(Image/YouTube – Airtex)
Contaminated coolant is a leading cause of premature water pump failure and poor cooling efficiency.
Contaminated coolant can contain particles/debris (including chunks of excess gasket material) that will clog coolant passages and wear the water pump impeller.
It can also accelerate a process called “electrolytic metal erosion,” which happens any time you’ve got dissimilar metals in a cooling system (like aluminum heads and an iron water pump housing, or steel impeller).
This smart video from Airtex demonstrates how coolant can become contaminated and, more importantly, what steps you should take to prevent it from happening.
You’re especially at risk of contaminating coolant any time you replace a cooling-system component, like a radiator, hose, or water pump.
Fortunately, there’s an easy bit of preventative maintenance: flush your cooling system regularly in accordance with your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. Plus, you’ll want to replace your coolant any time you swap-in a new cooling part.
If you’re battling an overheating problem or planning any cooling system service, it’s definitely worth a watch.
That would be “electrolytic”, or the chemical process of electrolysis.
Hey Bart–Thanks for the heads up. We’ve updated the story above.