Clean front of radiator in the spring.
Change
antifreeze every two years.
Change hoses
at about
60,000 miles.
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Cooling System
Tune-up Checklist
- Flush dirt, bugs and leaves from front of radiator with a brush and garden hose. Be
gentle, radiator fins are a bit delicate
- Inspect the radiator cap. Replace the cap if the rubber gasket is broken, dried out or
missing.
- Check the condition and level of coolant. If it is rusty, clean the system and replace
with a 50/50 mixture of water and ethylene glycol anti-freeze. Replace coolant every two years or 30,000 miles.
Coolant becomes acidic and can do damage to the engine.
- Inspect radiator and hoses for leaks, cracks. Hoses that are soft, or mushy should be
replaced. Tighten all clamps, replace hoses as needed. (Most hose failure / leaks seem to
occure sometine after 60,000 miles of service.)
- Heater hoses run from the engine, through the firewall, to the heater core under the
dash. Replace swollen or cracked hoses.
- The thermostat controls the engine temperature; preventing engine over-heating. The
engine runs best when the temperature is maintained near the 200 degree mark. To hot and
the engine is damaged, to cold and the engine will not run properly and will use excess
fuel.
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