LONGEVITY TIPS
- Do not use alcohol-based or methanol-based
antifreeze; their active ingredients evaporate with time. Use only
ethylene glycol-based antifreeze for best protection. Furthermore, do not use
inexpensive off-brands of antifreeze. High quality antifreeze is almost 100%
ethylene glycol; off-brands might contain one-half that amount. Since ethylene
glycol is the active ingredient in antifreeze, boiling points and freezing
points may be adversely affected by the use of weak antifreeze with low ethylene
glycol content.
- If your engine has aluminum components like an
engine block or cylinder heads, be sure your antifreeze is specially formulated
to fight aluminum corrosion in addition to normal iron corrosion.
- Never add cold water to the radiator while the
engine is running. This rapid cooling could crack the
engine block or
cylinder heads. Wait for
the engine to cool before doing so.
- Change your coolant every three years even if it
still looks or smells new. The rust inhibitors and lubricants in the
coolant lose effectiveness over time and thus protection is compromised. It is
wise to add one can of rust inhibitor/water pump lubricant to your cooling
system when the coolant is 18 months old. There is no need to add it when the
coolant is new.
- Do not pour pure water or pure antifreeze into your
radiator or coolant recovery reservoir when adjusting your coolant level.
This could upset the antifreeze concentration of the coolant. Always use a
50/50 mixture prepared in a separate container.
- Coolant with high concentrations of antifreeze will
not provide better hot weather or cold weather protection. Therefore, do
not use pure antifreeze as a coolant. Its boiling point is lower than that of a
50/50 water/antifreeze solution. The engine could overheat as a result. Also,
never use coolant that is more than 70% antifreeze. It could thicken like gel
in subzero temperatures and not adequately circulate through the cooling system.
The engine could overheat or the radiator could be damaged.
- If your coolant is observed to be extremely dirty
or foul smelling upon changing it, consider using an alkaline-based flush
cleaner to dislodge any scale or rust prior to adding new coolant.
- Power accessories that are belt driven, like air
conditioning or power steering, each add about 15-20° F. to the engine's
operating temperature. This is because the engine must produce more
power to drive the accessories as well as move the car. Automatic transmissions
also add a similar amount of extra engine heat, since the engine must always
work to overcome the fluid resistance inside the transmission.
- If running your engine with radiator cap removed,
be careful not to be injured by the rotating cooling fan. On engines
with electric fans, take precaution against the fan turning on suddenly and
startling you. Electric fans usually turn on when the coolant reaches 200-220°
F. Finally, with the pressure cap removed, the coolant will boil at a lower
temperature, perhaps the temperature at which it is being tested.
- Avoid additives that stop radiator leaks by mixing
with the coolant then plugging holes. These additives could plug other
small coolant passageways and create engine hotspots. Small radiator leaks
should be professionally repaired by soldering.
- BE SURE YOUR COOLING SYSTEM IS OPERATING
PROPERLY. COOLING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF DISABLED CARS.
SYSTEMS
COOLANT
SAFETY TIPS
PROPER CARE