As the leaves begin to turn yellow and temperature starts to drop, it is a good time to make your car ready for the intense cold. There are lots of things that should be checked such as the oil, tires, battery and windscreen wipers. Something that often gets overlooked is the cooling system of the car.
A well-maintained and properly functioning cooling system is vital for your car’s engine. Antifreeze/coolants maintain your car’s cooling system as it prevents the engine from overheating and also from freezing when the temperature drops below 0°.
Why Not Just Use Water
Under normal conditions, water mixed with corrosion inhibitors is enough for keeping the engine cool and operational. But when the weather gets extreme, water alone is not sufficient and another agent is required to keep the engine cool and running. Today’s formula for antifreeze/coolants prevents the car from overheating even in extreme weather conditions.
When utilized properly, the solution lowers the freezing point of water-based liquid. The boiling-point elevation is also raised in a similar manner. Thus, your engine is able to operate perfectly fine even when temperature drops below freezing point. With antifreeze/coolants, the engine is also able to handle the high temperature produced by the core.
Degradation of Coolant
Just as the brake oil, motor oil and transmission fluid needs to be changed due to degradation, antifreeze/coolant also degrades. A point will eventually come when the fluid will no longer be able to do the job right and this will put your car at risk of breaking down.
The antifreeze/coolant picks up contaminants from the cooling system which results in its degradation. Fortunately, the depleted antifreeze/coolant can be easily identified – a brown or rust color indicates that the fluid has worn out and needs to be flushed and replaced.
Adding or Replacing Antifreeze/Coolants
The owner’s manual can provide guidance on how to fill or change the antifreeze/coolants. Antifreeze/coolants are mostly sold as 100% solution which must be diluted with water to create a 50-50 blend. But, you can also get yourself a pre-diluted solution.
If temperature within your area mostly drop to -34°F, then a 70-30 or 60-40 antifreeze/coolant to distilled water ratio is necessary.
As far as the color of the antifreeze/coolant is concerned, the coloration has no effect on its effectiveness. Manufacturers use various dyes for achieving the antifreeze/coolant color and pink or orange color points to the use of organic acids while green antifreeze/coolant indicates use of phosphates and silicates.
You now know that antifreeze/coolant is absolutely essential for you if you live in an area where temperature drops below zero degree. Don’t wait for your car to break down; instead, get yourself antifreeze/coolants beforehand.
At KOST USA, we provide high performance antifreeze/coolants for your automobile. Get in touch with us to receive the best antifreeze/coolants and keep your car running this winter without any cooling issue.
