Note, do NOT use liquid soap meant for hand washing dishes! Only use soap meant for a dishwashing machine or washing machine because they don't foam. Use something like Dawn and you'll spend the next 2 weeks flushing foam out of your cooling system.

The Fact this guy is never running out of crazy ideas is starting to get scary xDD Love the videos

More than 30 years ago, Mom put a quart of oil in the Radiator. Two table spoons of Cascade regular dish washing detergent and 10 miles later, worked like a charm!

Have done this every 3 to 4 years on my father's Mercedes Benz 409d van. It works wonders. It has over 1 million kilometers and still going strong.

I can confirm that I have been using this method for over 40 years. It works great and I've never had any complaints about the results. The difference from you is that I used liquid dishwasher detergent. It's just a little easier to implement in this case. The principle remains the same. The advantage of these detergents is that they are very degreasing and do not foam. Another difference from you, I was going to take the car for a quick spin by opening the heating valve (if it is on the water circuit). This allowed the engine to be run at a higher rpm without making it scream around the workshop. And, finally, I never let this alkaline mixture stay in the circuit so as not to give it time to alter the aluminum parts. I take advantage of this message to send you my best wishes for 2024. :-)

I can see this joint effort realize - Project Farm "Best dishwasher detergent to flush your car cooling" featuring Garage 54 know-how...

Just be careful not to leave it too long. Modern dishwasher detergent attacks aluminum parts. We used to be able to wash aluminum pizza pans in the dishwasher, but not for about 15 years now. I think it happened when they reformulated the soap to remove phosphates.

Wow, that’s a lot easier than putting the whole car in the dishwasher. Maybe I’d still be married if I only watched this earlier!

This was a funny, informative, and impressive video. The results and the dry surfaces inside the rad speak for itself.

Those tablets are vicious. I could imagine how corrosive it would be if left in the engine and radiator. A lady friend lost 80% vision in her eye after one of the red centres of a tablet leaked and she must have rubbed her eye and it got in,, she said it was the most painful experience and scary as she couldn't see for a few weeks in that eye but it slightly recovered but will never be the same. Be careful with those things

Too funny you used the bars with pre-wash, main wash & included glas cleaner (red ball). I believe a simple dish washer powder would have done the same. Great test! I am thinking to apply this also. Simple and actually highly effective.

That worked very well. Any soap (especially with anti foaming agents like dishwasher soap) will work great on oil in a hot system.

Love this channel. I've thought of a few if these things in the past. Brings stuff to life. I think Garage 54 would be cool to work there. Thank you Garage 54 for the great entertainment!

Nice start and i'm sure this will be a great video to watch, keep doing what you're doing. Great content.

This stuff works to remove oil but it’s best to just use a dedicated coolant system flush because the stuff in these tablets reacts with aluminum and damages it over time. It will also make the aluminum develop a black oxide layer as well.

Another awesome experiment as always. Definitely an idea to consider if I ever have oil in my cooling system. To Vlad and everyone else there, I love y'all's videos. You guys rock.🤘🤘🤘🤘

Solid! Top KEK! Peace be with you.

Did it one time long ago, worked pretty well. I do it every years since. Cheap, efficient.

Sir, Your voice over translation is very good, give him a bonus pay 😆

Many years ago I took to using liquid Wisk (now Persil) laundry detergent to clean cooling systems, especially Chrysler cooling systems that were full of rust. It worked better than commercial flushes and didn't cause pin hole leaks in the radiator. Even the store brand of Wisk worked equally well.

We used it also for sticky Thermostates if the Cabin stays Cold in Wintertime.. It unstuck almost immediately at latest in a Few Hours. 2 Tabs in the Cooler, run it for 2-3 Days and then flush/rinse and refill with fresh Glysantine/Water Mix

This is great, I've been doing this for years, did it on freightliners then car engines, works amazingly well. I wouldn't use the tablets myself just the regular powder since the tablets have a caking agent in them and some have the film the breaks down goes thru the engine.

Oh my goodness I love that light bulb scene over your head That's a good one man

Good thing I found this. I have a VW TDI that had an oil cooler fail... This is exactly what I needed to see!

Very nice work 👏 Vlad and friends. Great work as always. 😊 some cheap solutions now to share.

You used an emulsifier to make the emulsion stable to be able to flush it out. The thing with washing machine tablets is, the emulsifier used in them does not foam so that it is easier to pump out as the emulsion stays fluid. Great video!

Love the idea, and the intro showing how you got the idea!

Years ago, my father used laundry detergent to clean emulsion from a cooling system. Actually had the customer drive the car for a week with the detergent in it.

I just had to watch this video because I have seen my share of contaminated cooling systems. Thank you Garage 54. Appreciate the video.

I remember about 30 years ago working on an earthwork job, and a CAT 815 (brand-new machine, think it was the 815C version) soil compactor kept turning up with oil in the coolant before morning start-up. The machine was too big to transport to the shop and was under warranty, so the CAT dealer sent service techs to work on it. The first step was to pour two boxes of Calgonite dishwasher powder into the radiator, change the oil, and run the engine until warmed up, then drained and flushed the cooling system. After about three service calls they diagnosed a cracked block.

I always flush systems like these with hot DISTILLED (or de-ionized) water mixed with dishwasher soap like Fairy or something that smells like lemon. Hot water opens the thermostat as well. I do a regular run idling , filling up to the top. Then I drive around for half an hour. Usually it only requires a second flush and it's done. Even the worst like diesel engines in tractors are getting cleaned up pretty well.

Thank you for the wonderful tip!

Used these a heap of times for general cleaning and removing stubborn grime! Had a bag of these that got wet and all stuck together so didn’t bother to use them in the dishwasher I just broke out a chunk and mixed it with water for part’s cleaning! Also laundry powder works great to remove oily deposits from cooling systems and especially good for back flushing radiator’s at home! There’s better degreaser’s to use at the shop but if you run out there’s alternatives! Oven cleaner is another great degreaser but it’s also caustic! And should be used with caution!

Dealt with a Terex excavator where someone had decided to fill the cooling system with hydraulic fluid. Used a mix of trisodium phosphate (TSP) and sodium tetraborate (Borax) to get all the sludge out. Took about two good flushes before it was really clean.

Lol The creativity is getting better and better

I've done this to get rid of the oil that gets in the cooling system whenever you take the cylinder head off. It bobs up in the header tank the first time you start the engine up after reassembling everything and you're never quite sure if it's just the stuff that's left-over or if the head-gasket is leaking. You have to remember to flush the soapy water out really well and fill up with anti-freeze or everything aluminium will start corroding.

Used this method in strip pits in the 80s...transmission coolers hydraulic cooler ruptures ..resulting in cooling system full of oil . Used calgon dishwasher supplies .

I have done it many times! Works wonders

Wow, this was useful! I've used my dishwasher to wash my EGR-oily intake manifold and it came out cleaner than I'd ever imagined it would be able to. I'd never have tried this in the radiator.

Hello, I had the same problem on a Patner 200 in DW8, 2 years ago! I thought the head gasket was damaged. and actually no! It was the garage that did the stupid thing! as the apprentice checked and completed the levels he refilled the coolant afterwards, using the same funnel as for the oil! I used degreaser several times with no real results! for ultra strong products! and a friend advised me to do like you. the Féris pastille! well I was surprised by the result too! after three washes (while driving for any time) and rinsing each time. Well, I've never had such a clean cooling circuit! even the scale and sludge are gone! 😊 from a temperature of 90°C in operation (in winter), I went to 80°C (in summer, at 35°c outside). So I can confirm that it works very well.

Try PBW. It is used for cleaning in beer brewing.

This was a great experiment. well done fellas.

Have done this to my 689K toyota carina e with glogged heater core. Worked fine!

I had 2001 Ford Taurus that was encountering the issue with rust in the coolant, which would build up and cause it to overheat. My dad and I were trying to resolve this, not knowing about the underlying issue and just trying to get the car running for a trip the next day. We flushed the coolant with detergent and assumed it would be fine. The next day, in the middle of the journey to Reno, it began overheating. Being close to a speck on the map town, the only thing that I could do was just put detergent in the coolant system and leave it, hoping the car survived the trip. I had no further problems with overheating and made it home. The car lasted a few more months before the engine died. Later, I learned that this rust in the coolant issue was common, but the car was long-since gone.

My awesome Nissan GA16DE, was the same when I got it, just after gasket replacement and sitting for a while, I used degreaser, which was totally fine for the job, but... because it had sat for so long and oil contaminated some rubber hoses, the degreaser disassembled both oil and rubber, anyways just watch for pockets of oil that reside in certain upper places in the cooling system.

Did this 10 years ago after making the mistake of mixing different coolant types. Works wonders. Also cleans up old dirty corroded systems.

I have used a couple tablespoons of cascade or store brand equivalent dish powder and that always works good toss in 2 or 3 tbsp, drive a little bit and drain and fill drive again 20 min then drain and fill with antifreeze , then it’s nice and clean .. never thought of using a dish tablet for this

Also I used soap powder/costic soda, in old Chrysler in New Zealand, and I found it best to leave for a few days after the first initial rinse, letting the substances pennitrate

I am glad you are able to do this even tho it is probably -90 degrees outside.

inline transmission filter hooked to the heater hose inlet works great, old school trick from county fleet maintenance pickups

ive been doing this for years, this works great, just make sure to flush the waste really good

old school trick. Works amazing. I just buy the dishwater powder as i find it easier to dissolve but yea, been doing this to clean oil out of coolant systems for years now, sooo cheap!

I tried it in a past, it did much be better job than professional cleaning agent for me.

This works well: I did this a couple of years ago on an MG ZR - took a couple of flushes, but clean as a whistle now 👍

Looks like it works. Thank you my friends

Had a 206 that flushed and flushed after previous owners mixed antifreeze - I think. Tried this after all system was full of emulsion, nothing shifted it. One go with dishwasher tab cured it but I flushed it twice after too. 20 yr old car as clean as whistle

I’ve used Cascade powder dish detergent on multiple engines. Works very well but you still have to do it multiple times and flushing with water between.

great idea, and easy to do by yourself at home. it also save's a big bill from the garage for cleaning the system.

My Hyundai Service Center used powdered dishwasher detergent in the cooling system to stop scale issues that kept plugging the heater core on my 2006 Accent after a chemical radiator flush I did a few months prior. It worked great.

Love this channel and a successful experiment

I have actually done this many times but using regular dishwasher liquid soap. Works great when I would rebuild a failed head gasket car.

One ace of spades ♠️ You did an amazing job

Those tabs also work wonders if you have one of those stainless steel coffee pot carafes. Put two in the pot and fill with boiling hot water, let sit at least a half hour before dumping out, quick brush and rinse and give it a run in the dishwasher. It will look like brand new with no crazy chemicals and minimal effort!!

That is a good one I think I'm going to use it if needed in the future thanks

keep up the hard work in the videos

I just love this channel

fill a cooldrink bottle with water. turn it over quickly so the water can't fall out and stick the hole into the opening of the filled radiator. Let the car idle like this. oil in the radiator will float up in the bottle when it passes the cap hole. That being said, emulsion is a pain. Sometimes it is easier to swap in a new radiator... My 30 year old car has a shiny new one in. It looks so cool when you open the hood. you are right to say it looks like milk, milk is also an emulsion... (fats or oils floating in water as tiny droplets.

This is how problems are solved , by experimenting . you never know till you try something but this seems to work because it does not make a lot of suds and foam. good job guys.

Nice ideea! Good to know!

I have Used powdered laundry detergent as well as powdered dishwashing detergent for many years. I worked at a used car lot for 30 years. I would love to come and work in your shop. You should try turning a lotta into a hovercraft.

Production quality really stepping it up haha

Did it many times, great idea

I love you guys videos!

Good idea mate 👍👍👍

Good to know. Thanks 😊

Dishwasher tablets are a good idea for getting oil out without a detergent that will froth and foam. These tablets and dishwasher powder are quite alkaline which breaks grease down same as a hot tank. No good if you have aluminium parts as it will eat them out though, so thermostat housing and alloy heads will disappear.

I did exactly this with my BMW E34 525tds to clean the cooling system and it worked really good.

yes it will work, the powder dishwashing detergent for dishwashers also work well been doing it for years

A few race car guys ive talked to use Mean Green floor cleaner. Nonacidic and biodegradable. They use it because normal coolant is illegal at the drag strip, because its technically an oil, so they can only use water. The mean green keeps oils and corrosion in check and flushes it out in 15 to 30 mins of idling. 2 solid flushes with water and a refill with the right coolant and all is well.

Good way to clean the cooling system.

Great experiment guys good result but I wouldn't use to often because I think they are caustic could damage the core etc..

I got the same problem with my mitsubishi..I will try this weekend ..and definitely let you guys know how will go...thanks awesome way to clean my cooling system..

If you took your air hose and blew air through the engine you could counter act the steam and be able to get vid before the engine completely cools. It's what I do in the shop. Works great for me. But I'm also working with 3/4 lines @ 150psi and super high flow. Lol.

did similar to this when a seal on the oil cooler of my car failed. i flushed the engine 4 times with Daz detergent. worked a charm, my mechanic advised it saying when he worked at land rover and vehicles came back with a blown head gasket thats how they would flush them.

I do a wash, then a water flush, then a wash, then a water flush. Works best if the thermostat is temporarily removed. And of course, set the heater to full hot, so the heater circuit is cleaned as well I use regular dish washing liquid. No issue with foam. And its much less corrosive on raw aluminium parts. I leave the detergent circuating for 10-15 minutes. Never needed more than 2 washes & flushes Last time i did this due to in-radiator transmission oi, cooler failure. So i had pink emulsion to clean out

Brilliant idea

We usually use liquid dish detergent in the USA. Works great for us also.

I have an old dishwasher set up in my utility room just for cleaning engine and gearbox parts, just degrease the parts using something like Gunk before putting them the dishwasher, then put them on a pots and pan cycle and they come out sparkling clean.

as stuntman might say: fabuloso in da motor! 😆

Hence the expression "squeaky clean". If it works, it works and in the past I have used dish soap like fairy liquid, it does a good job.

Plumbers lye is awesome for the same purpose, also great for rust and crap in gastanks and such.

I used to own a radiator shop and i would use a pressure flush machine that you remove the thermostat and then with water at tap pressure and air from a compressor you shock the system and blast the cooling system clean. I then used laundry powder and ran the engine to warm it up then another flush and then replace the thermostat and fill with 50/50 glycol anti freeze.

Well, I see you have just stumbled on a non toxic engine flush ... A 107% success ! :)

Have for many years used dishwasher tablets to clean the system on various vehicles. I always let 1-2 tablets dissolve in warm water before pouring it into the radiator. Then drive the car until it reach temp and then I let it cool and flush the system twice before puttning in water and glycol. When I cdo this I do it without the thermostat

I've used cascade to clean out coolant systems since before I could drive. I've even had luck getting old heater cores to flow again with that stuff.

try it in the crank case of a dirty motor

Of course oil doesn't mix with water so when just drained out the oil is still left in the engine and when filled and drained again you still have milk because of the emulsion. You need something that will change the the oil property so it will make it dissolve in water and I think that is something that is in the dishwasher tablets/soap. There is some liquid on the marked that does this very thing that is used for fragrance/essential oils. It will change the oil properties so it is now basically a cloudy looking water. I want to say it just comes down to the right amount of what is to be added to quickly break down the oil depending on how fast you want to get it done.

Citron Acid works very good too and removes also rust, but it needs some hours of time.

ive used purple power as engine coolant to clean exactly this. It worked amazing.

Done this with dish washing liquid and flushed it with boiling hot water. Took atleast 8-10 flushes but it worked fine and no foam like some people in the comment section will tell u. Boiling hot water helps to remove the soap and oil and obviously just leave it idle with the heater left on in the car until when you flush its just clear water than run it with distilled water for a good long drive and when you come back flush it again and than fill up with coolant. Also don't mix the dish washing liquid in the bottle you pour boiling hot water into just squeeze some in the reservoir and just run the boiling hot water straight ontop of it.