How to clean the radiators?
 

Can someone give directions on how to clean radiotors on the 2.5L engines? Does anyone have any link with directions,pictures etc?

As regular maintenance, people vacuum them with a shop vac and hose them down with a strong stream of water. Other people take a more aggressive approach, and remove the bumper.

Hi,

LOTS of experience here, it's a common procedure on my Lotus Esprit. I suspect it's a bigger issue on the Boxster than most realize. There are several methods you can use.

Some people use a Vacuum Crevice tool on a Shop Vac to try and suck the debris out. IMHO, this isn't the best way - will get a lot, but probably not all of the junk out. It's use is more efficient if you use a Radiator Brush (might be difficult with the Grill Inserts) first and/or do it regularly before the debris has a chance to really harden. Others simply use a High Pressure Washer. But, flushing it backwards has it's drawbacks, mainly the debris got lodged in the Radiator that way. Trying to then force it the rest of the way through the Radiator has to give only mixed results, better to flush it back out the way it came in.

The best way is to backflush them, but on the Boxster, it means removing the Front Bumper, not difficult, but more tedious. Then wet down the Radiators to loosen up any debris and then using the highest pressure water you can find, force the water through the Radiator from behind followed with High Pressure Air and water once more.

I have an Air Powered Engine Cleaner (got it on eBay a while back). This is similar to a High Pressure Paint Sprayer and has a quart reservoir and Trigger, you fill the reservoir (I add a little dishwashing soap as lubricant) and hook it up to an Air Compressor. Then I shoot it through the Radiator, followed by some compressed Air through a Shop nozzle and keep doing this until I'm sure it's clean.

I do it annually on the Esprit and will probably do the Boxster at the same time. It really depends largely on how and where you use the Car, if in dirty, dusty, construction or rural areas with lots of plant debris, bugs etc. you may find the need to do it more often. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I just cleaned what I could out with my attachment to my vacuum. Boy oh Boy there were bird feathers,alot of cigarette butts and other stuff that should not have been there. I still need to clean up the little pieces and dirt,but a attachment can only do so much. Thanks for ideas on how to clean it,at least I got the bigger pieces out.