Cooling System Blues : (
#1
05-03-2009, 03:58 PM
Cooling System Blues : (
MotorWeek
Curing Cooling System Blues
Pat Goss<~ will work 4 Food
Cars are constantly evolving and so are the test procedures and the problems that go with those evolving cars. One of the more common things that we see these days: overheating, or continuous loss of coolant. How do you go about testing that? Well, it's pretty simple. First thing that you check of course is the thermostat, you want to make sure that the thermostat is opening at the proper temperature; you'll need a service manual to know how to do that correctly.
Then of course you'll want to check the radiator cap. A lot of overheating problems are nothing more than a bad radiator cap. Here is where you use a radiator pressure tester: you put the radiator cap onto an adaptor, the adaptor onto a pressure tester, and you test it, takes all of ten seconds, then you know whether the radiator cap is good or bad. If its bad: replace it. And also, if you want to be pro-active, put a new radiator cap on your car every two years and you'll avoid a lot of hassles.
But there are other things that happen to cars that aren't as straight forward. That pressure test that's often used to check for the condition of the cooling system itself and to check for head gaskets is not a positive test by any stretch of the imagination, because most of the things that it's going to find you could find with the naked eye just by looking for droplets of coolant. One of these problems here, the real biggy, is a bad gasket and you say, "well, but I'm not getting any steam out of the tailpipe, and I'm not getting any coolant in the oil, and I'm not getting any oil into the radiator, couldn't be a head a gasket!"
Well, yes it could! Because in early stage failure what happens is that you get exhaust gas into the coolant. How do you go about finding that? You use a liquid like block tester liquid. It starts out blue, you put it into a tester, get the car warmed up first, and hold it at about 2,000 rpm. Then put the tester with some blue liquid in it over the neck of the radiator and squeeze the bulb on the top. What we don't want to see is that blue liquid to turn to yellow liquid: if it does it means there's exhaust getting into the cooling system and we have just proven that, and that means you have a major problem to deal with
Member's, Post your comment's/opinions/suggestions
Curing Cooling System Blues Pat Goss<~ will work 4 Food
Cars are constantly evolving and so are the test procedures and the problems that go with those evolving cars. One of the more common things that we see these days: overheating, or continuous loss of coolant. How do you go about testing that? Well, it's pretty simple. First thing that you check of course is the thermostat, you want to make sure that the thermostat is opening at the proper temperature; you'll need a service manual to know how to do that correctly.
Then of course you'll want to check the radiator cap. A lot of overheating problems are nothing more than a bad radiator cap. Here is where you use a radiator pressure tester: you put the radiator cap onto an adaptor, the adaptor onto a pressure tester, and you test it, takes all of ten seconds, then you know whether the radiator cap is good or bad. If its bad: replace it. And also, if you want to be pro-active, put a new radiator cap on your car every two years and you'll avoid a lot of hassles.
But there are other things that happen to cars that aren't as straight forward. That pressure test that's often used to check for the condition of the cooling system itself and to check for head gaskets is not a positive test by any stretch of the imagination, because most of the things that it's going to find you could find with the naked eye just by looking for droplets of coolant. One of these problems here, the real biggy, is a bad gasket and you say, "well, but I'm not getting any steam out of the tailpipe, and I'm not getting any coolant in the oil, and I'm not getting any oil into the radiator, couldn't be a head a gasket!"
Well, yes it could! Because in early stage failure what happens is that you get exhaust gas into the coolant. How do you go about finding that? You use a liquid like block tester liquid. It starts out blue, you put it into a tester, get the car warmed up first, and hold it at about 2,000 rpm. Then put the tester with some blue liquid in it over the neck of the radiator and squeeze the bulb on the top. What we don't want to see is that blue liquid to turn to yellow liquid: if it does it means there's exhaust getting into the cooling system and we have just proven that, and that means you have a major problem to deal with
Member's, Post your comment's/opinions/suggestions
Last edited by Space; 05-03-2009 at 04:19 PM.
#2
05-03-2009, 04:05 PM
How often should I change my antifreeze?
How often should I change my antifreeze?
For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30,000 miles. Others say it's not a bad idea to change the coolant every year for maximum corrosion protection -- especially in vehicles that have aluminum heads, blocks or radiators. But such recommendations may soon be obsolete. Several antifreeze suppliers have just recently introduced "long life" antifreeze formulations that claim to provide protection for four years or 50,000 miles.
General Motors just introduced a new five year, 100,000 mile antifreeze in its 1996 cars and light trucks. The new coolant is called "Dex-Cool" and is dyed orange to distinguish it from ordinary antifreeze (which is green).
CAUTION: These new long life coolants provide extended life only when used in a clean system mixed with water. If mixed with ordinary antifreeze and/or old coolant in a system, the corrosion protection is reduced to that of normal antifreeze (2 to 3 years and 30,000 miles).
Corrosion Inhibitors
The life of the antifreeze depends on it's ability to inhibit corrosion. Silicates, phosphates and/or borates are used as corrosion inhibitors to keep the solution alkaline. As long as the antifreeze remains so, corrosion is held in check and there's no need to change the coolant. But as the corrosion inhibiting chemicals are used up over time, electrolytic corrosion starts to eat away at the metal inside the engine and radiator. Aluminum is especially vulnerable to corrosion and can turn to Swiss cheese rather quickly when conditions are right. Solder bloom can also form in copper\brass radiators causing leaks and restrictions. So changing the coolant periodically as preventative maintenance is a good way to prevent costly repairs.
The basic idea is to change the coolant before the corrosion inhibitors reach dangerously low levels. Following the OEM change recommendations is usually good enough to keep corrosion in check, but it may not always be the case. That's why more frequent changes may be recommended to minimize the risk of corrosion in bimetal engines and aluminum radiators.
Checking The Antifreeze
One way to find out if it's time to change the antifreeze is to test it. Several suppliers make special antifreeze test strips that react to the pH (alkalinity) of the coolant and change color. If the test strip indicates a marginal or bad condition, the coolant should be changed.
Changing The Coolant
Reverse flushing is the best way to change the coolant because draining alone can leave as much as 30 to 50% of the old coolant in the engine block. Reverse flushing also helps dislodge deposits and scale which can interfere with good heat transfer.
The concentration of antifreeze in the coolant also needs to be checked prior to the onset of cold weather. A 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water is recommended and will protect against freezing down to -34 degrees F and boilover protection to 263 degrees F.
For maximum protection, up to a 70% mixture of antifreeze can be used for freezing protection to -84 degrees F.
CAUTION: Do not use more than 70% antifreeze, and never run straight water in the cooling system because it offers no corrosion, freezing or boilover protection.
Member's do you agree or dis-agree ?
Post what you can add ?
Thanks
For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30,000 miles. Others say it's not a bad idea to change the coolant every year for maximum corrosion protection -- especially in vehicles that have aluminum heads, blocks or radiators. But such recommendations may soon be obsolete. Several antifreeze suppliers have just recently introduced "long life" antifreeze formulations that claim to provide protection for four years or 50,000 miles.
General Motors just introduced a new five year, 100,000 mile antifreeze in its 1996 cars and light trucks. The new coolant is called "Dex-Cool" and is dyed orange to distinguish it from ordinary antifreeze (which is green).
CAUTION: These new long life coolants provide extended life only when used in a clean system mixed with water. If mixed with ordinary antifreeze and/or old coolant in a system, the corrosion protection is reduced to that of normal antifreeze (2 to 3 years and 30,000 miles).
Corrosion Inhibitors
The life of the antifreeze depends on it's ability to inhibit corrosion. Silicates, phosphates and/or borates are used as corrosion inhibitors to keep the solution alkaline. As long as the antifreeze remains so, corrosion is held in check and there's no need to change the coolant. But as the corrosion inhibiting chemicals are used up over time, electrolytic corrosion starts to eat away at the metal inside the engine and radiator. Aluminum is especially vulnerable to corrosion and can turn to Swiss cheese rather quickly when conditions are right. Solder bloom can also form in copper\brass radiators causing leaks and restrictions. So changing the coolant periodically as preventative maintenance is a good way to prevent costly repairs.
The basic idea is to change the coolant before the corrosion inhibitors reach dangerously low levels. Following the OEM change recommendations is usually good enough to keep corrosion in check, but it may not always be the case. That's why more frequent changes may be recommended to minimize the risk of corrosion in bimetal engines and aluminum radiators.
Checking The Antifreeze
One way to find out if it's time to change the antifreeze is to test it. Several suppliers make special antifreeze test strips that react to the pH (alkalinity) of the coolant and change color. If the test strip indicates a marginal or bad condition, the coolant should be changed.
Changing The Coolant
Reverse flushing is the best way to change the coolant because draining alone can leave as much as 30 to 50% of the old coolant in the engine block. Reverse flushing also helps dislodge deposits and scale which can interfere with good heat transfer.
The concentration of antifreeze in the coolant also needs to be checked prior to the onset of cold weather. A 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water is recommended and will protect against freezing down to -34 degrees F and boilover protection to 263 degrees F.
For maximum protection, up to a 70% mixture of antifreeze can be used for freezing protection to -84 degrees F.
CAUTION: Do not use more than 70% antifreeze, and never run straight water in the cooling system because it offers no corrosion, freezing or boilover protection.
Member's do you agree or dis-agree ?Post what you can add ?
Thanks
#4
06-09-2009, 10:41 PM
Well kidspace, I was going to change my coolant but noe I'm skeptical of doing so because I want to make sure I am doing everything correctly. I just bought the coolant today and wanted to change it tomorrow but I see changing the coolant is not all that easy.
I thought the procedure was to drain the "old colant" out the car, filll the radiator back up with running water from the garden hose, let it run for about 15 miunutes to operating temperature, then let it drain and make sure the water is clear. Then run the same process over for a second run "just in case". Then pour half of the dex_cool and half water inside of a clean bucket of course, mix it manually and pour it back into the radiator and let it run again.
If that is not the proper way to change the coolant, then by ALL.means, help me with guided instructions on changing coolant on a 2001 Monte Carlo SS (which the coolant hasn't been changed since I bought it in aug of 06').
I thought the procedure was to drain the "old colant" out the car, filll the radiator back up with running water from the garden hose, let it run for about 15 miunutes to operating temperature, then let it drain and make sure the water is clear. Then run the same process over for a second run "just in case". Then pour half of the dex_cool and half water inside of a clean bucket of course, mix it manually and pour it back into the radiator and let it run again.
If that is not the proper way to change the coolant, then by ALL.means, help me with guided instructions on changing coolant on a 2001 Monte Carlo SS (which the coolant hasn't been changed since I bought it in aug of 06').
#6
06-11-2009, 10:17 AM
I have never changed antifreeze on my work trucks. my 02 chevy van got oil changes every 4000 miles, tranny fluid change at 100000 miles, sold with 187000 miles. my 04 chevy van gets the same treatment and currently has 137000. None of these miles are easy. When I bring a new van in the shop, the dex cool garbage is removed and regular green antifreeze is put in.
#9
06-19-2009, 01:34 AM
Changed mine a few days ago. I looked in the tank and and saw sludge...."hmm, very bad haha". Please note I've owned the car for about 3 months.
#10
06-19-2009, 06:29 AM
FYI
<LI class=g>How often should I change my antifreeze? — Yahoo! Autos
Answer: For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30000 miles.
autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repairqa/...air.../ques011_1.html - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>How often should you change your antifreeze? | Answerbag.com
How often should you change your antifreeze? I change mine every 2 years ... Most auto manufacturers actually use them in brand new cars. ...
www.answerbag.com/q_view/7679 - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>Automotive How-To: How to Change Your Coolant - Associated Content
Jan 30, 2007 ... Do you know how to flush your engine's coolant? ... Spring Auto Cleaning: Repair the Damage Winter Does to Your Car, Truck, or SUV ... Web On the social internet, 'content is king' is a phrase you will often read, bu. ...
www.associatedcontent.com/.../automotive_howto_how_to_change_your.html - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>How often should we replace coolant hoses on our cars ...
25 posts - 11 authors - Last post: Aug 13, 2008
How often should we replace coolant hoses on our cars? E46 (1999 - 2006) ... Location: NJ. Join Date: Oct 2002. Posts: 157. Mein auto: 2000 328i ... Is it necessary to change the coolant hose to the expansion tank? ...
www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304033 - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>How often should I change my antifreeze? — Yahoo! Autos
Answer: For "ordinary" antifreeze, the vehicle manufacturers generally recommend coolant changes every two to three years or 30000 miles.
autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repairqa/...air.../ques011_1.html - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>How often should you change your antifreeze? | Answerbag.com
How often should you change your antifreeze? I change mine every 2 years ... Most auto manufacturers actually use them in brand new cars. ...
www.answerbag.com/q_view/7679 - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>Automotive How-To: How to Change Your Coolant - Associated Content
Jan 30, 2007 ... Do you know how to flush your engine's coolant? ... Spring Auto Cleaning: Repair the Damage Winter Does to Your Car, Truck, or SUV ... Web On the social internet, 'content is king' is a phrase you will often read, bu. ...
www.associatedcontent.com/.../automotive_howto_how_to_change_your.html - Cached - Similar
<LI class=g>How often should we replace coolant hoses on our cars ...
25 posts - 11 authors - Last post: Aug 13, 2008
How often should we replace coolant hoses on our cars? E46 (1999 - 2006) ... Location: NJ. Join Date: Oct 2002. Posts: 157. Mein auto: 2000 328i ... Is it necessary to change the coolant hose to the expansion tank? ...
www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304033 - Cached - Similar
