I just finished a fairly involved car engine repair for a customer. The sad part of this auto service story is that it was completely avoidable. Here is a brief summary of this particular car repair project. The engine intake manifold had to be removed and replaced along with the gasket. The water pump and gasket had to be replaced. The engine belt tensioner pulley had to be replaced. Belts had to be replaced. I mean digging down on the inside of the motor!
The entire problem would have been unnecessary if the owner had scheduled a quick, economical and routine maintenance service for the engine cooling system – what many call a simple radiator flush.
Cooling system liquids and old antifreeze can become very corrosive inside your car’s engine. This can quickly lead to a breakdown of numerous internal engine components including but not limited to gaskets, water pump, thermostat and radiator. Not only does this involve very costly replacement parts, but these component failures can lead to the engine water combining with the engine oil which will likely result in a catastrophic engine failure requiring overhauling the engine or possibly replacing the engine entirely.
Anytime that it becomes necessary to access the inside of a motor, you are looking at a very significant expense. Not only are replacement parts expensive but the labor cost can be staggering. Waiting too long can cost hundreds even thousands and require days or weeks if engine components must be ordered or if the engine must be replaced.
You can easily avoid this problem by scheduling a simple and inexpensive engine cooling system and radiator flush. Radiator flush alone is only a start. The entire system must be flushed out and cleaned. This routine maintenance should be performed once each year on your car, truck or other vehicle. Flushing your vehicle cooling system is quick and it is affordable. Plus it is such a routine service that most mechanics and garages are able to offer this service. It usually can be done in under 30 minutes and the only part necessary is normally antifreeze liquid.
If you have not done so already, be sure to have your car cooling system flushed completely once each year. Mark it in your service records so you will be prepared for the next scheduled maintenance.
I hope that this article will help many others to avoid this very common and expensive auto service problem.