My car is overheating because of my radiator there is a bunch of gunk in it. My dad says i need to flush it and rod it. What do i need to do ? I don't want to burnout the engine ? How much am I looking at ? ANY info is GREATLY APRIECIATED

 

$70 for the radiator flush. Go to your local autoparts store and pour a cooling system flush in before you go have your radiator serviced. It'll help get a more complete flush. Dexcool is questionable on the milage so just get it done and that should clear it up. You might want to check your radiator cap also along with the thermostat.

 

also check for leaks on all the cooling hoses if they are really old

 

and if you dont have the 70 bucks you can do it yourself for around 20.... prestone makes three different radiator cleaners... i think one is a leak stopper, one is flush, and one is a flush/cleaner, you can pick these up at auozone... and when you flush it get the water hose and run water through it with the drain **** open... do this several time before and after you put the flush in... it wont be as good as takin it to a shop to get it done, but pretty close...

 

At our shop, we make sure the engine is at operating temperature and that the thermostat is open. We then suck out all the antifreeze in the resivor tank and then hook the machine up to the the top of the radiator. It uses a vacuum to suck out all the old fluid in the block, heatercore, radiator, and line. Since there is a vacuum in the motor, all we do is shut the machine's vacuum off, switch tanks and it sucks the new fluid back in reducing the chance for any air bubbles to be introduced into the system.

 

well till you save up for engine flush liquids, buy a 5$ kit that hooks your garden hose into your radiator. keep the hose running till the water comes out clear.

 

Most of all though remember never put cold water into a hot engine. you'll crack the block so if you do the garden hose thing I'd have the car running while you are doing this....

 

Just go buy the $3.50 Prestone Coolant Flush 'N' Fill Kit (or similar) from any WalMart, and do it! Be sure to wait 5-15 minutes until the liquid comes out clear (from radiator drain plug below), and also spray down the radiator cap hole and reservoir tank.

See:
Prestone Flush 'N' Fill Kit

I just did this, and it fixed eratic overheating problems and heater intermittant performance in my '95 Camaro! There was a lot of rust-colored coolant flushed -- I should have done this LONG TIME AGO! ;-)

 

IMO, after you are all done chances are you will have to replace the radiator anyway. Once the passages are clogged nothing short of removing the tanks and running a physical rod trough the tubes will get them unclogged. Considering labor costs it is chaper to get a new stock radiator. $150 to $175 at most part stores.