How is the car radiator cleaned?

As you know, when the engine runs out a lot of heat. Part of the energy is converted into torque, and part goes to the walls of the cylinders and the block. In order for the engine to function normally, it has cooling channels. Inside, a special coolant is used. It can be antifreeze or antifreeze. The liquid, moving along the channels of the engine, warms up. The flow of antifreeze gets into the radiator. There the liquid cools and circulates back to the unit. But what if the system does not cope with its task? Clean the cooling radiator. We will talk about this in our today's article.

Types of operations

There are several types of washing:

• External;
• Internal.

Specialists recommend washing in the complex. This is the only way to ensure the ideal cleanliness of the cooling radiator. After all, the heat exchanger takes over the whole dust blow, as it is immediately behind the radiator grille. Also in its honeycombs are insects, poplar fluff and other objects. All this negatively affects the removal of heat. Equally important is the internal cleaning of the radiator. After all, the fluid eventually loses its properties and precipitates. If it is distilled water, then on the walls it forms scum. Below we will look at how the radiator is cleaned inside and out.

Internal washing: is it necessary?

Often, car owners do not pay attention to this procedure, but in vain. After all, this operation may be needed even by such a modern car as the Ford Focus. Cleaning the radiator inside allows you to remove scales and promotes better heat transfer. But before proceeding to the procedure, you need to drain the old liquid. If it does not have a rusty color, then you do not need a radiator cleaning. "Ford Focus" in this case will continue to work without interruption. But if the antifreeze has a brownish hue, things are bad. This means that the liquid has lost its anticorrosive properties (at the production stage additives are added to the composition) and no longer performs its main function - heat removal.

Cleaning the radiator inside with your own hands

So, we drained the dirty antifreeze. What do you need to do next? The essence of washing is quite simple - you need to let the engine run on the outside liquid for a few minutes. And so on until the scum and rust are completely removed in the system. Distilled water can be used as a liquid.

Note! It is strictly forbidden to use tap water for internal washing. It can emit scales and provoke internal corrosion. Recently, motorists are buying specialized tools for cleaning the car's radiator. These drugs are mixed with distilled water in a certain proportion and aggressively act on the scum. As a result, after a short work of the engine from the radiator all the accumulated mud is washed away.

Be careful! Do not abuse the amount of cleansing agent. This can damage the engine cooling system. It is better to repeat the same procedure several times, with the allowed amount of acidic substance.

After the end of the procedure, the mixture is removed and the pure distilled water is poured. It will finally wash away the remains of the acidic substance. At the final stage, a new concentrated antifreeze is poured into the tank.

External cleaning of the radiator by one's own hands

Every year, motorists face such a problem as poplar fluff. He mercilessly clogs the radiator honeycomb. As a result, the liquid inside does not cool to the full. The engine is running in break mode, which is not good for the unit and cylinder head. In addition, insects fall on the honeycomb. Especially often those who travel long distances face this. Insects literally dig into the honeycomb, getting them from there very hard. But whatever pollution the radiator has, the washing will help to correct the situation. It is best to do this with a mini-wash, under pressure. Note! The radiator honeycombs (both aluminum and copper ones) have a small thickness, which makes them very fragile. In order not to damage them, choose the optimum pressure on the mini-wash.

Experts do not recommend using chemicals for this purpose on the basis of aggressive components. This can damage both the mini-car wash and the hoses on the radiator. Flush the outside of the heat exchanger with a small pressure of water, without chemical additives.

Alternative method of external cleaning of the radiator

Alternatively, a purge of the heat exchanger can be used. In this case, the role of the cleaner is played not by water, but by compressed air. The method is quite efficient and does not harm the radiator. The only drawback is the need for a powerful compressor. This is not every motorist has. The heat exchanger is blown from the rear. Thus, you can blow out all the dust and insects that hit the front side of the element.

About additives in antifreeze

Unfair producers diligently try to "vpar" the car owner any unnecessary goods. What can not you see on the shelves of car shops ... For example, additives to antifreeze. Why not buy them? Any normal manufacturer of coolant already at the manufacturing stage adds to the composition all the necessary lubricating and anticorrosive additives. Do not go on someone else's issue - just change the coolant on time and sometimes flush the radiator.

Conclusion

So, we found out how to clean the radiator yourself. Flushing the heat exchanger is a very important preventive measure, which will avoid unauthorized overheating of the power unit.