Important Benefits of a Coolant Flush

You have probably heard the term coolant or antifreeze thrown around when talking about your vehicle’s engine. But what exactly is coolant and what is a coolant flush? And when do you need one? And why? Check out all about coolant flushes below, as well as the benefits of getting a coolant flush for your vehicle. Reach out to us at Seacoast Mazda with any questions you may have.

What is Coolant?

Engine coolant is also known as antifreeze. Both terms are used often interchangeably. This is a liquid that is in your engine to help remove extra heat from your engine so that your engine does not overheat. Coolant is made up of ethylene or propylene glycol and water. There are slightly different types of engine coolant, so if you are looking for the best one for your vehicle, you should check your owner’s manual for a recommendation.

As mentioned above, coolant in your engine helps to remove excess heat. The engine in your vehicle creates a lot of heat and the coolant absorbs heat from the engine and stops the engine water from boiling. This helps to ensure your engine doesn’t overheat. It also helps to make sure your engine parts do not rust or corrode. Engine coolant is an essential part of your vehicle. You probably do not hear about this liquid as often as engine oil, but it is no less important. The difference here is that engine coolant needs to be replaced less frequently than your engine oil. However, your coolant still does need to be flushed and replaced on occasion. Learn more about this below.

When Do You Need a Coolant Flush?

We will start by explaining what exactly a coolant flush is, then we can talk about how frequently you may need one. A coolant flush is more than simply draining the coolant from your vehicle. It is actually when a service professional puts several gallons of antifreeze through your system to flush out all of the old coolant/antifreeze and to also flush out any contaminants in your cooling system. If you were to just drain out your coolant, you would not get all the contaminants and even all of the coolant out of your system.

Getting a coolant flush can help the longevity of your engine, and it is a much more affordable service than waiting and spending thousands on an engine repair or replacement. Your owner’s manual or a trusted service professional can tell you when you need to get a coolant flush in your vehicle. However, there are also some signs to watch out for that could signal that you need a coolant flush. For example, if your engine is showing signs of overheating, this likely means you need more coolant or a coolant flush. An overheating engine means that the heat level of your engine is not balanced, meaning you do have adequate coolant. Another sign is your check engine light comes on or your vehicle is showing other signs of stress. Engine trouble could be the result of needing a coolant flush. Also, just pay attention to when the last time you had a coolant flush was. If it has been a couple of years, you might benefit from performing this as preventative maintenance, instead of waiting until you have a larger issue with your engine.

Benefits of a Coolant Flush

Now that we have explained more about what coolant is and when you need a coolant flush, we will discuss some of the major benefits of this service. Check them out below.

• Removes rust – One major benefit of a coolant flush is that it helps to remove rust or scale deposits from your vehicle. This can build up over time, and a coolant flush will help remove all of that before your cooling system is damaged.
• Removes contaminants – There can also be contaminants and other particles in your system if you haven’t had your coolant changed recently. The antifreeze in your system can lose its anti-corrosive properties and contaminants can build up, but a flush of your system will remove those.
• Lubricating your water pump – Flushing your coolant and replacing it can also help your water pump system. The new coolant can prevent rust from building up in your water pump, and it can lubricate your water pump so that it can have a longer life and operate more optimally in your vehicle.
• Get new antifreeze in your system – As mentioned above, your coolant or antifreeze can become acidic. When it becomes acidic, it can cause problems and start damaging parts of your vehicle like your water pump and other components of your engine. Flushing and replacing your coolant with new coolant will help your system and it will ensure you don’t have acidic coolant in your system.
• Inspection of your system – When you get a coolant flush, included in that service is an inspection of your cooling system. This is beneficial because when an experienced mechanic takes a look at your cooling system, they could notice any potential problems before they cause issues down the road. It is always helpful to have an inspection of your system, and that comes with the coolant flush you get with your vehicle. This will make sure things are operating for you as they should and everything is looking good.

As you can see, there are several benefits of getting a coolant flush; if you haven’t had one in a while in your vehicle, it could be time to get one scheduled!

Looking for vehicle service? Whether it is a coolant flush or something else, Seacoast Mazda can help you out. We have an experienced service staff that can help you with basic maintenance like a coolant flush, as well as larger repairs. You can schedule service online and reach out to us with any questions you may have about your vehicle or about your vehicle’s maintenance schedule. We are happy to help you!

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