Keeping your radiator in peak condition is crucial to your engine’s performance. The radiator’s main task is to prevent both freezing and overheating within the engine, and this comes down to proper use of coolant in the radiator. The “how-to” of keeping your radiator safely functioning is not a mystery, but there are some automotive myths and misconceptions out there that can have devastating effects for your car’s radiator, cooling system, and engine.
· Myth: It’s okay to run just water in your radiator.
· Myth: Antifreeze is only needed in extremely cold-weather conditions.
· Myth: All coolants are the same, mixing them is never a problem.
· Myth: Never top off or add water to your coolant.
Myth Buster One: You should never use just water instead of coolant
There are many people who believe using water instead of coolant is okay for vehicles, especially those driven in only warm climates. When you use water rather than a coolant mixture, high temperatures inside the motor could easily boil the water and cause it to evaporate. This means you’ll have to continually replace the water and possibly have less than needed to maintain regulated engine temperature, causing it to overheat. In extremely cold weather, just using water could result in the water freezing inside the engine, which could cause cracks in the radiator or heater core, warping in the cylinder head, and damage to the engine block. Running plain water in a radiator will lead to rust and corrosion, especially if it’s tap or hose water that contains minerals and contaminates that can build up inside the engine and radiator.
Myth Buster Two: Antifreeze is the component of coolant that protects in both hot and cold weather
Coolant is a calculated mixture of antifreeze (ethylene glycol is main ingredient) and water formulated to stay in a liquid state regardless of extreme temperatures. It prevents freezing or boiling, ensuring that your engine won’t overheat in any weather since the liquid continually circulates, drawing heat off the engine and cooling through the radiator. Coolant helps to prevent rust and corrosion and keeps the internal parts of the engine lubricated so that they work smoothly. A standard coolant mix is a 50/50 solution of antifreeze and distilled water or up to a 70/30 antifreeze-to-water mixture for extra protection in freezing temperatures.
Myth Buster Three: The best coolant is the one your car’s manufacturer recommends
Antifreeze and coolant come in a variety of colors, and it can be confusing to select the right one. But color is not the defining answer on coolant. There are three principal groups of coolant based upon the chemical makeup and performance expectancy. Picking coolant by your favorite color or mixing coolants can sometimes have a negative impact on performance.
· Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) coolant is the familiar green coolant made from glycol-based antifreeze. The silicate and phosphate corrosion inhibitors protect iron, brass, copper, and aluminum parts and the formula is effective for engine and radiator protection in all climate extremes. IAT coolants have the shortest life efficiency, and this coolant must be replaced every two years or every 30,000 miles with a radiator flush. This is the least expensive coolant and considered the most “universal” and okay for use in most vehicles, including older, pre-1990s cars.
· Organic Acid Technology (OAT) coolants contain organic acids as opposed to silicates or phosphates. Based on organic acid technology, they contain 2-EHA and other organic acids and give a longer life to the coolant, up to five years or 150,000 miles before needing replacement. Pricier than the IAT formulations, OAT coolants come in various colors, commonly orange but also green, red, pink, yellow, and purple.
· Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) is a combination of organic acids (no 2-EHA) and silicates, sort of a mix of OAT and IAT formulations. Colors range from blue to orange and like OAT coolants, you can go five years or more without a complete coolant change. Sub-categories include P-HOAT which uses phosphates along with organic acids in pink or blue coolant colors, and Si-OAT, a purple silicate HOAT that is the preference for auto manufacturers like Mercedes, Porsche, and Audi.
The best option to protect your radiator, cooling system, and engine is to use the coolant recommended in the owner’s manual for your specific make and model car. Mixing coolants, while okay in some instances, can negate the longer-lasting effects of the higher-priced OAT and HOAT formulations if mixed with IAT. Mixing coolants with different ingredients can also impact brass/copper radiators and heater cores differently than aluminum radiator parts that are protected by the various types of coolant. For hybrid cars and EVs that do not have a conventional cooling system, you should only use the coolants that are recommended by the carmaker.
Myth Buster Four: Water is safe to use in an emergency if no coolant is available
In an emergency, you can certainly use water to top off low coolant if your engine is overheating. To avoid introducing mineral deposits and contaminates into your radiator, use the purest water you can get, such as bottled water, purified water, or distilled water. Turn the car off and let the hot engine cool for 15 to 30 minutes before removing the radiator cap and adding water to the proper fill level in the radiator or coolant reservoir. Start the engine and let it idle for a few minutes and check the coolant level again and add more if necessary. Finally, replace the radiator cap and you’re good to go. Do not try to hurry up the cooling process by pouring cold water over a hot engine, it can cause damage to the block. As soon as possible, add a corresponding amount of antifreeze to the water you added to maintain the 50/50 mixture ratio for proper performance. If low coolant levels are an ongoing problem, have your cooling system checked for leaks, including the water pump, hoses, and radiator.
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