Clogged radiator symptoms


The role of the diffuser in cooling

It is worth paying attention to the radiator diffuser.

In its absence, two problems may arise. When the car is not moving and the fan is moving air, due to the action of the fan blades, the air passes through the radiator honeycombs exactly along the diameter of the blades. But when the diffuser stands still, it creates a greater vacuum of air, as a result of which the air passes not only along the diameter of the blades , but through the entire area of ​​the radiator honeycomb. In this case, the cooling area will increase by approximately 35%. When driving at a decent speed, this does not affect much, but when parking or driving with a good load at low speed, the absence of a diffuser will immediately affect it.

Don't forget that almost no air moves through the center of the fan. There is another reason: in the absence of a diffuser, the air begins to move in a closed circle, as a result, approximately 10% of the hot air moves around the blades in a circle. The diffuser prevents hot air from entering the second circle. Pay attention to the second picture , it shows how air passes through the honeycomb of the radiator on which the diffuser is installed.

How to clean an air conditioner radiator and fan

The next important element is the heat exchanger. When it becomes clogged, the power of the system decreases and the efficiency of its operation decreases. After removing the filter and the front of the housing, you can begin cleaning the radiator. To do this you need to use detergents and brushes. A steam generator would also be useful. The control unit must be covered with film.

A degreasing solution is sprayed onto the surface of the heat exchanger, which does not react with copper and aluminum. After 15-20 minutes, the heat exchanger must be rinsed with clean water and cleaned with a brush. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times. The steam generator greatly simplifies cleaning work.

How to clean the radiator in an air conditioner

Let us explain the issues related to how to clean the air conditioner drain. First of all, you need to rinse the condensate tray. If necessary, the drainage pipe is cleaned both from the outside and inside. The radial fan is cleaned using the same methods as the heat exchanger - using a brush, washing liquid and a steam generator.

Hidden place for leaving antifreeze

Sometimes coolant can leak through the intake manifold gasket. If coolant enters through the intake manifold, the engine does not boil, but the coolant constantly disappears, and as soon as the coolant level drops below critical, then hidden overheating of the head begins.

This method should be used if your car’s coolant is constantly leaking somewhere, but the leak is nowhere to be seen. Sometimes bubbles come from the cooling system, but the coolant does not have any specific odor. In this case, you should check the liquid for the presence of oxides in it; litmus paper , which can be found in the workshop, will help identify them. If the piece of paper shows that there are no oxides, then air is being sucked into the system. If you cannot find litmus paper, then you will have to check in other ways.

How to flush the radiator from the inside

Before flushing the engine radiator, the existing coolant must be removed from it (as well as from the entire system). Therefore, you will need a suitable container and, of course, new antifreeze if it is this and not water that will be poured into the system.

Liquid is drained from the cooling system on all cars through special taps. In addition, it is also worth disconnecting the pipes from the radiator in order to remove it completely.

After that, everything is connected back, the taps are tightened and the selected cleaner is poured through the radiator neck. In most cases, you need to let the engine run for 15 to 30 minutes, then drain the cleaner in the same way as you drained the antifreeze before.

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How to find a crack in a cylinder

We do without paper - you need to drive the engine and unscrew the spark plugs one by one. If there is a crack in the cylinder, then as soon as you unscrew the spark plug and turn off this cylinder, compressed air or exhaust gases will immediately stop flowing into the system.

The fitting can be made from a candle, or rather from its body. The spark plug needs to be disassembled, the ceramic insulator removed - we replace it with a brass fitting from the compressor hose. The edging of the spark plug body, in the place where the fitting is inserted, needs to be scalded by welding , it is advisable to also cover it with silicone for reliability. If you still doubt its reliability, you will have to insert a plastic tube lubricated with silicone inside the fitting. We wait for the silicone to harden and use it.

Let's move on to another reason for engine overheating. It could be a failed thermostat.

How to remove an air conditioner radiator

  1. We remove the bumper, being careful not to damage the latches and other fastening elements. It is advisable not to scratch it, so as not to have to deal with painting later.
  2. Remove the decorative radiator grille. On some models this item is not required.
  3. Disconnect the battery terminal. It is recommended to carry out any work with the battery disconnected.
  4. We disconnect and take out the fans. The more space there is, the easier it will be to get car radiators. Fans must be removed with the same care.
  5. Unscrew all the radiator fasteners. It is important not to break the thread during the process. It is also advisable not to break the temperature sensor.
  6. We remove the pipes and pipes. If there is freon left in the system, watch your fingers!
  7. Carefully remove the radiator. There is no need to cling to anything with the radiator honeycombs; aluminum bends easily.

Next, it is quite easy to determine the cause of the malfunction by eye. If the radiator is dirty, it needs to be washed, if it is broken, then soldered. If it is broken, then you need to replace the air conditioner radiator.

Thermostat not working as a cause of overheating

Sometimes the thermostat starts to jam, then without hesitation it is removed. But the thermostat may get stuck in the middle or closed position. The service life of the thermostat is quite long, but after 150 thousand kilometers it is better to change the thermostat.

We remove the thermostat to inspect it. If there are wax shavings or burrs on the rod, then most likely the thermostat will soon fail . And it will fail due to the expanding filler, which is slowly beginning to crawl out through the gap, as a result of which the working stroke of the thermostat begins to decrease. After that, it will stop opening at all, so it is advisable to replace such a thermostat immediately. Before removing the thermostat, you need to think carefully; some people are misled by reading articles on the Internet. This is a serious mistake, since all thermostats are designed in this way: on the one hand, when heated, the hole in the larger circle begins to open, thereby blocking the small engine warm-up circle with the other side.

Air conditioner radiator malfunctions

The most common malfunctions:

  1. The radiator is clogged with dirt, lint or dust
  2. The radiator is damaged as a result of an accident, stones or unqualified repairs
  3. Damaged tubes or pipes

Any repair begins with removing the defective part. Removing the air conditioner radiator begins with studying the manual and with a visual inspection in order to understand how to remove it. You need to determine how to get it, from above or below, without disassembling half of the car. When removing, the main thing is that not a single tube or sensor is damaged. Air conditioning radiators are usually sold with welded tubes; if you damage them, you will have to buy a new radiator. A damaged sensor can often only be obtained at a disassembly site, where they will definitely charge you a decent amount, or sell you the whole assembly as a load.

If the radiator fan does not work

As a result of improper installation of the fan, it began to drive hot air against the movement of the car. At a decent speed without load, the engine does not heat up, but in traffic jams or at idle it begins to boil.

In order to check the electric fan, you need to short-circuit the wires of the temperature sensor. As a result, the fan will start working. This sensor is located at the bottom of the radiator.

Location of the fan temperature sensor

If you are afraid of shorting the wiring, you will have to bridge the wires through a 12-volt light bulb. If a short circuit occurs, the lamp will light up brightly, but if connected correctly, the lamp will glow dimly and the fan will work, but at half power.

We sorted out the fan, let's move on to the radiator, I began to suspect that it was clogged.

Service procedure

There are clearly defined work rules and recommended maintenance schedules by equipment manufacturers. They may be indicated in the operating instructions or on the manufacturer's website. These documents will help you understand how to clean your air conditioner at home.

How to Clean an Air Conditioner Drain

Service of devices used for commercial purposes, as well as industrial and semi-industrial systems, is best left to specialists.

Procedure for servicing a household split system:

  • The device must be de-energized. If the power does not flow through the plug, but directly from the electrical panel, then it is necessary to turn off the circuit breaker.
  • Open the cover on the front panel - this can be done using special protrusions on both sides of the case.
  • You need to get the mesh filter and all additional filters, if any.
  • Carefully remove the horizontal blinds from their mounting points.
  • The next step is disassembling the case. To do this, you need to unscrew the screws located at the bottom of the case under the protective caps and near the display, then remove the front cover.
  • Clean and reinstall all components.

If the engine cooling radiator is clogged

First of all, you need to check the pump. If the radiator is clogged, you can check it like this:

The first sign is dirty and cloudy antifreeze. If it was not possible to determine the antifreeze, then give the warmed up engine about 1500 revolutions. Then we squeeze the inlet pipe going from the engine to the radiator with our hand; it feels like stone and you won’t be able to press it with your fingers. And the outlet pipe should be soft, it can be easily pressed with your fingers. Sometimes it can compress itself if you increase the speed quite strongly and sharply on a hot engine. Clogged radiator tubes create serious resistance to the fluid passing through them, and it is because of this that the pump pressure at the inlet to the radiator will rise . At the outlet, the pipes will then simply be squashed against the vacuum. You can check it on your car and on another car of the same make and model, and compare the results. If the radiator is clogged, you can try cleaning it by flushing.

You need to flush the radiator like this:

Radiator flushing diagram

If you have a copper radiator, then it is better, using a blowtorch, to unsolder the bottom and top covers, then insert a thin metal strip into the honeycombs, preferably so that there are no sharp edges on it. An oil dipstick from some engines may work.

Damaged coolant radiator honeycomb

The stove radiator is also cleaned. By the way, once you remove the radiator, it may turn out that it has begun to rot . As a result, the slots become clogged with fallen pieces of metal, and air flows between them cannot pass.

Engine overheating can be felt if the pump is not working well. There are two signs indicating that the pump is not working properly: the first is that the heater does not heat well at idle, and the second is the temperature difference between the lower and upper radiator hoses, the temperature of the lower one is 10-15 degrees higher than the temperature of the upper one.

Another reason could be early or late ignition.

Why you need to clean air conditioners

The problem is not only aesthetic in nature, there are also other unpleasant consequences. Air circulation slows down in the presence of several layers of dust, even not very thick ones. The heat exchanger heats up quickly under such conditions, and then the compressor fails. The appearance of unpleasant odors and bacteria is also attributed to the consequences of an unclean air conditioner. Because of this, split systems become dirty.

The role of ignition in engine overheating

On the old ignition. If you have a late ignition, then as soon as you release the gas, you will hear in the exhaust manifold, but this, however, is not always the case. Even with late ignition, it is difficult to start a cold engine; when trying to start, black smoke may come out of the exhaust pipe; also, the engine with such an ignition gets very hot.

If you have early ignition, then very often, when starting a warm engine, during the first flash in the cylinder, the effect of a sharp braking of the rotation of the engine flywheel occurs, as a result the starter has difficulty cranking it, and does not turn off until the engine need his help. With early ignition there is a heavy load on the starter . But if the ignition is too early, maybe 2-3 degrees, then the engine will start normally, but as soon as you drive with a load or uphill, or simply the speed is more than 70 mph, signs of overheating will appear, but as soon as you slow down the speed, the temperature will return to normal.

Everyone, of course, is interested in the results of overheating: very often detonation occurs, which gnaws out cavities in the head.

With the arrival of summer, many car owners are faced with the question of how to flush the engine cooling radiator without removing it. The main reason for this is the danger of the engine boiling with all the ensuing consequences.

Author of the article: mudriy_lev Specialization: repair of auto generators and servos in cars. Place of work: service center. Experience: 2 years. Education: higher education - electrical engineer, secondary specialized education - mechanical assembly mechanic.

Cleaning the radiator from the outside using special chemicals

The radiator becomes clogged while using the car due to the fact that dust and debris fly into the car from the road one way or another. This part gets dirty much faster if the vehicle is driven on country roads or in areas where there is serious dust.

Insects can also get into the radiator, which later turn into a rather solid mass along with dust.

To clean the radiator without removing it, you can use ordinary water, which will clean its outer surface, but it is often not very easy to get to this part of the car.

To carry out high-quality cleaning, the radiator is often removed.

It even happens that ordinary cleaning of the outside with water turns out to be insufficient, since the dirt has settled so firmly that it cannot be removed from the surface using traditional methods.

To get rid of contamination, use a special product to clean the outside of the vehicle radiator.

As a rule, the heating radiator or air conditioner radiator is washed with running water, but in car washes this is done under quite high pressure. In this case, the operation must be performed as carefully as possible, since here it is possible to damage the honeycombs, which will simply cause a radiator leak. It will eventually lose its seal.

If salt sits on the radiator along with dirt, it should be removed from the surface of the part as quickly as possible. The fact is that the part is made of aluminum, and a saline solution can corrode it in just a few minutes. As a result, this will end in the same car radiator leak.

It is also worth noting that water is unlikely to be able to remove stubborn deposits, which means that you will have to use a special product to rid it of dirt.

There are quite a lot of chemicals developed specifically so that chemical cleaning of the radiator can be done without removing this part.

Chemical products produced by the following manufacturers are widely popular among drivers:

  • Hado;
  • VERYLUBE;
  • Liqui Moly.

There are also universal cleaning agents on sale that can be used to clean not only dirt from the radiator of a car’s engine cooling system, but also from the entire engine.

The cost of such a substance can vary greatly - it depends on which company produced this product. In particular, the cost of one bottle, the volume of which will be about 250 ml, can reach a thousand rubles.

It is not advisable to purchase products that are too cheap, since inexpensive drugs may use too active substances, which can be as harmful as the pollution itself.

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You can wash the cooling radiator of an air conditioner or internal combustion engine by removing the heat exchanger. If the contamination is not too significant, then you can use the simplest method - blow it out with compressed air, and do this from outside the car, without removing or disconnecting the radiator itself.

The sequence of actions here will be as follows.

  1. First you need to remove the upper front trim.
  2. The radiator grille is removed, which is secured in the car with four screws; in addition, it is additionally held at the bottom by three clips. The hood lock drive is also removed here.
  3. Now, using a special key, they remove the fastenings of the air intakes, which are located in front of the car, and also remove all the plastic elements located outside.
  4. Take a hose, at the end of which there should be a tube, and blow out all the radiator cells from it, after which they are washed with running water.

A car wash will be needed if you do not have a compressed air compressor and the device necessary to wash the element at hand. Workers will carefully remove the radiator and thoroughly clean it of all contaminants.

It is worth noting that it is highly undesirable to remove the radiator yourself, since it is not very conveniently located on many car models. It will be very difficult to remove it, and it will be even more difficult to return it to its place.

The heating radiator is not always clogged with dirt from the outside; sometimes dust makes its way inside. This, in turn, also leads to overheating of the motor.

To ensure that the heat exchanger becomes clogged with dirt as little as possible, experts advise changing the coolant at least once a year.

In addition, it is also advisable to flush the entire system, which is done as the antifreeze becomes cloudier.

There are various folk remedies used to flush the cooling system: some car enthusiasts advise flushing it with whey, citric acid or electrolyte solution, Coca-Cola, caustic soda, and so on. However, all of them are untested and can lead to the radiator completely corroding.

The most reliable way to clean the cooling system of all kinds of contaminants is to flush it with clean water.

The technology in this case will be as follows.

  1. First you need to warm up the engine to operating temperature.
  2. All contaminated coolant will need to be completely drained, and this is done with both the radiator and the cylinder block.
  3. You need to wait a little time for all this liquid to drain out of the car.
  4. All drain plugs are returned to their places, clean water is poured into the system from the outside and the motor is allowed to run for approximately 15 minutes.
  5. The motor is stopped and water is removed from the system. If it flows dirty, the operation should be repeated until clean water returns.
  6. Now you can add fresh coolant.

On sale today you can find automotive chemicals for a wide variety of purposes, in particular, there are substances that allow you to quite effectively flush the cooling system the first time. However, it is worth saying that not every tool allows you to do this efficiently. There are substances that seriously disrupt the operation of both the engine and the car as a whole.

In this case, the rule works well - the cheaper the product, the worse it interacts with the radiator. It is best to use products for washing that are offered by world-famous companies producing automotive chemicals, which have also managed to gain a positive reputation.

These products are quite different in composition and purpose. In particular, some of them are added to coolant to act as an additive and prevent the formation of scale and rust.

In addition, you can find chemicals on sale that allow you to remove antifreeze leaks from the pipes or from the radiator. However, it should be used as carefully as possible, since it is quite viscous and its careless use leads to clogging of the tubes and thin hoses of the system.

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Symptoms of the need to flush the radiator

Most often, car owners notice problems with the cooling system on a hot summer day. A clogged radiator prevents the cooling system from performing its function, since the antifreeze is not cooled sufficiently.

Temperature changes at an unusually rapid rate are the first sign of problems with the cooling system. It is important to prevent overheating, as this may result in expensive repairs.

Frequent turning on of the radiator fan is also a symptom of a clogged radiator. At the same time, the temperature tends to the maximum and the engine is close to boiling.

A poorly functioning heater is also a symptom of a clogged cooling system. Using this criterion, you can determine the malfunction of the cooling system in winter.

Cleaning the air conditioner radiator

It all started when a year ago I changed the air conditioning compressor (due to my stupidly illiterate operation of the previous one). We replaced it at the service center, then refilled it with freon, but the gas station master couldn’t really create pressure in the system because he didn’t really like the way my radiator worked.

It did not fully perform the functions assigned to it by the designers at the factory. Karcher's service saved our situation then. Zhenya, a friend who was present with me on the spot, poured water on the radiator, I kept the gas pedal up, the foreman filled in freon... The job was done, but the foreman, as a recommendation in an orderly tone, said that the radiators needed to be cleaned, the car was already 6 years old at that time and no one had ever gone there and didn’t poke his nose in. I rode like this all last summer, fortunately we had a “successful” summer; I didn’t experience any discomfort with the cold.

This year it’s much more interesting here: the heat is sultry, stuffy... It’s still good on the highway, but in the city the traffic doesn’t allow for good airflow. Why should you decide to clean the Conder and main radiators?

I had no desire to contact the service right away, spend the Nth amount, it is not yet known how it would all go.

I took several types of 10mm wrenches, pliers (a bunch of them), screwdrivers of different slots and sizes. I bought liquid for cleaning the engine at a car shop (I thought at that time that it definitely couldn’t get any worse), especially since I didn’t want to bother with finding liquid for external cleaning of radiators. Luckily I have Karcher! Let's go to the dacha with the family!

Initially, there was a plan to make a detailed photo report of this entire operation, but as you understand, when you are completely absorbed in the process, you forget to be distracted by the photo + dirty as a pig up to the elbow!

The photo shows the connection points of the upper radiator panel (that's what this piece of hardware is called). I outlined in yellow the bolted connections, where there is a solid yellow fill, these are invisible places, namely two bolts on both sides for fastening the headlights (turn signals), in the middle are the mounting brackets for the bumper amplifier. I marked in red the clips that hold the wiring + the hood cable was disconnected (as it later turns out in vain)

I saw a “sandwich” made from radiators live. The initial stage has been completed. I did not show how I separated the A/C radiator from the main one; I was carried away by the painstaking work with the plastic latches that held one radiator to the other. Moreover, all this is my first time... I have to be extremely careful not to damage a single tube, otherwise the freon will go away! Radiator to be replaced! I did it anyway, and it turned out to be nothing complicated. I managed it alone.

Showed the result of separating two radiators from each other. I circled the most contaminated areas on the radiators. The service technician warned me about this that the worst part of this sandwich between the radiators is that there is no joy in simply manipulating the blowing with the compressor...

The result of the work done.

Source: https://www.drive2.ru/l/6789279/

Using distilled water to clean the radiator

Cleaning with distilled water is usually used when the engine cooling radiator is not very clogged. Usually, before such cleaning, the radiator is able to perform its functions, but the antifreeze looks dirty.

For an easier cleaning process, it is recommended to drive the car into the inspection pit. It is necessary to fill in distilled water and, after letting the engine run for 15-20 minutes at idle speed, drain the liquid.

After the first time, you can notice a large number of various types of contaminants in the water. They will determine the need for subsequent flushes. Typically, to clean the radiator of an average car driven in urban environments, 2 to 5 flushes are sufficient.

How does an engine cooling radiator work and what is it for?

Everyone has seen a radiator in a car.
Roughly speaking, this is a lattice metal screen installed in front of the engine. It consists of many tubes (or rather, one very long twisted tube) and thin, foil-like metal plates. Hot coolant flows through the tube, which transfers heat to these plates and also cools due to the air flow blowing onto the radiator. We also recommend reading the separate

article about the design of a car radiator of the engine cooling system

. From this article you will learn about the design features and operating principles of a car radiator.

Of course, the largest amount of various debris generated during the circulation of antifreeze or water collects inside the radiator. And in addition, the radiator becomes dirty on the outside, which worsens heat exchange processes. Therefore, cleaning the engine cooling radiator is required from time to time.

Acidified solutions

If the cooling system is clogged sufficiently, then flushing with water will not bring the expected result. It is necessary to make a water-acid solution based on:

  • Lemon acid. Citric acid cleanses the engine most gently. At least pour water with citric acid for 3-5 hours. If it is heavily soiled, you can drive for a week with a solution of citric acid instead of antifreeze.
  • Hydrochloric acid. When using hydrochloric acid, the speed of cleaning depends on how acidic the solution is. The concentration of acid in the liquid that is poured should not be high, as this can lead to damage to rubber and plastic elements. If necessary, you can repeat the washing. Typically, when using hydrochloric acid, up to 3 washes are necessary.
  • Sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is used in lead-acid batteries. Using it to flush the cooling system carries the risk of damaging rubber and plastic elements. The duration of cleaning is about 20 minutes.

To complete flushing the cooling radiator with acid, it is necessary to pour distilled water into the system. After 5-10 minutes of water remaining in the system, it must be drained. After this, you should pour antifreeze into the system and continue to use the car as before.

How to clean the outside of a car radiator without removing it: cleaning products, instructions, tips, video

The car needs to flush the air conditioner radiator quite regularly. This is due to the fact that this element of the vehicle’s design is needed to maintain the operating temperature of the engine, to protect it from overheating, and so on.

During active use, the radiator begins to become clogged with debris and dirt. In this case, the heat emanating from the radiator is not completely transferred to the environment, but is returned back to the engine.

As a result, the power unit may overheat. It is necessary to clean the car radiator depending on how badly it is clogged. If this is not done, then sooner or later the vehicle will fail.

It must be said that the heater cooling radiator, the car’s automatic transmission, the air conditioner evaporator, and so on can also become clogged.

What product can be used to clean the outside of a car radiator?

The radiator becomes clogged while using the car due to the fact that dust and debris fly into the car from the road one way or another. This part gets dirty much faster if the vehicle is driven on country roads or in areas where there is serious dust.

Insects can also get into the radiator, which later turn into a rather solid mass along with dust.

To clean the radiator without removing it, you can use ordinary water, which will clean its outer surface, but it is often not very easy to get to this part of the car.

To carry out high-quality cleaning, the radiator is often removed.

It even happens that ordinary cleaning of the outside with water turns out to be insufficient, since the dirt has settled so firmly that it cannot be removed from the surface using traditional methods.

To get rid of contamination, use a special product to clean the outside of the vehicle radiator.

As a rule, the heating radiator or air conditioner radiator is washed with running water, but in car washes this is done under quite high pressure. In this case, the operation must be performed as carefully as possible, since here it is possible to damage the honeycombs, which will simply cause a radiator leak. It will eventually lose its seal.

If salt sits on the radiator along with dirt, it should be removed from the surface of the part as quickly as possible. The fact is that the part is made of aluminum, and a saline solution can corrode it in just a few minutes. As a result, this will end in the same car radiator leak.

There are quite a lot of chemicals developed specifically so that chemical cleaning of the radiator can be done without removing this part.

Chemical products produced by the following manufacturers are widely popular among drivers:

There are also universal cleaning agents on sale that can be used to clean not only dirt from the radiator of a car’s engine cooling system, but also from the entire engine.

The cost of such a substance can vary greatly - it depends on which company produced this product. In particular, the cost of one bottle, the volume of which will be about 250 ml, can reach a thousand rubles.

It is not advisable to purchase products that are too cheap, since inexpensive drugs may use too active substances, which can be as harmful as the pollution itself.

You can wash the cooling radiator of an air conditioner or internal combustion engine by removing the heat exchanger. If the contamination is not too significant, then you can use the simplest method - blow it out with compressed air, and do this from outside the car, without removing or disconnecting the radiator itself.

The sequence of actions here will be as follows.

  1. First you need to remove the upper front trim.
  2. The radiator grille is removed, which is secured in the car with four screws; in addition, it is additionally held at the bottom by three clips. The hood lock drive is also removed here.
  3. Now, using a special key, they remove the fastenings of the air intakes, which are located in front of the car, and also remove all the plastic elements located outside.
  4. Take a hose, at the end of which there should be a tube, and blow out all the radiator cells from it, after which they are washed with running water.

A car wash will be needed if you do not have a compressed air compressor and the device necessary to wash the element at hand. Workers will carefully remove the radiator and thoroughly clean it of all contaminants.

It is worth noting that it is highly undesirable to remove the radiator yourself, since it is not very conveniently located on many car models. It will be very difficult to remove it, and it will be even more difficult to return it to its place.

The heating radiator is not always clogged with dirt from the outside; sometimes dust makes its way inside. This, in turn, also leads to overheating of the motor.

To ensure that the heat exchanger becomes clogged with dirt as little as possible, experts advise changing the coolant at least once a year.

In addition, it is also advisable to flush the entire system, which is done as the antifreeze becomes cloudier.

There are various folk remedies used to flush the cooling system: some car enthusiasts advise flushing it with whey, citric acid or electrolyte solution, Coca-Cola, caustic soda, and so on. However, all of them are untested and can lead to the radiator completely corroding.

The most reliable way to clean the cooling system of all kinds of contaminants is to flush it with clean water.

The technology in this case will be as follows.

  1. First you need to warm up the engine to operating temperature.
  2. All contaminated coolant will need to be completely drained, and this is done with both the radiator and the cylinder block.
  3. You need to wait a little time for all this liquid to drain out of the car.
  4. All drain plugs are returned to their places, clean water is poured into the system from the outside and the motor is allowed to run for approximately 15 minutes.
  5. The motor is stopped and water is removed from the system. If it flows dirty, the operation should be repeated until clean water returns.
  6. Now you can add fresh coolant.

Special means

Modern industry offers a wide selection of special products to flush the radiator. They can be divided into the following types:

  • Neutral. They are analogues of distilled water. They add components that do not act aggressively on metal, rubber and plastic that are part of the cooling system.
  • Acidic. Serve to remove scale and corrosion, which are the main culprits behind radiator contamination.
  • Alkaline. They are used to remove sediments formed due to the aging of antifreeze, which acidic radiator cleaners cannot cope with. The main disadvantage is their uselessness for combating scale and corrosion.
  • Two-component. They are produced in two containers, since acid and alkali are always neutralized and therefore cannot be in one container. Accordingly, they cannot be poured into the cooling system at the same time. The effect in this case will be no better than when using neutral cleaning products. Most manufacturers recommend adding acid first and then alkali.

How to clean an air conditioner radiator

The presence of air conditioning in a modern car is not only a prestigious option, but also a necessity. A unit without which operating a machine becomes a serious ordeal. This is especially noticeable in the summer in city traffic jams. The happy owners of such an important device, after some time of using it, realize that there is a need to clean the radiator of the air conditioner of their car.

Placement of the condenser on the car and the reasons for its contamination

How to clean an air conditioner radiator

A condenser is the name of a part of an air conditioner, which among car enthusiasts is called a radiator. In most cases, it is located in the engine compartment of the car, in front of the engine radiator.

Technically, this is due to the fact that the best counter-flow of air occurs in this place. In addition, there is also a fan located there, which helps with overheating in the systems. The refrigerant in a car's air conditioning system is freon.

When you turn on the unit, after starting the machine, an electromagnet is triggered, which attracts the compressor pulley to the pressure disk and puts the system into operation. Under the pressure generated by the compressor, freon enters the radiator, where, under the influence of the oncoming air flow and the fan, it cools slightly and turns into liquid. Then it passes through the receiver to the evaporator, cools the air and is sent back to the compressor.

At the same time, moisture settles and accumulates on the evaporator, slowly flowing under the bottom of the car. During operation, every owner of a car with air conditioning is faced with the fact that an unpleasant odor begins to appear in the cabin.

How to clean an air conditioner radiator

There are two reasons for this:

  • due to the honeycomb becoming clogged with dust, stones and insects, the performance of the air conditioner radiator is reduced, because when it is dirty, it cools the refrigerant coming from the compressor less well;
  • Moisture accumulates on the evaporator parts, which, when mixed with dust and dirt, promotes the development of microbes, fungi and mold.

In fact, it’s not just an unpleasant odor. Pathogenic microbes, fungal spores and harmful mold particles begin to enter the cabin, which negatively affects the health of the driver and passengers. There is only one way out. The air conditioner needs cleaning. The radiator needs to be cleaned. This can be done either in a technical center or with your own hands.

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