Why do I need to change the fluids in my vehicle?
This question has been asked a few times. Hopefully we can shed some light on the different systems on your vehicle concerning fluid exchanges and how they can SAVE YOU MONEY on costly repairs!
Coolant - Your radiator protects your engine and air conditioning condenser from overheating. It also plays another important role. In today's computer controlled engines, a radiator coolant temperature sensor actually tells your car's computer and other sensors how to adjust your fuel mixture and timing. So, the efficiency of your radiator directly affects the efficiency of your engine. Over time, antifreeze will become acidic similar to a fish tank. This acid eats away at your head gaskets and water pump seals creating leaks which can lead to engine failure.
Transmission - Your transmission's vital parts get clogged with sludge and varnish deposits because, just like the oil in your car's engine, automatic transmission fluid suffers from heat, friction and fluid deterioration. In fact, nearly nine out of ten transmission failures are due to overheating and fluid contamination. However, unlike oil, which can be completely drained from your car's engine, most of the transmission fluid cannot be drained. Instead it stays in the torque converter, valve body and transmission cooler lines, making a complete fluid drain impossible. Typical transmission service removes and replaces only 25% of your car's contaminated automatic transmission fluid. Adding new fluid to the remaining contaminated fluid can actually cause sludge and varnish deposits to clog filters and further restrict flow. This can result in a serious malfunction or even complete failure of your automatic transmission. At Auto Surgeon, our state of the art flush equipment ensures that all of your old fluid is completely removed from the system.
Brakes - Your brake fluid requires regular service because it becomes contaminated by moisture. How does moisture get into your brake fluid? Brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means that it magnetically attracts and absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, usually through the brake master cylinder reservoir and permeable brake hoses. Moisture contamination lowers the boiling point of your brake fluid, so, even under ordinary driving conditions, it could cause the fluid to boil and release vapour into your brake system. When this vapour compresses inside the system, you may find yourself facing a dangerously low brake pedal or even no brake pedal! Moisture contamination can also result in very costly repairs. When moisture contaminated brake fluid reaches very high temperatures as much as 450 to 500 degrees an electrochemical reaction makes the fluid highly acidic. The acid breaks down the steel line and rubber hoses and can cause early failure of the cast iron and aluminium components in your brakes including expensive ABS Modules.
Power Steering - At one time or another, most drivers encounter a power steering problem with their car. This could be anything from fluid leaks or noise to stiff steering or hard turning after first starting the car. Normal driving eventually causes your power steering fluid to suffer from heat, friction and fluid deterioration. The high pressure created when you hold hard turns is especially damaging.
Your power steering fluid, which starts out clear, eventually turns dark with age. Sludge and varnish deposits build up in your power steering system and prevent the easy turning and responsive handling you expect from your vehicle. The result could be a failed power steering component such as the rack or pump.
Fuel Injection Flush – Fuel injectors create a fine spray of fuel mist that mixes easily with incoming air entering the combustion chamber. When operating properly the fuel is sprayed through the fuel injection nozzle into the combustion chamber resulting in a complete burn. If you look at injectors like a garden hose it is easy to understand. When you have a fine spray coming from the hose and you stick the nozzle in the dirt the fine spray becomes larger droplets. This is what happens when deposits build up on the injector nozzles resulting in poor fuel economy, hesitation, emissions and performance problems.
