radiator flush

[LuckyTaxi]

so i took my car into my cousin who's a mechanic. I have an 02 lexus is300 and i wanted a radiator flush. we just did a drain and fill, NOT a flush. Question I had and I totally forgot to ask him because I was too busy staring at some girl who was crying about her bill.

Anyways, he called lexus and they told him to use the following antifreeze. Now I couldve sworn when I was younger, my dad would fill up his radiator w/ some water and some antifreeze. my cousin dumped all antifreeze into my radiator. so far so good and the needle hasnt jumped off the charts. ill call him tomorrow to see why he didnt put some water into the radiator.

as far as i can tell, the antifreeze he used isnt premixed with water.

 

[dud]

Usually you dilute the antifreeze 50/50 with water, varying on driving conditions.

 

[LTC8K6]

Are you sure he didn't use the 50/50 pre mixed stuff?
Not getting the system flushed would bother me.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Are you sure he didn't use the 50/50 pre mixed stuff?
Not getting the system flushed would bother me.

says he did, i just didnt recall which container he used since i was paying for the service while he finished up topping the car off. nonetheless, i am taking it to lexus next month to get a full flush. kinda paranoid about this stuff.

 

[TheSlamma]

Yes you want to mix it 50/50. Water is still the "coolant" Antifreeze helps with freezepoint, boiling point and with preventing the system from rusting.

 

[Vetterin]

Go to Walmart, buy a $3 antifreeze hydrometer and test the coolant yourself. Don't waste your money on a flush at Lexus as your car don't need it.

 

[makken]

How cold does it get where you live?

If its extreme cold (ie. artic conditions) then using pure antifreeze is recommended. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money, and you should dilute it with water. If it's already in though, it won't really harm your car.

IIRC my thermodynamics correctly, water and antifreeze will phase seperate at low temperatures, and the water-rich phases will solidify.

 

[jagec]

Pennsylvania? Use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Use distilled water...it's like $1 a gallon.

Pure antifreeze won't hurt your engine, but it can't cool as well as a mix. In areas where it never freezes, people use even more water, less antifreeze. You generally want to keep at least some antifreeze in there, though, because it raises the boiling point as well as reducing the freezing point, and also prevents corrosion.

Of course, if you have a cracked engine block and the coolant just leaks out, you can keep the car running by just pouring a gallon of water in there every so often. If you live in an area where it gets below freezing, you have to let it all drain out at night, and carefully add it in the morning immediately after starting the car.

 

[cardiac]

The link you show has the Prestone 50/50. It is already pre-mixed and has the 50/50 solution of water/antifreeze.

A good drain and refill is sometimes better than a flush, as a flush will break loose some corrosion and crap that may not come out, and will lodge in the coolant passages in the engine block and elsewhere. I am nmot a big fan of the flush, either cooling system OR transmission.

Bob