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Coolant Flush Service: When You Need It and What It’ll Cost
Wondering if you need a coolant flush? Learn the symptoms, cost, and best time to get one — plus what happens if you skip it.
A car’s cooling system is often among the most neglected components, but it plays a critical role in your engine’s health. Over time, contaminants build up in the coolant and it turns acidic, which can compromise the cooling system and lead to engine overheating. That’s where a coolant flush comes in.
Flushing your car’s coolant removes contamination that can cause your engine to overheat, and it’s an important part of preventative maintenance. That’s why you should get a coolant flush regularly according to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule, or sooner if you notice signs that point to potential problems.
The cost of flushing the coolant is usually between $100 and $250, depending on various factors. It may sound expensive, but remember that intervals between coolant flushes are long. Also, it’s definitely a lot less expensive than repairs caused by neglecting a timely coolant flush.
What Is Coolant?
Coolant is a liquid that cycles through your engine block, absorbing the intense heat generated by the combustion process in your engine. It’s what keeps your engine from frying itself every time you drive. Once heated, the hot coolant passes through the car’s radiator and cools down, then recirculates back through the engine. This cycle is driven by a water pump, and the process continues as long as your car is running.
Keeps Your Engine From Overheating
The cooling system is responsible for keeping your engine within a safe operating temperature, ensuring good fuel economy, and smooth engine performance. The hot coolant also passes through the heater core, which provides hot air in the cabin of your vehicle, which is especially handy in colder months.
Coolant Ingredients and Color
Coolant is primarily made of ethylene glycol, regardless of color, which can vary among manufacturers. You should always follow your carmaker’s recommendation for replacement coolant. Most aftermarket coolants are generally green or orange, but you also get other shades like blue, yellow, purple, or pink. If your vehicle uses an orange coolant, it’s intended for extended-term use and contains additional rust inhibitors, and is not interchangeable with standard green coolant.
Coolant vs Antifreeze
You’ll often hear coolant and antifreeze used interchangeably. In reality, antifreeze is an ingredient in coolant. Coolant prevents your engine from overheating, while antifreeze stops the cooling system from freezing when the engine’s off.
A 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water will deliver the best protection for most car engines. However, in extremely cold climates, you may need to adjust the percentage of coolant to water for better protection. You might also need an engine block heater if you park outdoors in sub-zero temperatures.
Coolant manufacturers bottle in two ways – either 100% coolant that you must dilute with 50% water, or premixed half-coolant, half-water solutions. Just make sure not to add extra water to premixed solutions, or you’ll end up diluting the coolant too much and reducing its effectiveness.
We Are Here to Help Take Care of Your Coolant System
The team at Mizzoni’s Auto Body is here to help you with anything related to your coolant system. Our dedicated mechanics will ensure that your car’s engine stays protected against all odds.
Coolant Change vs Coolant Flush
So, what’s the difference between a coolant change and a coolant flush? A coolant change is a simpler procedure. It involves simply draining the coolant from the radiator, refilling the engine coolant through the reservoir, and running the vehicle until it is free of air.
A coolant flush is more elaborate and complex. It starts with a chemical treatment additive circulated through the engine before draining the coolant. Next, water is run through the entire coolant system, which flushes out the chemical treatment, corrosion, and any remaining old coolant.
The radiator and engine block are drained completely, and the coolant reservoir is cleaned thoroughly and replaced. After that, new antifreeze is refilled in the engine cooling system and bled of air, ensuring your car runs cool and clean.
Can You Flush Coolant Yourself?
While it’s easy to buy coolant from your nearest store and top it up when the levels are low, a flush is a different story. Flushing your car’s coolant system is more than just emptying the radiator and refilling it.
Coolant is extremely toxic to humans and pets, and ingesting even a small amount of spilled coolant could spell disaster, so proper disposal of used coolant is crucial. If you pour these fluids down your toilet or into a drain, it could end up in your water system.
Also, diagnosing problems in the cooling system can be a challenge if you don’t have the expertise. That’s why we strongly recommend that you let auto body technicians handle the job.
How to Flush Your Car’s Engine Cooling System?
If you have the knowledge and experience, you can try flushing the coolant using the following steps.
- Park your car on a flat and dry surface, and make sure your car engine is completely cool.
- Carefully press down on the radiator cap and remove it.
- Place a pan under the drain plug under the radiator, pull the drain plug, and catch the old coolant in the container.
- Tighten the drain plug and fill the cooling system with distilled water and a radiator flush product.
- With the radiator cap back on, run the car engine for 10 minutes with the heater on maximum.
- Turn off the engine and allow the radiator to cool down completely. Then repeat the drain procedure.
- Install an aftermarket kit that enables you to hook up your garden hose to your coolant system and flush out any remaining sediments.
- Fill in new antifreeze and remove excess air using the bleeder screws.
How Much Does a Coolant Flush Cost?
A coolant flush usually costs between $100 and $250 at an auto repair shop, depending on factors like vehicle make and model, location, and whether we use a chemical flush. It may sound more expensive than an oil change, but keep in mind that the intervals between coolant flushes are much longer. Also, remember that skipping this service can bring bad news, including engine damage that costs far more to repair.
When to Flush Your Car’s Coolant
The simplest way to avoid overheating is to service the cooling system according to your owner’s manual. As a general rule, flushing the coolant and replacing it with fresh fluid every two years or 30,000 miles is a good idea, but guidelines can vary from model to model. Also, there might be signs of trouble if you don’t flush your coolant periodically, which we will talk about in a bit.
Need a Coolant Flush? Make the Right Choice for Your Car
Does Your Car Really Need Regular Coolant Flushes?
Yes, and here’s why: A coolant flush is more than just replacing a liquid. Your cooling system has many components, including the water pump, thermostat, heater core, and hoses. Antifreeze helps protect them, but over time, it wears down and loses its protective properties. Keeping all components in the cooling system in good condition will prevent overheating and reduce the chance of an expensive repair.
Neglecting coolant flushes can lead to serious issues. That’s because coolant contains anti-corrosive and lubricating additives, which prevent rusting and keep the water pump functioning well. These additives degrade, leading to the buildup of scale and rust particles in the cooling system. Eventually, these particles can clog passages, which can damage your heater core or overheat your engine.
Coolant Flush Does More Than Replace the Fluid
Replacing antifreeze removes sediments and contaminants that can block the smooth flow of coolant, helping to keep the engine running at a good temperature. A clean cooling system with fresh coolant lowers the likelihood of expensive repairs from engine overheating.
Old antifreeze can also become acidic as it ages, which causes plastics, rubber hoses, and metal components to dissolve and corrode. This is due to chemical electrolysis, and it can be catastrophic to the crucial components of the cooling system.
A coolant flush is also an opportunity for the inspection of the entire system for damage or leaks. If contaminants like oil are present in the drained coolant, it can be indicative of other problems that may require immediate attention.
How Do You Know Your Car Needs an Urgent Coolant Flush?
Your maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual indicates when you should replace coolant, but there are red flags that shouldn’t be ignored.
Check the system immediately if you notice:
You may need a coolant flush if you have been in a car accident. Technicians will inspect the engine cooling system as part of the collision repair process and let you know if a coolant flush is necessary. For your safety, always ensure the engine is cold before commencing an inspection or performing any work on the cooling system.
What Else Should You Check
When flushing the cooling system, you should also inspect the hoses and radiator cap for wear. Make sure you replace any hoses that feel soft to the touch, show signs of wear, or are more than five years old, especially the large top and bottom radiator hoses and heater hoses.
A worn-out radiator cap can lead to overheating. The cap allows the coolant to operate at higher temperatures, so it’s vital that the spring is not rusty and the rubber gasket that contacts the radiator inlet is not dried out or damaged.
If you’re unsure, you can bring your vehicle to Mizzoni’s Auto Body for an inspection and a free estimate. We’re well known in Bergen County and the surrounding areas of New Jersey for a wide range of auto body services, including paint jobs, frame repairs, and auto glass repairs.
Protect Your Engine—Schedule Your Coolant Flush at Mizzoni’s
At Mizzoni's, our team of professional, certified auto body mechanics delivers excellent results. We also offer a lifetime warranty on any repair job performed on your vehicle for as long as you own that car. If there is an issue, just contact us and have the repairs fixed at no cost to you.