The Dodge Stratus is a dependable and fuel-efficient vehicle that normally does not require a large amount of hands-on maintenance. However, over time your Stratus' radiator can corrode and release small particles of rust into your cooling fluid. These small particles can have a big impact, eventually causing damage to the internal parts of your engine. Luckily a simple radiator flush will take care of most of this corrosion and can assist in warding off any damage to your engine.
The first step to flushing a radiator is to drain the old radiator fluid. Crawl under the car and locate the radiator drain plug on the passenger side of the vehicle at the base of the radiator. Place a catch pan underneath the drain plug and then use a crescent wrench to unscrew the plug and allow the coolant to drain out into the catch pan. Uncap the radiator to allow the coolant to drain faster and more thoroughly.
Flush the radiator out next as this will assist in dislodging any accumulated rust particles and freeing them from the system. Insert a plain garden hose into the radiator fill nozzle and turn it on full blast. The water will fill the radiator and then begin coming out the bottom drain hole. Allow water to run through the system for at a minimum of one to two minutes. When the water flowing out of the bottom of the radiator no longer is turning a different color (brownish/green), remove the hose and reinstall the drain cap.
The final step is to fill the radiator with new coolant solution. First, mix a few gallons of 50/50 radiator fluid to water solution. Pour as much as possible into the radiator cap. Fill the radiator and reservoir to within an inch of the cap. Turn the car on and allow the fluid to be pulled into the coolant system. Continue filling the radiator until the fluid no longer disappears from sight and then top off your reservoir tank to the indicated line.
