I have my antifreeze replaced according to my cars maintenance schedule. I hear talk of flushing the radiator and then I hear of back flushing. I have never requested either of these procedures. Should I?
I have my antifreeze replaced according to my cars maintenance schedule.
you answered your own ?
In most cases a simple drain-and-refill is all you need. The flush and the more vigorous back flush should be used if the old coolant is discolored or if there has been a known problem with the cooling system. Many shops push the power flush even though it is unnecessary. It sounds to me as if you don’t need anything more than the simple procedure.
As noted below, I was asking more about procedure than the actual fluid change itself.
Thanks for your input.
If you replace your antifreeze according to your manuals recommendation, you will never need to flush or back-flush. Those are last ditch efforts for people who ignored the cooling system maintenance, and they usually fail.
Thanks to you all for the information you’ve provided.
Personally, I alternate between drain/refill and flush/refill.