Replacing antifreeze in a car: we practice a competent approach to business
Content
Coolant, or antifreeze, helps keep the vehicle from overheating. It does not freeze in severe frosts, protecting the walls of the motor from damage. In order for antifreeze to perform its functions effectively, it needs to be updated periodically.
What is the replacement for?
The basis of the coolant (coolant) is ethylene glycol (rarely propylene glycol), water and additives that give the composition anti-corrosion characteristics.
A type of antifreeze is antifreeze, developed by scientists of the USSR.
Additives are gradually washed out of the coolant, leaving only water and ethylene glycol in the composition. These components begin corrosive activity, as a result of which:
- perforation is formed in the radiator;
- the pump bearing is depressurized;
- fuel consumption increases;
- engine power is reduced.
Change unequivocally (every 2 years, regardless of mileage), the physico-chemical properties go very much. You can run into, at least, holes in the plugs of the block, worse destruction of plastic, clogging of the radiator. This is not a citation of a book, but a personal deplorable practice !!!
How often is the replacement
It is desirable to change the fluid every 70–80 thousand km. run. However, if the driver uses the car infrequently or travels short distances, he will only be able to drive this many kilometers in a few years. In such cases, antifreeze must be changed every 2 years.
The service life of antifreeze often depends on the make of the car. For example, in Mercedes-Benz, replacement is carried out once every 1 years. Some manufacturers produce a new generation of coolant, which needs to be changed only every 5 thousand km. run.
Antifreeze changes by mileage or by time !!! If you don’t know when and what kind of antifreeze was poured before you, change it, don’t worry. It all depends on the manufacturer of antifreeze and on the additive package. Antifiriza are up to 5 years or 90000 km.
Video: when the coolant needs to be replaced
How to find out about the need for replacement
You can check the condition of the liquid in the expansion tank. Its location is specified in the instructions for the car. The need to update the coolant is indicated by:
- Antifreeze color. If it turns pale, it is advisable to replace the liquid. However, the brightness of the color often depends on the dye used. Lightening a substance does not always mean that the antifreeze should be updated.
- Rust impurities. In this case, the replacement cannot be postponed.
- The presence of foam in the expansion barrel.
- darkening of matter.
- Sediment at the bottom of the tank.
- Change in the consistency of the coolant with a slight decrease in temperature. If, already at a temperature of -15 ° C, the substance takes on a mushy state, the replacement must be carried out immediately.
An unscheduled renewal of the coolant is carried out during any work on the elements of the cooling system, as well as in cases where the antifreeze was diluted with water.
It will be cheaper to buy liquid in a specialized store and change it at the nearest service station where there is an apparatus. Manual replacement is less effective. In a service station, using a special apparatus with a running engine, the old antifreeze will be replaced by displacement. At the same time, air ingress is excluded, additional flushing of the cooling system is achieved.
Careless attitude to the quality of antifreeze leads to rapid wear of the car. The danger of neglecting the need for replacement lies in the fact that the consequences of improper operation of the coolant can be seen only 1,5–2 years after the expiration of the antifreeze.
