This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Get cooling system flushed to prevent overheating, breakdowns

Low coolant levels or coolant that's dirty and contaminated from age and miles can lead to an overheating engine, which can lead to a literal meltdown.

Question: My owner’s manual suggests getting cooling system flushes performed on my car, but it’s running fine. Do I really need this done?

Answer: A cooling system flush is basic maintenance that every car owner needs to be aware of. Your cooling system keeps your engine from overheating, which is one of the most common causes of breakdowns and internal engine damage.

Every time you drive, your radiator uses coolant to help lower the temperatures in your vehicle’s engine.

Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Coolant, which is a 50-50 mix of water and antifreeze, flows through your car’s radiator, water pump and engine cooling passages to keep it cooler and operating at the proper temperature. Low coolant levels or coolant that’s dirty and contaminated from age and miles can lead to an overheating engine, which can lead to a literal meltdown.

Coolant that is still performing properly will be translucent and can be any variety of colors from green to red to orange. When its past its prime, it will become a brownish color and will be less translucent. If it’s in really bad shape, it can even be a sludgy brown. Not to mention, as it ages, it loses its ability to prevent corrosion inside the radiator, water pump and cooling passages. These components could literally rust from the inside out.

Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If left to deteriorate, it can take its toll on your cooling system. Common signs of cooling system problems include a low coolant warning light, the engine temperature gauge going to the red zone, low coolant levels, leaking coolant, steam under the hood and, in the winter, a heating system that blows cool air. A cooling system flush can prevent these problems from occurring.

How often you change the coolant depends on the type of vehicle you drive and the weather. In Glenview, Northbrook and surrounding areas, which are known for steamy summers and harsh winters, you might need to change the coolant mixture at the beginning of summer and the start of winter.

Brian Blohm is the Service Manager and Managing Partner - Operations for CARS of America in Glenview. He is an ASE-Certified Automotive Service Technician and ASE-Certified Service Advisor with more than 25 years of automotive experience. A graduate of Triton College with an associate's degree in Automotive Technology, he has continued his training and education with the Automotive Training Institute and RL O'Connor. You can reach Brian via email at brianb@carsofamericainc.com or by phone at (847) 961-4363.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?