15 Nov Antifreeze: Your Car’s Winter Auto Maintenance Saving Grace
I know, I know… winter isn’t generally the time of year when most motorists think of servicing their vehicle’s engine coolant. But it’s actually an ideal time to perform winter auto maintenance on your cooling system by checking antifreeze levels and looking for coolant leaks. Keep reading for more information on the many cold weather benefits of new antifreeze.
Winter Auto Maintenance
Winter driving can create unique challenges for you and your vehicle. Frigid temperatures, shorter days, and crowded roadways can take a toll on your patience and your vehicle’s reliability. One way to protect your car is to schedule your winter coolant service. Routine auto maintenance that includes fresh antifreeze in your vehicle’s cooling system can help prevent coolant leaks and keep your car heater happy.
What Is Antifreeze?
It is a concentrated chemical solution composed of ethylene glycol (an organic compound), propylene glycol (a synthetic compound), or a hybrid of the two. Once it mixes with distilled water, it becomes engine coolant. Generally, the most common coolant mixture is 50% water and 50% antifreeze. However, your auto manufacturer may recommend upping the coolant mixture to 70% antifreeze and 30% distilled water for additional protection during extremely cold weather.
Why Is Antifreeze Different Colors?
Once upon a time, antifreeze was always a bright neon yellow-green color and worked in every vehicle. However, those days are now long gone. Now it’s available in numerous formulas and colors for various cars. In fact, several auto manufacturers create specific formulas for their specific vehicle models. Additionally, colors may help distinguish the type, but never assume the formula by color alone. Always read the packaging carefully before using antifreeze or ready-mixed engine coolant. Only use the coolant type and brand as recommended in your owner’s manual.
Coolant Leaks
No matter what color your engine coolant is, you can identify a leak by the sweet smell and slightly sticky residue left in puddles under your car. A coolant leak may indicate an issue with your vehicle’s cooling system. Common components to check for leaking coolant include:
- Radiator
- Coolant Reservoir
- Hoses
- Seals & Gaskets
- Engine Block
- Water Pump
- HVAC System
Ignoring a coolant leak may lead to serious engine problems and expensive repairs. And, since antifreeze is toxic to humans and animals if ingested, make sure to clean up spills and leaks completely with soapy water.
New Antifreeze Benefits
Your vehicle’s cooling system is a complex system that depends on engine coolant to operate efficiently. Refreshing the system with new antifreeze helps disperse the intense heat generated by your vehicle’s engine. It also allows other systems to operate better, too.
Car Heater & Defroster
The cooling system brings heat into the cabin through the heating and air conditioning components during cold weather. Fresh coolant helps prevent particulates from clogging the HVAC components.
Corrosion Inhibitors
Corrosion inhibitors are also added to antifreeze formulas to prevent scale build-up, rust, and chemical reactions within the cooling system. These inhibitors wear out over time and become less effective. Fresh antifreeze provides the anti-corrosive compounds needed to keep the whole system running efficiently.
Heat Absorption & Anti-Freeze Properties
The term ‘antifreeze’ may be a little bit misleading. While it does help prevent the water in the cooling system from freezing, it also absorbs intense heat generated by the engine. Without coolant, your vehicle’s engine would overheat, causing catastrophic damage. When New, it absorbs and disperses engine heat better and prevents the fluid from freezing in frigid outdoor temperatures. It’s a win/win.
Increased Lubrication = Less Wear
Antifreeze formulas include lubricants to keep the cooling system running smoothly. These chemical additives diminish over time. Old coolant cannot provide adequate lubrication, so seals and gaskets dry out and cause leaks. Additionally, less lubrication means increased wear on internal components, which can create premature part replacements.
Winter Antifreeze Service in Plymouth Meeting, PA
Plymouth Auto & Tire Center‘s winter coolant flush service purges the old coolant from the engine, radiator, and heater core in both directions to remove all contaminates. We pressure-test the cooling system for coolant leaks, clean the recovery bottle, and pressure-test the radiator cap. The system is then refilled with the correct mix of antifreeze and distilled water to ensure adequate winter protection. Let our certified technicians perform this important auto maintenance on your vehicle today.
Schedule An Appointment
Contact us at (610) 825-6558 or visit our website to schedule a winter coolant service.