Flushing the radiator

[Simon]

Hi Guys

Hope you can help me with a simple problem.

I have a 1998 Fiat Brava 1.6 SX and I have a leaky radiator. I want to have a go at fixing it myself but I need to know how to flush the rad. If someone could tell me what I need to look for and where I need to look I would be very grateful.

thanks

Simon

 

[Simon]

anyone?

 

[Tom]

If the rad is leaking then buy a new one.

 

[Simon]

I've been told by my mechanic that I could use barsleak as the leak is very slow and is likely to be a problem associated with the heater matrix. So I would be grateful if someone could tell me how to flush the rad.

 

[ryan]

sure its not your head gasket drinking the coolant or can you definately see a leak?

 

[nico]

Me TOO!

'Matrix' Me thinks, like mine this means its somewhere amidst the fins - meaning no simple fix, far as I know.

Thought they flushed everything on a 48K service.
Gave em enough trnsmission fluid, oil, brake fluid, the lot.
Turns out they do it on a 36K, not usually a 48K,
so they just topped em up, bar the engine oil.
DOH! Cos I don't even think the car had its 36K service.

Learnt my lesson now. Be V.EXPLICIT with garages
about everything you expect them to do!

Would be handy to know how to perform the flush myself.

 

[Simon]

I can't see a leak but the passenger footwell carpet is wet which leads me to believe that there could be a leak in that vicinity.

I want to flush the system, run barsleak thru it for a week and then fill the system with 50/50 and see if that fixes the problem.

There is a doubt in my mind and that is that the leaking water has no smell to it which you would expect from a coolant water mix so i'm not sure if it could be a leak in the windscreen or possibly debris blocking the drainage holes under the windscreen that could be causing my problem.

 

[guido]

Basically to flush your cooling system, get some rad flush and chuck it in the system (follow the instructions on that as they can be different). Once that has done its stuff, open the lower drainage point - probably better over a drain although this is environmentally questionable - and stick a hosepipe in the top. Turn it on and go for a beer.
Turn off the hose and allow all the water/crud to drain out, then close the drainage point and refill with coolant. Mind the air-locks when refilling!

 

[Tom]

If it was leaking cooling fluid it would smell and your windows would mist up when you turn the heater on. Is the expansion tank level going down at all?

I'd put more money on it being a leaky door/sunroof seal.

 

[Simon]

Thats the funny thing. I do get the misty windows when turning on the heaters but there is no detectable smell which just leaves me more confused. There is not a noticeable difference in the coolant level but any leak there is is very slow so how much difference I would notice in the level of the coolant is debateable.

 

[Simon]

Just thought. Would the windows mist up if there was moisture present in the car i.e. the damp passenger footwell, whilst all the windows were closed on a cold day?

 

[guido]

Yes. Get your heaters on full blast pointed at the carpet and go for a looong drive with the windows open to help get it dried out

 

[Anonymous]

Ever since my spate of break-ins and window replacements my car always steams up, even when there's just me in there!

 

[Tom]

Get it pressure tested at a garage, that will give a definate yes/no answer about leaks.

 

[Simon]

Thanks for all your advice guys. I found that the drainage hole beneath the windscreen had got clogged with debris so cleared that on the weekend.

Have driven the car since with floor heaters on full and now I will keep an eye on the floor/coolant levels to try and ascertain what exactly is the problem.

 

[ryan]

just recently i pannicked thinking i was losing coolent because it was on the min line, but checking it recently it has been anywhere between min and max so have no idea whether i am losing anything, i assume its the temp outside effecting the level slightly???

 

[Tom]

Mine lives at min. When its hot it should reach max, if you fill it to max when cold it will most likely just spit the excess water out first time the car gets hot and go back to around min next time its cold.