Summary: The coolant in your car's cooling system needs to be changed every year in cold climates or every two years in temperate climates. If the coolant is changed regularly, there's no need to flush the cooling system.
eHow Article: How to Change Radiator Fluid
Comments
TheLittleGuy said
on 8/3/2008 Is coolant and anti-freeze the same thing?
jpwhickson said
on 12/12/2007 Thanks for the article it really answered a lot of questions. Now I've got to figure out how to drain water completely from the radiator.
magic487 said
on 11/27/2006 Distilled water should be used in the formula, as it is free of the minerals in tap water that could denature the coolant mixture and prevent it from properly doing its job.
Anonymous said
on 1/26/2006 Older Subarus (and possibly newer ones) have two radiator caps. You should use the one on the engine to fill the coolant, and not the one on the radiator. Usually, the one on the radiator has a metal bracket preventing you from opening it.
Anonymous said
on 1/25/2006 When refilling after flush, the thermostat will take longer to open if the top radiator hose has been drained because it has no water sitting on it.