Coca Cola is not only a tasty carbonated drink for him, but also an excellent calcium deposit dissolver. Therefore, experienced car owners recommend pouring Coca-Cola into the car radiator, which, in their opinion, dissolves rust and accumulated deposits, thereby improving the cooling of the car engine. Let's talk in more detail about whether it is really possible to use this Coca-Cola to dissolve existing contaminants and improve the condition of the car's cooling system.
Is it necessary to flush the cooling system?
Car owners often mistakenly believe that high-quality antifreeze does not contain any impurities; therefore, there is no need to maintain the system in any way by flushing the radiator and numerous pipes and cooling channels in the engine itself. Over time, even high-quality antifreeze begins to decompose, corrosion processes are activated, and deposits appear on the internal elements of the radiator, which after approximately 5-8 years of vehicle operation can degrade the heat transfer efficiency of the antifreeze heated in the engine by a third.
That is why even the automakers themselves, in the documentation for their cars, indicate the need to carry out such work and mandatory cleaning of radiators and cooling systems from the resulting scale. Such work should be carried out at least once every 100,000 kilometers, and it is recommended to use appropriate chemistry. It is both safe for metal and rubberized pipes and at the same time converts all rust, which is subsequently removed with old antifreeze.
Why flush?
The flushing procedure must be done 3-4 times a year, depending on the frequency of use of the vehicle, since any coolant loses its protective properties over time. An additional danger is posed by the fact that during the operation of the vehicle, liquids slowly decompose into components that can precipitate.
Over time, such scale begins to block the outlet channels, which leads to irreparable consequences:
- Engine overheating.
- Reduced vehicle efficiency.
- Damage to the heating element of the machine.
- Pump malfunction.
- Reduced efficiency of a stove or other heating device.
- Engine failure.
- Reducing the overall service life of the vehicle.
If you disassemble a car with an engine clogged with scale, you can see a large amount of rust and greasy stains. However, you should always remember that scale formation does not occur immediately, but after 2-3 years of operation of the vehicle. Carrying out preventive measures will help maintain the operational characteristics of the vehicle.
Cleaning the cooling system will ensure long-term operation of the vehicle's internal combustion engine.
Using special auto chemicals or Coca-Cola
In auto accessory stores you can find special products designed specifically for flushing the car’s cooling system. Unfortunately, such auto chemicals often have a high cost and are not always affordable for ordinary car owners. The advantage of using such special products is their excellent effectiveness and complete safety. Therefore, such cleaning products can be used even on modern cars, without the risk of damaging an expensive radiator or other elements of the cooling system.
If specialized chemicals are expensive, then several liters of Coca-Cola can be bought for literally 50 rubles in the nearest supermarket. The cleaning properties of such a carbonated drink are achieved due to the content of orthophosphoric acid in its composition. This chemical compound dissolves solid deposits, clearing the radiator of dense calcium deposits. Literally half an hour of such cleaning of the radiator will be enough, after which the antifreeze with the cleaning composition is drained, pouring in new coolant.
Products for home use
With proper care and preventive maintenance, cleaning the cooling system is not difficult. Before starting the procedure, you need to prepare it:
The engine is cooled if it was running before.- Place a container for old antifreeze under the drain.
- Unscrew the plugs from the bottom of the radiator and cylinders.
- Wait until the liquid is completely drained from the system.
- The drain plugs are screwed back in.
- Fill the expansion tank with cleaner.
Distilled water
If over the past years the car has been kept in order and preventive washes have been carried out, then the use of distilled water is considered sufficient.
It is poured into an empty expansion tank . The amount of distillate must correspond to the volume of the container. After this, start the engine for 10-25 minutes.
For best results, it is recommended to take a test ride. After turning off the car, allow time for cooling and drain the water from the tank.
Lemon acid
This product helps to cope with a small degree of contamination. To prepare the working solution, citric acid is dissolved in water .
The standard proportion is 30-40 g per 1 liter. To enhance the effect, prepare a more concentrated solution, increasing the dose of powder to 80-100 g. The optimal pH value of the lemon reagent is 3.
After the cleaner is poured into the tank, turn on the engine and warm it up for 15-25 minutes. Leave the reagent in the system for 5-12 hours. When draining the solution, visually check the degree of contamination . If necessary, the cleaning procedure is duplicated.
You can learn more about the use of citric acid in the fight against rust here.
The video will show you how to flush the cooling system with citric acid:
Vinegar
For washing, use vinegar with a concentration of 9% . For 5 liters of water you need a glass of acid (250 ml). This cleaner is used by analogy with citric acid.
The acetic reagent is poured into a container from which the antifreeze has previously been drained. Fill the tank with the prepared solution, start the engine for 20-30 minutes. The acetic liquid is drained after 8-12 hours. Flush the system with distillate and fill it with new refrigerant.
You can learn more about the use of vinegar in the fight against rust in this article.
Milk serum
For work, use store-bought or homemade serum . In the latter case, the liquid must be filtered through several layers of gauze so that no curdled inclusions remain in it. The serum should not be diluted with water before use.
The washing solution is prepared from soda ash (8-10%) and caustic (3%) soda.
The powder is diluted with water, its amount in the solution should be 85-90% . After filling the tank with soda reagent, the car is driven 50-100 km. Then the cleaner is drained and the distillate is passed through several times.
The soda solution should not be left in the cooling system for a long time. The maximum time is a day.
The drink contains orthophosphoric acid, which dissolves salt and rust deposits. However, the method is considered not the safest, since acid has a negative effect on rubber pipes, and sugar has a negative effect on metal surfaces.
If the choice is still made on this purifier, then carbon dioxide is first removed from the drink. After filling, the engine is left in working condition for a maximum of 15-20 minutes. After removing the Coca-Cola, the system is cleaned with distilled water. Read more about using Coca-Cola against rust here.
Special formulations
Ready-made chemical cleaners are divided into four groups:
To select a suitable liquid, it is necessary to determine the degree of contamination of the cooling structure and the type of deposits.
Our range of effective chemical washes includes:
- LAVR. Russian-made foam decarbonizer is intended for trucks and passenger cars. For rinsing purposes, first fill in liquid from bottle No. 1 and water. Start the engine for a quarter of an hour. Drain the first reagent and fill in liquid from bottle No. 2, adding water. Leave the car again with the engine running for 15-20 minutes. Flush the system with distillate two or three times. A set consisting of two bottles costs an average of 500 rubles.
Hi-Gear Radiator Flush . Product manufactured in the USA. Suitable for passenger cars. There are no acids in the formula, so the cleaner is safe for rubber elements.
The product is poured into the tank with a cold engine, after mixing the entire volume of the bottle with 4-5 liters of water. Start the engine for 7 minutes at a speed of 1500–2500 rpm.
Then wait until the engine cools down, drain the chemical and wash it with distillate. The average price of a bottle is 350 rubles.
- LIQUI MOLY Kuhler-Reiniger . A German remedy classified as neutral. Ideal for cleaning rust, oils, emulsions. The reagent is added to the coolant at the rate of 300 ml per 10 liters of refrigerant. Start the car and keep it idling for up to half an hour. After switching off, if necessary, leave for another 3 hours. Then the contents are drained and washed with distillate. A bottle sells for an average of 460 rubles.
Recommendations from car owners
It is best to use Coca-Cola Light, which does not contain sugar, for this cooling system cleaning. The fact is that regular classic soda contains glucose, which can harm aluminum and metal alloys; as a result, the engine or radiator may need to be replaced if not properly cleaned.
Before proceeding directly to cleaning the cooling system, it is necessary to release the gas from Coca-Cola. This can be done by opening the bottle and leaving it in the open air for half a day. If you urgently need to prepare such a cleaning liquid, then you should keep the lid closed and shake the bottle vigorously, then carefully bleed off the gas, screw the lid back on and shake the bottle again. Literally 10 minutes of such intense work will completely release the harmful gas.
Flushing the cooling system with Coca-Cola can be done using classic and fast technology. A quick flush implies the absence of coolant in the system, instead of which lemonade is poured, after which this composition is run through the system for about 15 minutes. All that remains to be done is to drain the soda and pour new high-quality antifreeze into the system.
In a classic flush, Coca-Cola is mixed with water in a consistency of one to three, poured into the cooling system, run for just a couple of minutes, after which the engine is turned off and the car is left overnight. In the morning, drain all the soda, pouring antifreeze or antifreeze into the engine.
conclusions
During the operation of the car, the cooling system will invariably become contaminated, which negatively affects the correct operation of the engine. To avoid such problems, it is necessary to clean the radiator on a regular basis, for which you can use special liquids or Coca-Cola. In the latter case, soda is added to antifreeze or instead of coolant, the engine is allowed to run for 10-15 minutes, after which the coolant is changed by pouring high-quality antifreeze into the system.
13.06.2019
What do you need to know before the procedure?
Flushing the cooling system is a serious procedure that requires car maintenance skills. Improper cleaning can lead to problems, so before starting the procedure you need to familiarize yourself not only with the structure of the mechanism, but also with the cleaning rules.
For example, if the air conditioner condenser is made of aluminum, then the use of citric acid may cause thinning of its walls . At the same time, cast iron and steel parts completely retain their integrity.
The design of the cooling system should also be taken into account. Thin channels can be damaged if, during cleaning, fragments of a thick film of old antifreeze, pieces of rust or scale come off. If the channel is clogged, the engine will overheat.
To avoid problems that arise during radical cleaning, it is recommended to carry out prevention, use the original antifreeze composition and change it on time.
Recommendations
When cleaning the cooling system, it is recommended to follow the instructions included with the selected cleaner. It is also useful to remember some important points:
All the most useful and important information about the methods and methods of removing rust from a car is here.
Can flushing products damage the system?
Improper use of cooling system cleaning products can cause great harm to your vehicle. To avoid this, you cannot use two or more specialized tools at once. You only need to flush the system with one product. Most solutions are sold in the form of concentrates; they must be diluted, since highly concentrated solutions can destroy rubber and plastic parts, especially acidic preparations.
