Coolant Flush in North York, ON

Coolant Flush Service in North York, ON

Owning a vehicle comes with the responsibility to take care of it, to keep it in driving condition for as long as possible. The best way to care for it is to keep up to date with scheduled preventative maintenance, such as a cooling system flush.

What is engine coolant?

Before explaining what a coolant flush service is, let’s go over what coolant is and what it does for your vehicle. Engine coolant, which can also be known as anti-freeze, is a liquid mixed with water put into your vehicle to help support the engine by keeping it cool while running. The liquid circulates through to keep the radiator and engine from both freezing in extreme cold and overheating in extreme heat.

There are many different types of coolants on the market, and the one best for you will depend on your vehicle. It is recommended to check your owner’s manual or give R&S Auto a call to ensure the correct coolant is being used. For example, read below for 3 different types of coolant:

• IAT Coolant – standing for Inorganic Additive Technology. This is the most common liquid used for vehicles
• Dex-Cool – this is a common formula approved to be used for GM vehicles

If you own an older vehicle, you may need a different formula that has special additives that will allow chemistries old and new to work together as technology has changed so much over the years.

What does coolant do?

To be more specific, coolant is used to regulate engine temperatures; it is pushed through the engine block via the water pump where it absorbs excess heat removing it from the engine. It then flows through the radiator where it dissipates the heat allowing it to cool. From there the liquid is then cycled through the engine again.

Coolant also flows through your heater core in your HVAC system providing heat to the cabin of your vehicle.

Are coolant flushes necessary?

The short answer is yes! Over time engine coolant can break down leaving deposits/debris in vehicle components like your radiator, engine, water pump and heater core. This debris can stop the ability for the thermostat to seal resulting in your engine not being able to reach optimal operating temperatures.

This problem can cause poor engine fuel efficiency and lack of cabin heat. The debris build up can also cause seals and gaskets to prematurely breakdown as well as causing corrosion inside the engine.

Getting a coolant flush will help in cleaning these particles from the system and help stop these issues from arising.

There are additives in the new anti-freeze that will help to lubricate the water pump and seals, helping to extend the water pumps life. These additives can also aid in preventing rust build ups in the water pump allowing the system to run more efficiently.

Typically, when you have your coolant system flushed, an inspection on the entire cooling system is done. This would include the thermostat, radiator and all the hoses and belts. This is beneficial because it would aid in finding any leaks or potential issues in the system at that time that would need to be addressed.

Coolant flushes also help in preventing the old coolant from becoming acidic. Once the coolant becomes acidic it will start to break down and can cause damage to various components such as the bearings in the water pump, rubber hoses and any aluminum in the engine.

How often do you need a coolant flush?

Every vehicle is different when it comes to how often it requires a coolant flush. To determine when your vehicle is required to have this maintenance done, it is best to consult your vehicles owner’s manual. This should be in the back of the owner’s manual as part of your maintenance schedule. A typical guideline for a coolant flush in a vehicle is roughly every 48,000km (30,000 miles) which depending on your driving habits is about every two to three years.

A coolant flush much like an oil change is part of your vehicles preventative maintenance and should be performed as per your vehicles outlined maintenance schedule.  If you are unsure of when your vehicle is due for this service, call R&S Auto and our licensed mechanics can see when this was last performed or check the coolant to see if it is due for a change.

Your coolant flush should be performed by a licensed mechanic to ensure that all components are properly inspected and maintained to prolong their life and replaced prior to any type of preventable mechanical failure.

Having your vehicle serviced by a licensed mechanic for preventative maintenance will aid in prolonging the life of your vehicle. Not only will they complete the service, but they will do multiple point inspections to many other areas of your vehicle as a part of that preventative maintenance to help in preventing any major potential problems down the road and ensuring that you are safe.

Your vehicle is likely the first big purchase of your life and taking care of it will not only keep it around for a long time but will also keep it safe for you and for the road.