Experienced motorists know that most of the car breakdowns that may require expensive repairs are associated with malfunctions of the cooling system, which cause the engine to overheat. Usually, the cooling system is remembered only in critical situations. In the best case, car owners try to maintain a normal level of fluid in it, and if they measure the density of the fluid, then this is absolutely ideal. But the entire cooling system requires increased attention.
The main causes of failure of the cooling system are:
- loss of tightness due to the destruction of the seals in the water pump due to the presence of various particles in the liquid;
- deterioration in heat transfer due to contamination of the mixture with scale, deposits and rust.
During the operation of any car, if the cooling system is filled with water, scale gradually forms on the walls of the cooling jacket, which becomes an obstacle to the efficient transfer of heat coming from the engine to the water through the radiator pipes. In addition, there is a clogging of the passage of the tubes, slowing down the circulation of coolant, which may serve as the most likely cause of a strong overheating of the car engine. Flushing the cooling system should be carried out twice a year so that its efficiency does not decrease. There are several washing methods. If we are dealing with a small scale deposit, the system can be washed with ordinary water, and it is worth rinsing the radiator and the cooling jacket separately.
Flushing the engine cooling system
You must remove the thermostat, and then, under pressure, direct the water opposite to the usual circulation into the radiator, introducing it through the lower pipe and diverting it through the upper pipe. Water is introduced into the cooling jacket of the engine through the upper pipe, and released through the lower. You can achieve good results while simultaneously introducing a mixture of water and compressed air into the system . Flushing the cooling system should be carried out until the dirty liquid stops flowing out. If there is a large amount of scale in the system, it is removed using a large amount of water with the addition of different solutions. At the moment, they can be called a huge number.
You can use a solution that consists of 200 grams of chrompick per 10 liters of water, which must be poured into the cooling system for 7-10 hours, and a solution of 500-600 grams of inhibited hydrochloric acid in a mixture with 20 grams of urotropine per 10 liters of water should be poured for two hours. After the specified time has passed, the engine must be started for 10-20 minutes, then drain the solution. After this procedure, it is necessary to flush the cooling system with water 3-4 more times. To neutralize the remaining hydrochloric acid, you can pour a solution of soda ash at the rate of 700 grams per 10 liters of water. After the scum softens, it can be removed by washing, as previously suggested.
Flushing the cooling system of a car operating with non-freezing fluid is carried out after 2 years of operation or 60 thousand kilometers. This is done as follows. First, the liquid must be drained using the drain hole in the lower radiator tank and cylinder block, after which it is necessary to fill in the water, start the engine until the lower radiator tank is warm, and then drain the water again when the engine is idling and at a low frequency. After the engine stops, it is cooled, then again filled with clean water, and the cooling system is flushed again. Then the water is drained again with the engine idling . And after it has completely cooled, it will be possible to fill in fresh coolant.
As you can see, flushing the cooling system is quite simple, but requires carefulness and timely conduct from the car owner.