If you’re saying to yourself, “I don’t even know what engine coolant is,” you’re not alone. Engine coolant is one of those car fluids that people tend to ignore and not talk about. However, keep in mind that your car’s cooling system, coolant included, is one of the most important components to your engine’s health.
What is coolant?
Your engine coolant’s basic job is to transfer heat from your engine to keep it from overheating. Very similar to oil, it runs through your engine to keep things cool. It’s key that you make sure your coolant does not freeze or boil because heat can only be transferred by a liquid. In the cases where coolant freezes or evaporates it doesn’t get to the whole engine and some metals can start to melt.
Is there one coolant or many?
There is more than one kind of coolant and different kinds of engines or manufacturers use different kinds of coolant. So, it’s important for the service provider to know what kind your vehicle uses. Be warned, using the wrong coolant for your vehicle can cause some serious problems. We’d recommend only using a professional service provider. What can happen if the wrong coolant is used? You’ll likely see corrosion-related problems in 6 or 12 months which means bigger repairs like radiator replacements, for example.
How often do I need to change my coolant?
This is the nice thing about coolant – it lasts for a very long time. Even in really old vehicles you only need to worry about it about annually, maybe longer. In the most modern cars you may be able to ride the same coolant wave for 5-10 years! Keep in mind that your coolant should be flushed based on the manufacturer timing. Also, the engine can have a malfunction and leak coolant, which would need a repair. You’ll want to check with your car’s manufacturer to know exactly when and what kind of coolant you need and what the owner’s manual recommends….
….OR the easier solution is to let CarAdvise tell you! Remember that we keep all of your car’s upcoming maintenance and we’ll remind you when and what services you need!
Read more about the things you need to have your car run well in our article Common Things Your Car Needs To Run Well.
