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Winter Car Care & Antifreeze
Answers to your antifreeze and coolant questions
Wayne Scraba / autoMedia.com
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How effective is this new coolant? With a 50-50 mix of coolant and water, the Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is good from -34°F all the way up to 265°F. With a 70-30 mix, the antifreeze/coolant is effective from -84°F to 276°F — sufficient for almost any inhabited locale in North America.
Total Flush
Prestone notes that the best way to insure maximum performance from a premium antifreeze/coolant such as this is to flush the cooling system in your car. Draining the system removes loose sediment and rust from the radiator. If you flush it, the block is cleaned as well (we typically use a system flush/cleaner such as Prestone’s Super Flush). Once flushed, fill the system with Extended Life coolant in the mix percentage (50-50 or 70-30) that’s applicable for your climate. As far as the water part of the equation is concerned, good quality soft water will often suffice, although some vehicle manufacturers recommend the use of either de-ionized water or distilled water in conjunction with antifreeze/coolant. In terms of coolant life, this antifreeze/coolant from Prestone is good for five years or 150,000 miles (whichever comes first). This is in part due to the special chemistry found within the coolant’s integral corrosion inhibitor package.
When disposing of used coolant, be sure to adhere to local laws and regulations. It’s a good idea to dispose of used antifreeze/coolant at facilities capable of handling household hazardous materials. Never discard coolant into storm sewers, septic systems or onto the ground.
Climate Test
So far so good, but how do you know the coolant mix is correct for your climate? Simple. Use a tester. There are plenty of different models out there (hydrometer or refracto-meter). A hydrometer incorporates a float to measure the specific gravity of the antifreeze water mixture, indicating the amount of glycol by way of graduated markings on the gauge body. In contrast, a refracto-meter measures the bending of light by the coolant/water mixture to determine the amount of glycol in the blend. Inexpensive hydrometers are easy to use — they simply have the minimum temperature capability marked right on the gauge. By the way, it’s a good idea to measure the coolant and water mix before you pour it in the engine (radiator).
Mix It Up
What if you don’t want to mix antifreeze/coolant (with water)? For extreme temperatures, mixing will likely prove mandatory. You should never have the need to exceed the 70-30 mix, however. For warmer climates, a 50-50 coolant/water mixture is recommended. But what about a 50-50 pre-mixed antifreeze/coolant solution? These ready-to-use antifreeze/coolants offer freeze-up protection to -34°F and boil-over protection to 265°F. However, since residual water always remains in the system even after a flush, a pre-mix product is recommended only for topping off. The concentrate antifreeze/coolant is best when performing a complete flush.
As you can see, there’s a whole bunch more to antifreeze/coolant than first meets the eye. Before the winter deep freeze sets in, take a tip from the Canucks and have the cooling system in your car or light truck serviced. It’s truly cheap insurance against frozen engines and frozen fingers. (www.prestone.com)