Flushing just the radiator in the car help….this was a silly mistake
 

So this is a good one for you guys….soooo I Accidentally put oil in the radiator…i know I know…dumb mistake….in my defense it was in an old coolant bottle…..it was literally like a 3 second pour and I saw it…..I haven’t started the car so it shouldn’t get into the engine or hoses or water pump…..can I just disconnect the upper and lower hoses and drain the radiator? Flush with a garden hoses really well and fill it back up? What would you guys do in this circumstance thanks

When I flush them I disconnect the top hose at the radiator take out the thermostat and reattach the housing.I put a garden hose with a rag wrapped around it,put in the top hose with a hose clamp to get a tight seal and turn the water and back flush it so it comes out of the top of the radiator.Tom

It's not as uncommon as you think, over my years working on cars I've seen it done accidently, (mistaken contents in a jug), and intentionally when someone didn't know where the oil was supposed to go into the engine.

Your proposal to get it out will work fine.

Pull the heater heater hose off the water pump, hook up your garden hose and pump water in, it will push the oil out the top of the radiator.

Maybe vacuum from the fill cap, or drain the darn thing from the Lower hose. I'd vacuum the fill zone.

Red spray can is used to "label" such reuse in my garage.

Maybe use a little Dawn dish soap, to help clean out the oil.

Get hot water into the cleaning mix, if possible. Helps some.

Be sure to check the upper radiator hose, and the heater return hose if it connects to the radiator.

The oil may float on top of the coolant...but it could back-up into both hoses depending on how the hoses are routed.

The Bus Company learned their lesson about re-purposing old containers for new contents. All that stuff has to be re-labeled so even a monkey could tell what was in the bottle.

Garden hose on the hot water heater?


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Works on ducks.

At least you are man enough to admit who made the mistake. I'm with Scarbird on amount of harm but I would do what you were thinking about with a little detergent.

I wouldn't use Dawn as it will produce foam. I'd use some Cascade instead. It will clean the oil and a lot more! A little oil won't hurt anything though. Anyone remember water pump lubricant? Lol! Do they still make it?

Yup I agree shouldn’t be much of an issue if a little gets left behind in there .I dint see a huge downside .

Get a turkey baster and suck it right off the top. A 3 second pour... 3-4 ounces maybe?

Well I drained it from disconnecting the lower hose and disconnected the top hose as well……I ran water through it with a couple spray bottles of watered down cascade shot into filler neck and upper opening…..then I ran water from the garden hose for about 20 mins back and forth from the upper and lower till it was clear water coming out

I filled it up and put the burping funnel on as usual and it still did have a tiny bit of oil burp back up which I dumped it seems to just burp out coolant only now and the temps look great

Good to hear the smallest tiny bit of oil left in there won’t hurt anything

I did use water wetter when I refilled it fyi haha :cool:

Is the base coolant 50/50 or straight water?

The base is 50/50……drove the car for about 40 mins in 5 o’clock traffic yesterday and the temps got to about 195 and held there in 80 degree weather