Help Your Car to Keep Its Cool
Nothing is more gross than yucky green antifreeze that has been circulating through your car’s cooling system for a couple years, looking like the space alien’s blood and smelling so foul that one whiff is enough to damage your nasal passages.
A finicky motorist, of course, would never allow antifreeze to deteriorate so badly. But in fact cooling systems commonly receive little attention.
The neglect often has some dire consequences, particularly with aluminum engine blocks. Take the case of M.B. of Los Angeles, whose Cadillac engine block literally rusted to pieces.
After just 30,000 miles and five years, the engine block sprang a leak in the bottom of the block. Of course, the warranty had expired. A Cadillac representative suggested that the problem was improper maintenance, though the coolant was changed every two years. The official General Motors guidance to owners of the 4.1-liter V-8 engine is to change the coolant every two years.
But changing coolant every two years is a big mistake, many cooling system experts warn. While many engines can go that long without a change, often the coolant will become badly contaminated and lose the key chemicals that protect the engine block.
The 4.1-liter Cadillac engine is not known to have corrosion vulnerability at the bottom of the block, but GM experts say it has had occasional corrosion problems where the cast-iron head meets with the cast aluminum block.
You might want to follow two bits of advice: Change your coolant every year. It’s only a matter of dollars, particularly if you change your own. Even though modern engines often require power flushers to get all the old coolant out, just replacing the amount of coolant in the radiator every year will be a help. The radiator typically is drained from a petcock valve at its bottom.
Second, you might also consider one of the new radiator filters. Manufacturers do not include such filters, but several companies are now producing the filters.
They help eliminate sand and other debris that is left from the casting process, which often contaminates the coolant. Among the new filters is one produced by the Trap Radiator Filter Inc. of Culver City. The company can be reached at (310) 204-5554.
Finally, many veteran mechanics and engine designers say they would always opt for a cast-iron engine block over an aluminum block if they had a choice. Iron is more rugged and will take more abuse.
* Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, 1875 I St. N.W. #1100, Washington, DC 20006.
