Just saw the difference between a cheap and a proper coolant flush on a 6.7 Powerstroke

Honestly, a shop near me was using a basic garden hose and a bucket for their flush service, charging $150. We did a full reverse flush with a dedicated machine and Motorcraft Gold, cost the customer $320. The old way left a ton of scale and old coolant in the block, the machine got it all out and the temp gauge runs a solid 15 degrees cooler now. Has anyone else seen shops cutting corners like this on something so basic?

4 comments

4 Comments

terry8352mo ago

Yeah, that's just how it goes everywhere now. Like jamie_webb67 said, the cheap fix often causes a bigger problem later. People just don't want to pay for the right way to do things.

umar491mo ago

People just don't want to pay for the right way to do things" - that's true, but it also assumes the "right way" is always the expensive one. Some of us are just trying to not get ripped off by shops that overcharge for a 20 minute flush. There's a middle ground where you do it yourself with the right coolant and proper bleeding, not just because you're cheap but because you actually care about the car.

jamie_webb672mo ago

That's a huge difference in results for sure. Read a forum post where a guy's truck overheated after a cheap flush because the mixing of old and new coolant caused gelling. It really shows how the cheap method can cause more problems than it solves.

zarat382mo ago

Come on, is that really a common thing? I've done the drain and fill myself a couple times and never had any gelling. Sounds like maybe that guy mixed the wrong types of coolant together, which is a different mistake. People mess up the proper procedure all the time and then blame the method.