BLOCKED OR CLOGGED RADIATORS
What are the symptoms of a Blocked radiator
Clogged Radiators. Learning to recognize blocked radiator symptoms is an important part of car maintenance because clogged radiator fins, cooling tubes or a clogged coolant hose can cause the engine to overheat and cause permanent and serious damage.
Engine Temperature: One of the most common and easily monitored symptoms of a blocked radiator are higher than normal temperatures when running. You should be monitoring for this every time you drive by paying attention to the dashboard temperature gauge. This gauge sitting even a little high over a long period of time can be one of the signs of a blocked radiator.
Coolant Colour: one of the less immediately noticeable, but still easily monitorable, signs of a blocked radiator is the coolant colour changing over time. When you get your car serviced or change the coolant yourself, you should take note of the coolant colour. When there is a problem with the radiator the coolant can change colour.
Leaking Coolant: one of the often-unrecognized blocked radiator signs is the leaked coolant on the ground underneath a car. This can often be passed off as condensation from the air-conditioning and missed, which can cause further internal damage to the radiator.
What causes a clogged radiator?
The rubber hoses that connect the radiator to the engine and the engine to the heater core are one of the most common leak points. These often deteriorate over time through normal use. If your cooling hoses are swollen, cracked, especially on the ends, or have bulges in them it is probably time to replace them.
If you have a radiator hose leak, fixing it is usually pretty simple. ADRAD agents carry hoses specific to most vehicles, meaning they are constructed with the right length, shape and diameter to fit perfectly on your car.
How do you unblock a radiator?
Once you can recognize the blocked car radiator symptoms, when they appear you can start treatment.
Can a blocked radiator be cleaned?
The best solution to a clogged-up radiator is a radiator flush, which is essentially cleaning the internals. When you clean through the whole system the grit and grime in blocked pipes, or a clogged radiator hose is dissolved and passed out of the system.
An exterior clean is also recommended as when the fins are clogged it is not possible for the cooling system to function as it needs to.
While a system flush to unclog radiator can be done at home, it is always a better idea to have someone with mechanical know how – or better yet – a qualified radiator repair professional complete the work. A badly blocked radiator may need to be removed and serviced by a professional Radiator Repairer as a simple cooling system flush will not free completely blocked cooling tubes, especially when the reason for your radiator blockage could corrosion, non-recommended additives or flushing liquids.
For example, a radiator clogged with stop leak will need to be cleaned thoroughly, where as a radiator which is severely damaged needs to be replaced or directly repaired.
How much does it cost to unclog a radiator?
A clogged radiator fix is not usually an expensive endeavour, check the services page for up to date estimates. It is always best to engage a radiator specialist to service your radiator in case any structural damage has been done or repairs are required.
OUR SERVICES
WE OFFER SAME DAY AUTO RADIATOR
REPAIR
CONTACT ADRAD’S NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF RADIATOR AGENTS
Call 0800 RADIATOR (723 428) to talk to one of our auto radiator repair and air conditioning specialist near you. Alternatively, you can fill out the form below and one of our radiator agents close to you will be in touch with you.
