1998 SL2 - cracked cylinder?

Flushing your cooling system is so damn easy - I think you should do it
yourself!
(Rather than pay some person possibly less talented than YOURSELF three
or four times as much than it would cost for you to do it yourself!)
Oh yeah - PLEASE dont buy the pre-diluted 50/50 stuff! I'd advocate
the use of this stuff IF IT COST 50% OF THE 100% COOLANT! BUT it
REALLY burns my hide that Prestone et. al. has the nerve to charge you,
my brother or my cable-guy $4 for half a gallon of WATER! (last time I
priced antifreeze, 100% coolant was about $9 - 50/50 was about $8)

The flushing/cleaning stuff will have instructions. Basically you
open the radiator drain, collect all the liquid - then fill your system
with water, let it the engine run - repeat until you have clean water
draining from the radiator. Then you use the flushing stuff - let it
get all through the system - then wash THAT out as you did the old
coolant. Thoroughly rinse it out until totally clear again, then mix
your coolant 50/50 - and add to your system till its full.

-WaV
Trying to wipe out entropy
One Saturn at a time....

wrote:
> Oh, almost forgot...its not low on coolant either. Should the service
> people flush the system? or should I worry about this after they do the
> other tests?

"wavy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Flushing your cooling system is so damn easy - I think you should do it
> yourself!
> (Rather than pay some person possibly less talented than YOURSELF three
> or four times as much than it would cost for you to do it yourself!)
> Oh yeah - PLEASE dont buy the pre-diluted 50/50 stuff! I'd advocate
> the use of this stuff IF IT COST 50% OF THE 100% COOLANT! BUT it
> REALLY burns my hide that Prestone et. al. has the nerve to charge you,
> my brother or my cable-guy $4 for half a gallon of WATER! (last time I
> priced antifreeze, 100% coolant was about $9 - 50/50 was about $8)
>
> The flushing/cleaning stuff will have instructions. Basically you
> open the radiator drain, collect all the liquid - then fill your system
> with water, let it the engine run - repeat until you have clean water
> draining from the radiator. Then you use the flushing stuff - let it
> get all through the system - then wash THAT out as you did the old
> coolant. Thoroughly rinse it out until totally clear again, then mix
> your coolant 50/50 - and add to your system till its full.
>
> -WaV

I agree with WaVy with the following additions.

Calgon dishwasher detergent is a good cooling system cleaner. Flush well
after any cleaning. Check for soft or cracked hoses before refilling.

There is more variability in the quality and suitability of common water
than anti-freeze coolant. Do not use tap water, mix the coolant with
distilled (best) or other deionized or RO water. I buy it from a health
food store in bulk, @$.50 / gal if I bring my own jug. Also good for
topping off non sealed batteries and my wife uses it in her steam iron.

Good luck YMMV