Car Maintenance : Radiator flushing

Radiator is the heart of its cooling system of your car. To drive your
car safely, it must be clean and clear of blockages and there must be
no leaks in the system. The radiator's function is to get rid of the heat
from the hot water circulating in the cooling system. The hot water
enters the top tank in the radiator, filters down through the core fins
of the radiator and cools, then returns to the engine through the water
pump.

In old cars, the radiators were of the 'open' or 'not-sealed' types. Hot
flushing was a mandatory maintenance practice - good drivers used to
schedule that twice a year - once in spring (after those snowy winters)
and in Fall (after those hot summers). Too often motorists used to
neglect radiators until something bad happened which is why radiator
problems were perhaps the most common cause of on-road breakdowns.

However, if you have a new car - beware - if the repair shop you visit
continues to recommend hot flush at regular interval even for modern cars.

The truth is that most cars now have closed or 'sealed' radiator systems
which do not loose coolant over time. Also modern coolant fluids can
continue for two years and more before losing effectiveness. Please read
the manual of your car to find out at what interval you must consider a
flush.