolant is a fluid part of your cooling system. You could probably hear about that fluid that runs around the engine to bring its temperature down. When the coolant is released as the Internet pressure exceeds a certain threshold, it sucks any excess temperature and allows your engine to operate within the typical operating temperature range.
Coolant does not provide you with the same characteristics forever. So there will be a point where you have to change it because it got so old, and it collected a lot of contaminants as it's starting around the engine. So that's where you will start thinking about a coolant flush.
What is the coolant flush?
The coolant flush refers to when your mechanic takes out all the existing coolant and replaces it with a fresh new one. This flush aims to remove any potential contaminants and restore the coolant to drop the engines, and it's very hot.
Why should I flush my coolant?
When your mechanic asks to flush your coolant, there are typically two categories for why you're asked to flush the coolant:
- Preventative measure purposes
The first and very common reason for flushing is typically for preventative measures. This typically means that your vehicle owner’s manual says that you have to flush your coolant even if you're not dealing with any problems if you hit a certain threshold mileage.
In this category, you won't specifically notice any potential problems in your car. Still, if you decide not to perform a coolant flush, that's where you risk your vehicle and might immediately deal with major complications.
Sometimes inexperienced drivers may not be fully aware of the symptoms to look for, indicating that the vehicle is due for a coolant flush. Yet, that's where you want to make sure that your vehicle needs it. Therefore, to stay on the safe side and always prevent any engine problems due to core issues, you must follow the owners’ manuals and recommendations and flush your coolant.
Every vehicle has its threshold for flushing the coolant, and you should check with the manual saying and follow that. However, sometimes mechanics might advise flushing your coolant to make some money. Therefore, if you feel that it is very soon to flush your coolant, you can confirm with some other mechanics, especially if you don't see any reason for flushing the coolant and wasting this money.
- Engine repair purposes
The other category involves flushing your coolant for engine repair purposes. This happens when you start dealing with engine problems because of coolant issues. For example, if your temperature gauge is reading very high on the dashboard, it indicates that the engine is overheating significantly.
Remember that engine overheating is a problem related to a long list of culprits, including a bad coolant. Therefore, once your mechanic is performed before inspection, he'll be able to tell you whether you should flush your coolant early so you can get rid of the problem or not.
Of course, if your mechanic confirms that you have engine issues, there's no room for you to suspect whether you should change the coolant or not because you could easily deal with engine complications that could cost thousands of dollars here if you weigh in the pros and cons of flushing your coolant early, in this case, you'll find that it's worth flushing your coolant.
Symptoms your coolant is due for a flush
As we mentioned earlier, there are some instances where inexperienced drivers may not be able to detect when it's the right time to flush their coolant, especially if it happened before the due date indicated in your vehicle's owner’s manual.
In general, there are some symptoms that you keep can't keep an eye for. For example, check out these five signs indicating that your vehicle is due for a coolant flush:
1- Engine overheating
One of the first and most common symptoms indicating that your vehicle might be due for a coolant flush is when you notice that the gauge temperature on your dashboard is increasing significantly. It indicates that your engine is overheating, and it's getting to a point where it's beyond the operating heating temperature.
When this happens, you got to keep in mind that the problem could be related to many culprits, including coolant leak, bad thermostat, and others. Therefore, you cannot immediately go ahead and flush your coolant just because the engine is overheating. Instead, you'd better consult with your mechanic and have him confirm that your problem will mostly be resolved by flushing your coolant.
2- Weird engine noises
The other thing you should consider is monitoring your engine noises. When the call is very dirty and you notice that your vehicle's engine is making weird noises when it's due for a flush.
Any noises coming from the engine, transmission, or another component should be taken seriously. The noises might indicate serious problems internally, and they could also indicate a minor issue. However, if you know this minor issue, you can easily deal with major complications that could cost you thousands of dollars in repair. Therefore, anything coming from the engine should be communicated with your mechanic to avoid dealing with unpleasant outcomes.
3- The sweet smell in your car
Like weird noises, you should also treat any weird smells the same way. Whether the smell is good or bad, anything that's weird indicates an internal issue. For example, if you started smelling something like Maple syrup, it could indicate that your coolant is leaking inside your car. Coolant is not a good thing to keep in your vehicle because it might lead to health issues.
Therefore, call a mechanic and ask him what should be done whenever you notice this smell. In most instances, your mechanic asks you to bring your vehicle for repair and to check for any potential coolant leak stats you can resolve as soon as possible to prevent complications.
4- Coolant leak
If you couldn't detect the previous problems, there is a more obvious symptom that could immediately force you to consult your mechanic. This happens when you notice some bottles or fluid underneath your column.
The fluids could be different types in your car, but it can be a coolant leak which is a very severe scenario. Therefore, if you notice that your vehicle has a puddle underneath it, you should stop moving your car and call your mechanic before moving it a single inch. In addition, there are some scenarios where you must take the vehicle to the nearest independent shop rather than driving it.
It is never recommended to drive your vehicle with any fluid look because if the problem can be resolved, you can get to a point where you can't fix it and you might end up selling your vehicle because it's just beyond repairs.
5- Low coolant level
Finally, even if you didn't notice the puddles of coolant leaking underneath your vehicle, your vehicle will immediately complain about a low coolant level. This should be noticed in warning lights on the dashboard or other things to bring your attention.
We always like to remind our readers that any warning lights on the dashboard indicate an internal issue. However, you should not ignore it because the earlier you resolve the issue, the easier it is to fix your problem and lower the repair costs.
How much does a coolant flush cost?
The good news is that coolant flush is not very expensive compared to any vehicle repairs or maintenance. Typically, to flush coolant, expected to pay between $100 and $200. Hopefully, if you're mechanic decided to change some components related to the cooling system, that's where your build might add up, which is the typical scenario in most cases.
Coolant flush costs might get impacted by the location where you get the job done. For example, if you flush your coolant and have the right skills, you can eliminate labor costs. However, if you decide to go to a dealership, that's where you have to consider the labor cost.
It's never recommended to flush your coolant unless you have the right skills. There's a very strong chance that you will damage some other components that could cost you a lot of money and more than getting the job done at an independent shop or dealership.
What could go wrong if I don’t flush my coolant?
Everything! If you decide to ignore the coolant flush, you can deal with many potential consequences. For example, your engine will continue overheating like crazy, and we'll get to a point where you can't fix the problem because the engine will be self-destructed.
Also, you might deal with some other complications related to the cooling system itself. For instance, many customers mention that their cooling system got attacked by corrosion, and corrosion is one of the worst enemies that could kill your vehicle and reduce its value significantly.
Finally, ignoring a quote flush might get you to a point where you can't drive your car, which means you're just dealing with a clunker that got damaged every morning of every minor car repair, including the coolant flush.
Final thoughts
Flushing your coolant is required in two different Categories: preventive measures and engine repair issues.
This article provided you with all the details you need to know about these two categories to help you answer the question, “why should I flush my coolant?” It is never a good idea to ignore flushing your coolant, especially if it's specified new vehicle owner’s manual, because it can typically lead to significant problems in your engine, causing you a lot of money.
If your vehicle has significant problems, including those related to the cooling system, you can always think about selling this vehicle, especially if labor costs and appear costs pile up. Cash cars buyer is always here to buy your car no matter its type or condition!
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