Radiator Flush - Citric Solution - Alto DIY

[Xulfiqar]

You will face a pretty large hurdle flushing it when the thermostat closes as you force water to remove the acid.

[haroon.virk]

@Xulfiqar
What if I flush it when the water is hot (right after turning off the engine)?

[helper_learner]

What if I flush it when the water is hot (right after turning off the engine)?

What will you put in, Hot water?

[haroon.virk]

I will make a solution of water+tatri, pour it into the radiator. Start the car and drive for about 30 mins or one hour.......turn off the car and then immediately drain the system.

[haroon.virk]

Can I keep the water+tatri solution in the system for one or two hours? I mean if I drive for one hour with this solution and then drain the system?

[nwzixh147]

When u will drain it thermostat will be in close position water trap inside engine won't escape

[haroon.virk]

When you turn off a car after driving for one hour, that time it's thermostat will be in open or close position?

[Xulfiqar]

Thermostat doesnt care how long you drive.

It only reacts to the temperature of the liquid that its bathed in, if you drain a hot engine, you may drain more than the radiator but the thermostat will close off as the hot liquid is gone.

If you refill cold water the thermostat will positively close off.

[helper_learner]

If you refill cold water

On the side note, Filling cold water in hot engine may cause the head to wrap.

[Xulfiqar]

And also fracture.

Ive seen it a few times too.

[freebirdofhell]

Hello xulfiqar i performed the citric acid and baking soda flush in my car and when i did the baking soda flush it started creating foaming bubbles and left a slightly white residue in the pipe, is it normal? can that white residue cause any problems?

[helper_learner]

when i did the baking soda flush it started creating foaming bubbles and left a slightly white residue in the pipe, is it normal

Yes, It is normal, It is Releasing Carbon dioxide, during neutralization.

can that white residue cause any problems?

Flush it in reverse, It will get out.

[Xulfiqar]

Seems like you used a lot of soda,

Run some clean water in it from heater side to purge it out

[haroon.virk]

@Xulfiqar
What ratio of soda should be used?

[helper_learner]

What ratio of soda should be used?

From Google, "For every 1 gram of citric acid use 1.3 g of baking soda"

[freebirdofhell]

i only used 100 gram of soda in 3 liter of water and 300 gram of citric acid with 3 liter of water. Also i have one more query, My heater has been blowing cold air since last winter but i just ignored as it was not something extremely important to me but when i flushed the cooling system i removed both of the hoses going into the heater core and poured citric acid solution into at first only few drops were dripping so i let the citric acid solution sit in it for 15 min and used garden hose to flow water through the bottom inlet hose and water started flowing easily after 20-30 sec so i plugged everything back together and ran the heater it was still blowing cold air.

So i got it checked with an AC guy and he said bottom inlet hose is warm but the top outlet hose is cold so it means the heater core is choked which is weird as water was freely flowing through it when i flushed it. So what could be the reason? is it possible when i refit the hoses some gunk again got stuck into heater core through the inlet hose? or is there something else?

[helper_learner]

Either T-stat is missing, and fan is direct, Or the Heater core is choked from the fins, or The heater selector is not working (Air Gates Not moving).

[krafiq]

I cleaned radiator using citiric acid (tatri) then washing with baking soda, then also used Total radiator cleaner. Car is 3 cylinder Suzuki cultus 2001.
After that cooling system has started to drink water like a thirsty camel.
Showed it to radiator guy who referred me to mechanic. Head gasket needs replacement. OEM part is 11k and after marker is 700-1000 max.
@Xulfiqar how much of a performance difference an I looking at between these two options? How much of a risk am I running if I go for after market. Please guide as per you experience

[xhaikh1]

hopefully your cars head and other pipes rust have been removed from the leaking spots which were covered of rust and now cleaning has done its job but eventually it has also increases your job too, in my point of you it is good for you that you should now look after changing the pipes first and radiator fins for leakage and then go for the head gasket. i also faced the same problem at my CIVIC 2004 and i ended up changing my metal pipes connecting with the engine and then it worked great and radiator was cleaned and seems like the glacier water.

[krafiq]

So the radiator is OEM brand new plus the radiator fan and shroud is OEM used.
T Stat valve is OEM and newly installed along with flange
Fan is on auto
PCV valve has also been changed
Hose pipes are new.
Today I bought OEM radiator metal pipe.
Might go for OEM head gasket replacement tomorrow and then switch over to havoline coolant.