Cooling System Service

At Trinity Automotive, we think it is important for you to know how the cooling system works and why we need to keep it maintained to save you money and frustration. The cooling system consists of a radiator, a water pump, a thermostat and hoses. A mixture of water and coolant/anti-freeze flows through the engine, water pump, thermostat and radiator. The goal is to dissipate and remove the heat off the engine. The fluids constantly flow through the system through the radiator. The radiator uses air from the car's motion and radiator fan to aid in the cooling of the fluids.

This system sends lower temperature fluid back into the engine constantly. This keeps your engine from overheating. Overheating causes major engine damage and is very expensive.

Simply maintaining your cooling system prevents unnecessary expense and tress on you and your vehicle.

Suggested cooling system service intervals

We recommend and perform a visual inspection of the cooling system at each oil change service. This visual inspection consists of looking at the fluid levels and looking at the consistency of the fluid, then topping the fluid levels if needed. That is all that is needed between cooling system services.

Thorough Cooling System Inspections Intervals

Periodically, it is important to do more than just a fluid top off. A more thorough inspection is needed. We do this periodically depending on how long and how many miles you have driven since your last cooling system service. We also factor in what your car manufacturer recommends, and the current condition of the cooling system. Additionally, we encourage more frequent thorough inspections after your car has reached 160,000km.

Cooling System Service Intervals

Because of variables in driving conditions, the type of coolant, and your car manufacturer's recommendations, the cooling system will need to be serviced anywhere from every two years to 160,000km. At our shop, we take the care to monitor this for you as you have other services performed (oil changes, etc.). We will notify you when you are due for this service. That is why it is important to have your periodic maintenance done with our shop - so we can monitor all of your

Things to Remember

Neglect of the cooling system is the #1 cause of expensive engine repairs.
The cooling system consists of the Radiator, Water Pump, Thermostat, and Coolant/Water Mixture.
Coolant is a mixture of 50% of the RIGHT coolant/anti-freeze and 50% water.
Improper balance of water and coolant causes corrosion and serious problems that you cannot see.
Coolant breaks down in its protective qualities with time and mileage.
The cooling system must be serviced periodically to make sure it is performing correctly.
The service intervals depend on your car, mileage and the manufacturer's recommendations.
Many auto repair companies only do a drain and refill as their coolant system service.
Drain and fill leaves up to 60% of the old ineffective fluid inside.
To properly service the cooling system you must use equipment to completely flush out the old fluids and replace it with all new fluids.
Trinity Automotive always recommends the proper cooling system flush and refill method.
Trinity Automotive is a strong advocate of saving your money and giving you many added benefits through proper maintenance on your cars.