Commonly Overlooked Maintenance Items

Everyone knows they should change their oil on a regular basis, but what about the other fluids in your vehicle? You know those other fluids: coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and rear-end gear oil (rear wheel drive vehicles). Over the next few months we will talk about the reasons to change these other fluids, when to change them, and how to change them. We will start with the cooling system.

Coolant consists of antifreeze and water. Coolant’s job is to cool the engine and keep it from overheating. So if your vehicle is not overheating, then you don’t need to change the coolant, right? Wrong! Coolant should be changed at least once a year. Some people will change it twice a year, once in the spring, and once in the fall. Also, check your vehicles manufacturer’s recommendations on what antifreeze to use. Some of the newer vehicles have extended antifreeze drain intervals. The reason it should be changed is because anti-freeze breaks down. Antifreeze has four jobs, raising the boiling point of water, lowering the freezing point of water, lubricating the water pump, and keeping the cooling system rust free. This is the reason you should never run straight water in your cooling system. On the flip side of this, you should never run straight antifreeze either. As antifreeze breaks down, its effectiveness also diminishes.

There are several ways to drain the cooling system. The proper procedure should be outlined in your service manual. The most common way to do it is to drain the radiator. Most radiators have a drain cock on the bottom of the radiator. You also want to open the drain plugs on your engine to make sure you get all of the old coolant out. These are usually located just above the oil pan. Most V-6 and V-8 engines will have one on each side. Another good idea is to flush the system with a radiator flush kit. You can find these at most automotive stores. Flushing the radiator will remove any deposits in the cooling system. After you flush the system, make sure to open all the drain plus on the engine to get everything out. The most important thing to remember is that antifreeze is harmful to people and animals. Make sure you dispose of it properly and not just let it drain into the ground.

If you find that the radiator is in need of a more serious cleaning, you can take it to a professional radiator shop. The shop will soak the radiator in a more caustic solution to remove any mineral and rust build up. This is a great way to make your radiator like new again.

Now that the old coolant is drained and the cooling system is flushed out, it is time to refill with fresh coolant and water. The mixture should be 50/50 meaning it should be 50% water and 50% coolant. The water should be distilled water and not tap water. Tap water contains minerals which will cause deposits to form in the cooling system and reduce the effectiveness of the cooling system. This can also clog a radiator. Distilled water can be purchased in gallon bottles at a grocery store. The type of anti-freeze you use depends on what the vehicle’s manufacturer suggests. Make sure to use the right type. There are also anti-freeze companies that make premixed coolant. This already has a 50/50 mix of distilled water and coolant. Make sure after you have filled the radiator with your coolant mixture that you start the engine and warm up without the radiator cap on. This will allow any trapped air to escape the system. Once the engine is warmed up and all the air is out of the cooling system, replace the cap. You may want to also replace the radiator cap with a new one. Most cooling problems can be traced to a bad radiator cap. You can have a local automotive store test the cap for free before you replace it.

One other item you might want to replace is the thermostat. These can fail over time and don’t cost that much to replace. Some companies also make fail-safe thermostats. These will fail in the open position so the engine won’t over heat if it fails. You should never run an engine without a thermostat.

There are other items you can add to the mixture, such as, Red Line Oil’s Water Wetter (www.redlineoil.com) and Royal Purple’s Purple Ice (www.royalpurple.com). These are designed to reduce coolant temperatures by as much as 30 degrees. These can be added to any anti-freeze coolant.

A tool you should have is an antifreeze and coolant tester. This will allow you to check the coolant. It displays the highest and lowest temperatures that the coolant can handle. Most are very inexpensive.

So you can see that taking a little time every year will make your car run cooler and keep the cooling system clean. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, most automotive service centers can do this for you at a pretty reasonable fee. Check back next month as we discuss transmission fluids. As always, if you have any questions, just let me know.

Vincent Wright
sales@kmwperformance.com
http://www.kmwperformance.com