How To Flush A Cooling System

By: CHARNEDRA MCCOOK

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Need to know how to flush a cooling system? Flushing your car's cooling system is one of the best things you can do for your car. Flushing is healthy for your car because it will keep your cooling system clean and running effectively. Here is the process for flushing your car's coolant system:

To flush a cooling system, you will need:

A jack
Gloves
A catch pan

Ensure that the engine is nice and cool. Before you begin to do anything, it is important that the engine is cool. This is due to the fact that hot coolant can be dangerous. Coolant levels could reach very high temperatures in the engine.
Jack your car up to the desired level. Jacking up your vehicle will help you to see better. It could possibly help make the flushing process faster and more effective. Some claim that it is better to jack the car up on an inclined surface for better flushing of the cooling system.
Locate the radiator plug and place the catch pan underneath. In most cars, the radiator plug is usually located on the far left hand side underneath the radiator, under the car. Once you find it, center align the catch pan with the radiator plug. Center aligning is the best option to ensure that all of the coolant will drip into the catch pan. Leaving coolant on the ground causes damage to the environment.
Unplug the radiator plug under the hood. Once you move the radiator plug out of position, you should start to see coolant and water streaming out into the pan. Let all of the contents drain out. Stopping the process could result in an incomplete cooling system flush.
Replace the radiator plug and remove the catch pan from underneath the car. Once all of the coolant has been drained out, remove the pan carefully. Make sure none of the pan's contents drip out onto the ground. Place the pan in a safe place and dispose of it properly.
Jack the car back to its proper position. Level the car back to ground level. Do this process slowly. Jacking a car too fast could result in a hazardous or dangerous situation. Take your time.