How often should the antifreeze be topped up?
Car care is not only done on the outside, and the engine is the part that should be more careful. One of the most common doubts among drivers is about what to use: water or antifreeze, and to clear up any doubts we share with you these tips on what gives more care to your car.
The temperature that the engine reaches when in motion is approximately 90°c, and as long as it does not exceed this it is not necessary to cool it. However, there is a device called thermostat, which does not allow the antifreeze to pass until it reaches the desired temperature, because if the engine is cold, it wears out parts of the car such as spark plugs, oil or engine metals.
Once the temperature is reached, the thermostat opens and antifreeze begins to circulate through the engine, and a support cycle begins: the antifreeze absorbs heat from the engine that is carried to the radiator, which cools it and takes it back to the engine. This is how the engine temperature is controlled.
Water over 100 C evaporates and over time it will run out, so your car runs the risk of overheating and drifting. Antifreeze does not, it can go up to about 130 degrees and not evaporate.
Because it leaks antifreeze out of the reservoir
One of the main liquids that we must check in our car is the coolant or antifreeze. Curiously, its function is not only to keep the engine “cold”. Its usefulness is fundamental for the maintenance and correct operation of your car.
One of the most common breakdowns that happen to cars is when a leak forms in the reservoir of this liquid, generally detectable because it has a particularly striking phosphorescent color.
Quite simply, the engine may stop running. If it overheats or freezes, the engine could suffer irreparable damage, ranging from mechanical breakdowns to parts burning out and becoming unusable.
How long does antifreeze last in a car?
It’s no secret that modern cars need several types of fluids to function properly. They need oil to lubricate the moving parts of the engine, hydraulic fluid to operate the clutch and brake, among others.
However, sometimes these fluids can leak out of their original containers. This is especially true in the case of coolant. When this happens, it can spell disaster for your truck, as it is crucial for preventing the buildup of waste heat from the combustion process.
In some cases, however, the leak is not so apparent. Sometimes, you’ll find that you don’t have coolant leaks at all, but coolant levels are at an all time low. So why does this happen?
In some cases, especially severe, interior leaks can also be caused by cylinder head fracture or manifold rupture. If you suspect this is happening to your car, have a mechanic analyze a sample of your truck’s coolant.
Air conditioning wastes antifreeze
Many times we have found that the water or coolant is evaporating from the radiator of our car, we discover this when we see that the level of the same low soon after filling the container where it is deposited.
The liquid when reaching high temperatures evaporates and this can be seen with the naked eye when white smoke (steam) comes out of the container or radiator, if that happens it means that something is wrong with the system and for some reason it is heating more than it really should.