ALT-1 Why Checking your Coolant is Important
Checking coolant levels regularly and topping up as necessary is one of the four maintenance basics for long engine life. (The others are ensuring good engine lubrication at all times, getting regular engine tuneups as outlined in your owner's manual, and to act on minor engine problems immediately.) Simply by opening the hood and glancing at the coolant levels each weekend, you can stop a problem in its tracks before it has a chance to become damaging, not to mention extremely expensive to fix.
The purpose of coolant is to protect your engine from overheating. In winter, it also protects the water lines in your engine from freezing: which is why coolant is also called antifreeze. Many kinds of coolant also contain rust inhibitors.
Coolant works by raising the boiling temperature of the water-coolant mixture above the normal boiling point of water. At the other end of the temperature scale, it also lowers the freezing level of the water-coolant mixture to below the normal freezing point of water. The liquid state is most efficient at stablising engine temperature.
If not caught in time, a coolant leak can leave your engine completely unprotected. Coolant which is not replaced regularly loses its ability to resist extreme temperatures and fight rust. Even a minor coolant leak can spell disaster. Checking your coolant regularly is essential to catch leaks before they can cause the kind of damage your automobile will never completely recover from.
When to check your coolant levels
Checking your coolant levels once a week is one of the most cost efficient investments of your time. For less than a minute a week of standard monitoring and maintenance, you will have saved yourself thousands of dollars in engine repairs.
Checking coolant levels regularly is easiest when you establish a routine. On weekdays, you will probably be much too busy to do more than fill up on gas, and that as fast as possible. Instead, set yourself in the habit of checking coolant levels and other basic fluid levels the first time you fill up each weekend. Vacations count as weekends for this purpose: which ensures automatically that you will check coolant levels before heading off on your road trip.
Another advantage of establishing your routine to coincide with the beginning of the weekend is that you won't feel rushed: so you won't be tempted to skip the check due to time pressure.
By planning your routine so that you fill up at the beginning of the day, the engine won't be running very hot yet. Even so, you should give it a few minutes after your engine is turned off before checking your coolant level, longer if you have to add any fluid to the radiator.
How to check your coolant levels
Your cooling system expansion tank has two level marks on its side: full and low. The tank itself is transluscent white: making it easy to see the inside level of coolant without having to open the tank. The exact level will vary depending on how hot the engine is. At optimal levels, the coolant will be just below the max level when the engine is running hot, and should settle down to just above the low level when the engine is cold.
Whenever the coolant is below the low level, fill it up to the full level. Do not fill it up beyond the full mark, as it will overflow. Having to add coolant occasionally is not a cause for alarm, as some of it will continually be lost to evaporation. On the other hand, if you notice that your coolant levels are falling below the low mark each week, you have a leak somewhere in the system.
At the same time as you check your coolant levels, look into the space in front of the radiator and between the radiator engine and air conditioner radiator. After the engine has cooled down enough for you not to burn yourself, clear out any leaves or other debris. Also take a look at your water pump and all water hoses to ensure that they are watertight. Signs of coolant seepage here also indicate a leak, which should be fixed or thehoses replacedas soon as possible.
Normally you will not have to pour coolant directly into the radiator. Do this only if the coolant level in the tank is very low or gone completely.
Always wait until your engine is cool before touching the radiator cap. Under normal usage, the coolant in your radiator will be both pressurised and extremely hot. Removing the radiator cap or otherwise releasing the coolant can result in an explosive release of scalding hot liquid and serious burns. Many newer vehicles are now designed with an overflow container built right into the radiator: so you may not have to remove the radiator cap at all.
How to check your coolant condition
The ideal mixture of coolant to water is about half and half. You can check the exact composition at the same time as you check your levels by using a cheap antifreeze tester from any auto parts store. Add water or coolant as necessary to bring it up to 50 percent. The coolant sold in the kind of large plastic containers you can find at any gas station is already premixed.
Coolant comes in all primary colours: green, red, blue, and yellow. Do not mix colours. When your coolant turns brown, rust-coloured, or cloudy, it is time for a radiator flush. Any sign of oil in the coolant indicates a problem somewhere in the lubrication system.
Even if your coolant still looks clear and clean, you should have it flushed regularly, as recommended by your owner's manual. Usually a radiator flush is recommended every two years or 50,000 kilometres (about 30,000 miles).
Dispose of used coolant in an environmentally safe manner. It is a toxic liquid which, if ingested, can cause blindness, kidney failure, and death. Be particularly careful around family pets, which can be drawn to the coolant by its taste.
Checking your coolant regularly is essential for protecting your car engine. Keeping your engine in its peak condition will help keep your car running well for years to come.
