Care for your coolant

Care for your Coolant

Coolant is the one that keeps your systems cool. Coolant is the fluid that absorbs all heat generated from the engine. It is the coolant that then dissipates it through the radiator. Some of the heat is also dissipated by way of the heat exchanger in the passenger console during winters. You often call the Coolant as antifreeze. In fact Coolant comes as a mixture of ethylene or propylene glycol and water. Generally it is a blended mixture of either of the two glycols with water in equal proportions (that is, in a 50/50 ratio).

Since the coolant serves in dissipating heat from your car’s system, it is quite precious for your car’s good health. This would mean you ought to take proper care of your coolant if you wish to enjoy care free rides.

Servicing the coolant

You need not to worry a lot about servicing the coolant. What you need to do is to just drain and/or flush your car's cooling system first and then follow it up by simply replacing the old coolant with fresh coolant recommended for your car.

Servicing is critical:

It is always advisable to take timely action for your coolant’s needs. Timely draining the spent out coolant and refilling the system with fresh coolant ensures removal of dirt and rust from the system. Dirt and rust can be very detrimental as they clog up the cooling system resulting in problems in all weather conditions. You need to refer your owner’s manual to see the schedule recommended for this service.

Understanding the need for servicing:

You would appreciate how important your action is, once you get to understand what happens to your coolant with time. Since your coolant is exposed all the time to a hot and hostile operating environment, it breaks down with the passage of time. The coolant thus loses its inherent characteristic. Besides there are additives in your coolant called “rust inhibitors” which too get consumed over time. These “rust inhibitors” are the protectors from corrosion for your engine. Once rust inhibitors get consumed your engine is exposed to corrosion. Consumption of rust inhibitors is a gradual process but after a certain threshold limit contamination in the coolant with this debris warrants replacement of coolant.

What you avoid by timely service:

The answer to this question is best understood if you are made a witness to what can happen to your car if you do not service the coolant in time. If the rust inhibitors get fully consumed and still you do not service the coolant by replacing it with fresh coolant then there won’t be anything that can fight the corrosion. Since there are no rust inhibitors left in the coolant to “inhibit” the rust or corrosion the cooling system will rust from the inside out. Do not be surprised if you are told that the engine block is the chief contributor of rust in a car's cooling system.

By your neglect of timely service you expose the other parts also to be affected. With passage of time rust tends to clog the radiator and heater. The end result is engine overheating and a fat check to your garage. It is left for you to decide whether you want to end up with an easy ride car or a wealthy mechanic.

A stitch in time saves nine!
Check your coolant level periodically. Your owner's manual will have a recommended interval in which to check the coolant level.
If you check your coolant level when the engine is cold, the coolant should be at or above the "minimum" or "fill" line on the transparent refill container.
If you check your coolant level when the engine is hot, the coolant should be at or just below the "max" line.
Disappearance of coolant could be caused by either an external or internal leak, the latter being more expensive. Either one should be addressed quickly, since running low or out of coolant can lead to catastrophic engine failure.
If you live where the temperature dips below freezing, we suggest that you ask your mechanic to check the concentration of the coolant. Coolant that's diluted or weak can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Check your owner's manual to see if your car uses "long-life" coolant. For the first 100,000 miles, it is necessary to check the coolant level simply to be sure you're not leaking or burning coolant

So sir, when is the right time to drain and replace our coolant?

chualie wrote:So sir, when is the right time to drain and replace our coolant?

Every 40K sir. Sabay ng brake fluid.

steel pulse wrote:

chualie wrote:So sir, when is the right time to drain and replace our coolant?

Every 40K sir. Sabay ng brake fluid.

Mine was replaced during my GL's 20k service check up. My advise is to check the coolant reserve tank once in a while. If it falls below the max marker, add coolant. There is no issue whatsoever if you frequently change the fluid in your cooling system for as long the coolant's effectiveness is not compromised as a result of prolonged use. Earliest would be 20K and maximum mileage of 40K should be a very good rule of measure.

@steel pulse and lydemer thank you for sharing those info and expriences. May range na or basis when to have it drained, replaced or refilled.

I had those during my 40k PMS per advice ng SA.

same kami ni Sir Lydemer, mine was replaced during 20k PMS.