Coolant can degrade over a span of time and should be regularly tested to see if it’s still ok, as it can be difficult to tell just by looking at it. Even so if testing shows the cooling and antifreeze aditives are still adequate, antifreeze can become more corrosive over time and lose its rust-inhibiting properties, causing engine damage. fortunately Rick Popely has the right ideas.
How Often Should I Change Engine Coolant?
Some manufacturers recommend changing the coolant more often on vehicles subjected to “severe service,” such as frequent towing. The schedule for many Chevrolets, though, is to change it at 150,000 miles regardless of how the vehicle is driven.
Many service shops, though — including some at dealerships that sell cars with “lifetime” coolant — say you should do it more often than the maintenance schedule recommends, such as every 30,000 or 50,000 miles.
Here’s why: Most vehicles use long-life engine coolant (usually a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water) that for several years will provide protection against boiling in hot weather and freezing in cold weather, with little or no maintenance. Modern vehicles also have longer intervals between fluid changes of all types partly because environmental regulators have pressured automakers to reduce the amount of waste fluids that have to be disposed of or recycled.
Don’t take this for granted believe me in the long run it will avoid some pretty nasty situations. A special mention to this post for the great eye opener.
Antifreeze are available in assorted colors if described it feels like gooey liquid and always has an alluring smell. If you are unable to see coolant seepage, try to spot corrosion’s and irregular stains on the radiator. Those are common signs of radiator leakage as author Rick P. is so adamant about.
When the temperature gauge on your dashboard reads high or a temperature warning light comes on, you have a cooling system problem that may be caused by a leak — be it in the radiator itself or some other component.
First, make sure it’s coolant that’s leaking, not another fluid. (Coolant is often referred to as antifreeze, but technically coolant is a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.) You can easily check the coolant level in your see-through overflow tank. If it’s empty or low, the next step should be to check the coolant level in the radiator, but that should be done only when the engine is cool.
Check this link for the complete source of this great topic.
Ultimately if you are unable to locate the source of the leak, have it looked by a licensed professional. Coolant is complicated and has a way of turning loose under pressure when the car is under operations — possibly in a state of steam, which may not leave a trace. We at Guanella know what we are doing in terms of engine cooling.
The post Engine Coolant DIY Or Not? appeared first on Exceeding expectations since 1978.
I really enjoyed your blog Thanks for sharing such an informative post.
ReplyDeletevehicle shadow