How To Add Antifreeze To Car

Q: Yeah Ok So How Long Does Coolant Last

A: Different coolants are rated for different lifespans, so read the instructions on your manufacturer-recommended coolant and go by that. However, its best to always keep an eye out for issues, which means consistently looking underneath the car for leaks and consistently checking the fluid for irregular levels or pollution.

Problems With A Low Coolant Level

Your car doesn’t consume coolant like petrol or engine oil. The level shouldn’t drop much during normal use so, if you’re constantly topping up or have to add a lot at once, there could be a leak.

Don’t ignore it.

A leak increases your car’s chances of overheating and causing damage to the water pump, head gasket, cylinder and piston timing. These are all expensive repairs that can set you back thousands of pounds. In contrast, the average coolant change cost in the UK is less than £100.

If Needed Drain And Refill The Antifreeze

if you arenât comfortable doing it, take your car to a professional

• Using your ownerâs manual, locate the radiatorâs petcock valve
• Place your drain pan beneath the valve
• Turn the petcock valve counterclockwise by a quarter or a halfâyour old antifreeze should start draining out
• Once itâs done, close the valve tightly, lower the car down from the jack, and remove the wheel chocks
• Set the starter to the âonâ position so the battery activatesâbut donât start the engine
• Crank up your temperature and fan to their maximum settings, then turn the starter back off
• Consult your manual to find any bleed valves your engine has and open themâthis prevents air from getting trapped inside your coolant system
• With your bleed valves open, slowly add your antifreeze mixture to the coolant reservoir
• Stop when you reach the cold fill line and wait for 10 to 15 seconds for the fluid to settle, then continue filling
• Stop filling when youâve reached the fill line and it isnât going down any furtherâif you see coolant exiting bleed valves, stop filling and close them
• Once youâre done, close any open bleed valves and firmly replace the cap

Key Takeaway If youâre not experienced working underneath a car, antifreeze replacement is best left to a mechanic.

Also Check: Get Sap Off Car

Where Is The Coolant Tank On A Honda Accord

The radiator is at the front of the engine bay. In addition to the radiator cap there is also a plastic transparent overflow tank with a plastic cover. Here is a photo of the overflow tank showing the MIN and MAX lines. This makes it very easy. In this case, the coolant level is between the marks, but a little on the low side.

How To Refill The Coolant

Follow these steps to refill the coolant:

When the engine has been off for a while and has cooled down completely, remove the radiator cap remember: never remove a radiator cap when an engine is still warm.

Read Also: How To Transfer Car Title In Az

How To Add Coolant To Your Car Or Truck

Does My Coolant Reservoir Need To Be Full

Your coolant reservoir tank should be at least 30% full. To prevent engine overheat, ensure you check your radiator and coolant level regularly. If you notice your temperature gauge is going high while driving, you have to pull over, turn off your car. And allow your engine temperature to cool down.

Don’t Miss: Texas Auto Registration Fee

Check Our Website For More Helpful Tips

If you found this guide helpful, youll probably enjoy our other guides, like How Often Should You Rotate Your Tires? and Why is My Car Overheating? Our Service Team at Mercedes-Benz of West Covina is proud to serve the La Puenta area and will be glad to help you with your car maintenance needs. So, contact us today!

• Inventory

What Do The Different Colours Mean

Coolant comes in various forms, which you can usually identify by the colour of the liquid. Here are the main three:

Bright Green – Inorganic Acid Technology . Often used in older cars and contains phosphates and silicates.

Orange or Red – Organic Acid Technology . Found in most modern cars and provides high-temperature protection for aluminium.

Orange or Yellow – Hybrid Organic Acid Technology . A combination of IAT and OAT, HOAT coolant has an extended lifespan.

However, coolant can also come in pink, blue and several other colours. A lot of it depends on what type your car’s manufacturer uses. Make sure you always keep the colour of coolant consistent as mixing the wrong types can cause radiator and cooling system damage. You should check your vehicle handbook or seek professional advice if you’re unsure.

You May Like: What Oil Do I Use For My Car

Why Do We Use Antifreeze

We add antifreeze because water as an engine coolant isnt enough. The crystalline structures created by freezing water can seriously damage your vehicles plumbing.

In addition to dropping the freezing temperature of the engine coolant, it also increases the boiling point helping stop damage through steam pressure build-ups. It really is a vital component in keeping your car running smoothly.

You can get hold of two antifreeze types: one ready mixed as engine coolant, or in concentrate form which will need to be topped up with water.

How To Change Coolant Overview

In the old days , changing your vehicles coolant was simple. That procedure is shown in Step 2, below. After 2000, cars got more complex and many DIYers got intimidated by the precise filling and air-bleeding procedures required to eliminate engine air pockets. But dont worry, its easier than it looks. All it takes to get back in the game is a one-time $83 investment in an air-powered refilling tool. The details follow in Step 3.

Either way, you can change your coolant yourself in about an hour. But before you do anything, check your owners manual for the recommended procedures and coolant for your car.

Read Also: How Much Does A Car Salesman Make Per Sale

How Do I Identify My Cars Coolant/antifreeze Reservoir

Your cars coolant/antifreeze reservoir should be easy to identify by its coloured lid, with many cars having a yellow coolant/antifreeze cap. Youll probably find that theres a warning symbol on the cap too, which highlights the danger of unscrewing the cap when the engine is running or hot.

The reservoir itself is usually made of thick, semi-translucent white plastic, and you should be able to see the coloured coolant/antifreeze through the side of the tank.

If youre struggling to find your cars coolant reservoir, the best thing to do is refer to the owners manual, which will have a diagram showing different parts and components under the bonnet. If you no longer have the manual, head online and visit forums dedicated to the make and model of your car a fellow motorist should be able to point you in the direction of the coolant reservoir for your specific type of car.

Refilling Car With Fresh Coolant:

Insert the air tool into the radiator neck or overflow bottle. Connect the exhaust hose and compressed air line and route the open end of the tools exhaust hose into an empty gallon jug or pail. Then open the valve and let the vacuum rise until the needle reaches the edge of the red zone on the gauge. Then fill with coolant . The vacuum sucks out any air pockets as it refills the system. When its full, just reinstall the radiator or overflow tank caps, remove the jack stands, and go for a spin.

Don’t Miss: How Much Mileage Is Too Much For A Used Car

Is Coolant The Same As Antifreeze

Coolant is a diluted form of antifreeze. This means they have the same base properties but work best in different climates. Coolant protects your radiator all year long and antifreeze is designed to give it some added protection in the winter. Good quality coolants tend to have antifreeze properties as standard, but it’s always worth checking.

As a result, antifreeze and coolant are not interchangeable. You can use coolant without antifreeze, but you can’t use antifreeze without coolant.

Here’s another way to look at it. Let’s imagine coolant as the centre-half pairing in a football team and your car’s engine the goal they’re defending. Now, that makes antifreeze the defensive midfielder. This player will sit deeper than the rest of the midfield and give an extra layer of protection to the defence.

Every team picks at least two centre-halves in their starting line up to give their goal a good level of protection, but a defensive midfielder is an optional tactical decision. The team will still function without them, but you give yourself a better chance of keeping a clean sheet if they play. The centre-halves and the defensive midfielder are tasked with stopping the ball from going in the goal. The difference is how they carry out that duty.

Both a defensive midfielder and antifreeze are an extra level of protection. Your car would still function without it, but it works even better when antifreeze helps coolant protect your engine from temperature-related damage.

Turn The Engine Off And Cool The Car

You always want to turn off your car and let the engine cool down before you add antifreeze. It is safe to ensure the parking brake is set, and your car is on a flat surface. There are a few reasons why you want to cool down your car before adding antifreeze. First, engines get very hot, and you do not want to risk touching the wrong part to get burned. Also, the reservoir cap will be hot to the touch.

So, what do you do when the engine overheats and causes a breakdown? In this instance, you may be tempted to add antifreeze before the engine cools down. Rule of the thumb, let the engine cool down and wait patiently for at least 15 minutes before opening the cap. You may end up with engine damage if you do not wait. The sudden temperature change can cause catastrophic engine cracks. If you are in a hurry and decide to add a coolant when the engine is hot, know that you risk incurring extensive engine repair or replacement bills.

You May Like: How To Clean Mold In Car

Buying The Right Coolant

Most DIYers buy coolant at the auto parts store because the label says its universal, meaning it works in all cars. The carmakers disagree. Over the past several years, theyve issued service bulletins warning that universal coolants are often incompatible with the newer metal alloys and gaskets and seals used in their vehicles. The carmakers arent saying that just to increase sales of their proprietary coolants. Theyre seeing real damage caused by these coolants.

If you use the wrong coolant, you wont see the damage for a few years. But when you do, itll cost you a bundle. So heed the manufacturers warnings and buy coolant right from the dealer. Itll cost about $6 more per gallon , but the peace of mind is worth it.

How Much The Engine Is Heated

Sometimes the engine gets more heated due to bad weather, rough roads, insufficient or inadequate coolants, gear problems, etcetera.

Weather conditions are a potential reason for the excess heated engine. But if you use poor quality coolants, your engine will get more agitated, and it will take more time to cool before adding some coolant or water.

When you drive on rough roads, your car engine undergoes harsh conditions and gets heated more than usual.

Don’t Miss: Car Making Grinding Noise When Accelerating

Where Do You Put Antifreeze In Your Car

Antifreeze is to stop your cars coolant from freezing and plays an essential role in your cars engine over the winter months.

The last thing you need is your car breaking down when the snow is falling and the roads are icy and treacherous.

So dig out the antifreeze and open the bonnet, but before you go any further, heres how it works and, crucially, where to put it.

Antifreeze is a vital fluid without which your cars performance could become very erratic in cold weather.

Antifreeze is an agent that stops the water that cools your engine from freezing in cold climates and also prevents the water from boiling if it gets too hot.

This is pumped around the engine by the water pump, to both keep things cool and prevent overheating.

This all happens thanks to ethylene glycol which makes it harder for water molecules to expand and crystallise when it gets cold therefore lowering the freezing point.

Water alone has a freezing point of 0°C, but a 50-50 mix of water and ethylene glycol has a freezing point of -37°C .

How To Add Radiator Fluid

Ian Swan

The radiator is at the heart of your cars cooling system. This system directs radiator fluid or coolant around the engines cylinder heads and valves to absorb their heat and dissipate it safely using cooling fans.

The radiator cools your engine and without it, the engine may overheat and stop working. The radiator needs water and coolant to function properly. To ensure this, you must check and add coolant periodically in order to maintain an adequate radiator fluid level.

Don’t Miss: Hail Blanket Car Cover

How Long Does It Take For A Radiator To Cool Down

This depends on how long youve been driving for and at what kind of speed. If youve only popped out on a short drive in town, the radiator wont be all that hot at all, and should cool down within 20 to 30 minutes.

However, if youve been gunning it on the motorway, you can expect to wait around an hour for the radiator to cool down enough for it to be safe to handle. Obviously, these times will differ depending on the temperature outside, with radiators taking longer to cool in summer than winter.

If you need to replace your coolant completely, you can also use Prestone Coolant/Antifreeze for this. Read how to here.

All our products are tested in extremes to ensure they work for you every day. To find out more about Prestone, visit our homepage.

How To Know When To Change Your Radiator Fluid

Some times your radiator fluid levels are fine but you still need to change your radiator fluid. How do you know if the coolant is dirty? There are a few signs that could indicate it?s time to change your radiator fluid.

Some coolants are brilliant blue and others are a clear white. While the colors can differ, each one should be slightly transparent. If the coolant is cloudy or looks like it might have been mixed with milk, you?ll want to schedule a visit to your mechanic.

Often, this is a sign that oil is leaking into the cooling system and this can cause serious and expensive engine problems.

Dirt and other small particles can get into the coolant. From there, enter the cooling system and eventually the engine. When tiny particles get into the engine, it can cause blockages and other problems that if ignored are often expensive to fix.

As soon as you find debris in the coolant it?s best to immediately take your vehicle to a licensed service center.

Over time coolant can start to lose its effectiveness. Sometimes a bottle of coolant sits on a shelf for too long or the vehicle is rarely driven and requires few fluid changes. There are inexpensive test strips that you can find at most automotive parts stores.

Don’t Miss: How Do I Get My Car Title In Florida

Antifreeze Is Essential For Your Car

Antifreeze, or rather an engine coolant, is an essential liquid for any car or truck. Yes, water may help, but it does not work as effectively as antifreeze. However, it is not about just adding the antifreeze. Its effectiveness is mainly dependent on how you add it and which type you choose to put in your car. So, before we break down the steps of adding antifreeze, do you have the right one?

How Often Does The Car Antifreeze Change How To Add Automobile Antifreeze

Automobile antifreeze is a liquid that can cool the car when it is working, so it is also called engine antifreeze coolant. It also has a role of cleaning. Its working environment is when the engine temperature is 100 & deg Above, when the car stops, it is generally at – 30 & deg , At this time, the antifreeze is not water, but a special chemical. Therefore, the antifreeze needs to be replaced regularly.

The antifreeze shall be replaced according to the vehicle operation manual, generally about 40000 km in two years.

However, the main components of antifreeze are water and chemicals. Its main function is to dissipate heat from the engine and prevent freezing when the temperature is too low in winter.

How long can the antifreeze be replaced in actual use? There is no need to follow the instructions. In the actual use process, we often have to check its freezing point. In most parts of China, if it is lower than minus 25 degrees, it does not need to be replaced.

It can continue to be used, even without replacement for life, so there is no need to spend wronged money. As long as the freezing point of antifreeze does not rise, there is no suspension and turbidity. You can continue to use it normally.

One more thing to remind you not to use the so-called anhydrous antifreeze. This anhydrous antifreeze is oily. I also introduced it to him in my video. It is a kind of creation. The charge items are very expensive, and it is really unnecessary.

Recommended Reading: Equus Bass Cost