cooling drain vs. flush vs. chemical flush???
From : mac
Q: i was assuming a cooling system flush was always a chemical flush where you flush it out with a special cleaner the shops around here all generally charge around $100 for a flush but when i asked the shop that i chose to use a shell station if its chem. flush he said no thats about $20 more $120. he said which one you want... i said i dont know which one i need. i told him its been around 4 years since the the last drain/replace....then he quickly looked inside opened the cap for 1 second and said youre fine just get regular flush. so i did that. whats your opinion on this is a non-chem flush really any different than a drain and replace he said yes because it drains it from the engine block as well as from the radiator. thanks. i looked in my om and it was around 100000 before it mentioned coolant change. did i miss something roy .
Replies:
From : mac
oops a minute too late. good research. jon wrote .bob wrote mac wrote i was assuming a cooling system flush was always a chemical flush where you flush it out with a special cleaner the shops around here all generally charge around $100 for a flush but when i asked the shop that i chose to use a shell station if its chem. flush he said no thats about $20 more $120. he said which one you want... i said i dont know which one i need. i told him its been around 4 years since the the last drain/replace....then he quickly looked inside opened the cap for 1 second and said youre fine just get regular flush. so i did that. whats your opinion on this is a non-chem flush really any different than a drain and replace he said yes because it drains it from the engine block as well as from the radiator. thanks. one of the purposes of a flush is to get out rust scale debris etc that tends to build up over the years. the other purpose is to replace the antifreeze that gets old and doesnt work as well anymore. a drain and replace or non-chem flush will theoretically remove the old fluid and replace with new. and just that. a chemical flush first places a cleaner in the system then its run for a while dissolve and mobilize the crud so it can be removed. then a flush and replace is done. helps to prevent athersclerosis in the system i do a chemical flush and fill every 2 years or so. -- .bob arrived 2006 fxdi red. 1997 hd fxdwg - turbocharged stolen 11/26/05 in denver 1hd1gel10vy3200010 co license j5822z 2001 dodge dakota qc 5.9/4x4/3.92 1966 mustang coupe - daily driver 1965 ffr cobra - 427w efi damn fast. mac the difference is that your shop at $100 better be providing service with a coolant replacement machine -- well say its 9/10 effective versus about 1/2 for a $35 drain and fill. and for clarification -- agitating a cleaner should be used to treat a long-neglected system where corrosion has been allowed to take place as opposed to prevent trouble the coolants job. if youre trying to get something back to square one then maybe its worth looking into. otherwise think of the millions of drivers who never do a thing outside a 3-10k oil change -- maybe replacing their radiators a little sooner than you -- and spend your money where you will. jon .
From : bob
on 11 oct 2006 093731 -0700 brian brians4@skybest.com wrote i drive a 1992 power ram 150 4x4. it has the 5.2l and auto tranny. a few days ago my speedometer stoped reading. it works half of the time. i read that the speed sensor on the rear axle controls the speedometer and provides info for the abs system. went to autozone and the only speed sensor they show is at the tranny but they offer a speedometer cable. looked and could not find the cable. does the 92s have a speedometer cable or is the speedometer controled like the newer rams with the speed sensor. if it has a speedometer cable where is it located thanks the speedo sensor is located on the side of the transmission. the sensor in the rear end is for the abs only. beekeep .
From : jon
on wed 11 oct 2006 101252 -0700 mac davis mac@bajadavis.com wrote on wed 11 oct 2006 122334 -0400 the addisons ty.addison@nospam.comcast.net wrote the engine light came on & stayed on yesterday on a 2000 ram with a 5.9 ltr engine.one thing the mech said to check was how tight the gas cap was on.everything is running fine with all fluid levels up to par.should i worry & take it in or just wait and see.the light is not flashing it just stays on...bob i had a 2001 ram 1500 and that happened to me. replaced the gas cap gasket and all was well. -- --scott hendryx-- ive had a 2003 1500 and a 2005 2500 that that has happened with. each time i just turned the cap about 4-5 clicks more and normally the check engine light was out the next morning. so much for the good ole days when a car/truck would run well enough with a cloth stuck in the gas tank neck! hehehe! hawkeye65 i had the same problem cured by a gas station attendant in oregon that pointed out the writing on the friggin gas cap..lol mac https//home.comcast.net/mac.davis https//home.comcast.net/mac.davis/woodstuff.htm out there in oregon do they print on the mirrors objects in mirrors are behind you beekeep .
From : jon
beekeep wrote on 11 oct 2006 093731 -0700 brian brians4@skybest.com wrote i drive a 1992 power ram 150 4x4. it has the 5.2l and auto tranny. a few days ago my speedometer stoped reading. it works half of the time. i read that the speed sensor on the rear axle controls the speedometer and provides info for the abs system. went to autozone and the only speed sensor they show is at the tranny but they offer a speedometer cable. looked and could not find the cable. does the 92s have a speedometer cable or is the speedometer controled like the newer rams with the speed sensor. if it has a speedometer cable where is it located thanks the speedo sensor is located on the side of the transmission. the sensor in the rear end is for the abs only. beekeep that is the one that showed on the autozone computers. i replaced that one and the speedometer still would not read. but they have speedometer cable for the truck but i can not find where its located. the only speedometer cable on a 92 is a 2-wire electrical harness that transmits a signal from the transmission mounted distance sensor to the sbec. follow the wire harness from the distance sensor to a plug near the firewall when my 92 speedo acts up cleaning the terminals in the plug fixes it. .
From : mac davis
i just asked the shell station that did it and he said the $100 flush that he did is actually an exchange....a machine forces out the old coolant from the block and radiator while it seems at the same time putting in new coolant. that seems like it would be mixing the old and new fluids together doesnt it when i think of the word flush i think of flushing it out with water or something totally then adding in the new. seems like he did more of a forced drain. but when he very quickly opened the cap and looked at the fluid when i first got there he said the flush exchange was all i needed. p.s. but the word exchange has a negative meaning in the health field....just think of exchanging body fluids with someone who has hiv or something.... .
From : roy
..bob wrote mac wrote i was assuming a cooling system flush was always a chemical flush where you flush it out with a special cleaner the shops around here all generally charge around $100 for a flush but when i asked the shop that i chose to use a shell station if its chem. flush he said no thats about $20 more $120. he said which one you want... i said i dont know which one i need. i told him its been around 4 years since the the last drain/replace....then he quickly looked inside opened the cap for 1 second and said youre fine just get regular flush. so i did that. whats your opinion on this is a non-chem flush really any different than a drain and replace he said yes because it drains it from the engine block as well as from the radiator. thanks. one of the purposes of a flush is to get out rust scale debris etc that tends to build up over the years. the other purpose is to replace the antifreeze that gets old and doesnt work as well anymore. a drain and replace or non-chem flush will theoretically remove the old fluid and replace with new. and just that. a chemical flush first places a cleaner in the system then its run for a while dissolve and mobilize the crud so it can be removed. then a flush and replace is done. helps to prevent athersclerosis in the system i do a chemical flush and fill every 2 years or so. -- .bob arrived 2006 fxdi red. 1997 hd fxdwg - turbocharged stolen 11/26/05 in denver 1hd1gel10vy3200010 co license j5822z 2001 dodge dakota qc 5.9/4x4/3.92 1966 mustang coupe - daily driver 1965 ffr cobra - 427w efi damn fast. mac the difference is that your shop at $100 better be providing service with a coolant replacement machine -- well say its 9/10 effective versus about 1/2 for a $35 drain and fill. and for clarification -- agitating a cleaner should be used to treat a long-neglected system where corrosion has been allowed to take place as opposed to prevent trouble the coolants job. if youre trying to get something back to square one then maybe its worth looking into. otherwise think of the millions of drivers who never do a thing outside a 3-10k oil change -- maybe replacing their radiators a little sooner than you -- and spend your money where you will. jon .
From : roy
my sons dodge ram 1500 i think it is a 2004 service code p300 came on last night. any ideas .
From : roy
the engine light came on & stayed on yesterday on a 2000 ram with a 5.9 ltr engine.one thing the mech said to check was how tight the gas cap was on.everything is running fine with all fluid levels up to par.should i worry & take it in or just wait and see.the light is not flashing it just stays on...bob i had a 2001 ram 1500 and that happened to me. replaced the gas cap gasket and all was well. -- --scott hendryx-- ive had a 2003 1500 and a 2005 2500 that that has happened with. each time i just turned the cap about 4-5 clicks more and normally the check engine light was out the next morning. so much for the good ole days when a car/truck would run well enough with a cloth stuck in the gas tank neck! hehehe! hawkeye65 .