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cooling drain vs. flush vs. chemical flush???

I was assuming a "cooling system flush" was always a chemical flush, where you flush it out with a special cleaner? The shops around here all generally charge around $100 for a "flush", but when I asked the shop that i chose to use (a shell station) if it's chem. flush he said no, that's about $20 more ($120). He said which one you want... I said i don't know which one i need. I told him it's been around 4 years since the the last drain/replace....then he quickly looked inside (opened the cap for 1 second) and said your'e fine, just get regular flush. so i did that. What's your opinion on this? Is a non-chem flush really any different than a drain and replace? (He said yes, because it drains it from the engine block as well as from the radiator???). thanks.

Reply to
mac
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Bro, ya sorta lost me here. How does a "chemical" added to the flush change where the water is drained from? Maybe I'm wrong but a flush ya open everything.

Roy

Reply to
Roy

I looked in my om and it was around 100,000 before it mentioned coolant change. Did I miss something??

Roy

Reply to
Roy

One of the purposes of a flush is to get out rust, scale, debris, etc that tends to build up over the years. The other purpose is to replace the antifreeze that gets old and doesn't work as well anymore. A drain and replace or non-chem flush will (theoretically) remove the old fluid and replace with new. And just that. A chemical flush first places a cleaner in the system, then it's run for a while dissolve and mobilize the crud so it can be removed. then a flush and replace is done. Helps to prevent athersclerosis in the system I do a chemical flush and fill every 2 years or so.

Reply to
.boB

It's not me... rofl Mac

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Reply to
mac davis

WTF!!! Color me stupid!

Roy

Reply to
Roy

I just asked the shell station that did it, and he said the $100 "flush" that he did is actually an "exchange"....a machine forces out the old coolant from the block and radiator, while (it seems) at the same time putting in new coolant. That seems like it would be mixing the old and new fluids together, doesn't it? When i think of the word "flush" i think of flushing it out with water or something (totally), then adding in the new. Seems like he did more of a "forced drain". But when he very quickly opened the cap and looked at the fluid when i first got there, he said the "flush" (exchange) was all i needed. p.s. But the word "exchange" has a negative meaning in the health field....just think of "exchanging body fluids" with someone who has HIV or something....

Reply to
mac

Mac, the difference is that your shop (at $100) better be providing service with a coolant replacement machine -- we'll say it's 9/10 effective versus about 1/2 for a $35 drain and fill. And for clarification -- agitating a cleaner should be used to treat a long-neglected system where corrosion has been allowed to take place, as opposed to prevent trouble (the coolant's job). If you're trying to get something back to square one, then maybe it's worth looking into. Otherwise, think of the millions of drivers who never do a thing outside a 3-10K oil change -- maybe replacing their radiators a little sooner than you -- and spend your money where you will.

Jon

Reply to
Jon

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