Antifreeze, also known as coolant, plays a key role in the proper functioning of the car. Its main task, as the name suggests, is to cool the engine. If there is not enough antifreeze in the tank, there is a high risk that the car will overheat. This is fraught with many problems for the engine at once, so such a problem cannot be allowed. The driver is obliged to monitor the level of antifreeze in his car, and in this article we will look at how to do this correctly.
Why do you need to monitor the antifreeze level?
The coolant is already in the cooling system duct before any machine is operated. If you are buying a used car, then one of the first steps during a technical inspection should be to measure the antifreeze level. By determining the readiness of the elements, we can draw a conclusion about the functionality of the car.
Why do you need to monitor the antifreeze level?
The cooling mixture prevents the engine from overheating. Antifreeze moves in a vicious circle, thereby increasing engine life. The entire cooling system is based on this technique.
Stages of work:
- when the engine heats up, the liquid circulates in a small circle;
- after reaching the temperature limit, a large circulation circle is turned on;
- the final cycle is the distillation of antifreeze through the cylinders to the radiator.
Antifreeze must be filled into the expansion tank to the optimal level. Only then is normal engine operation possible. The system does not have sensors, so you will have to determine the boundaries of the liquid yourself.
A limited amount of antifreeze in the cooling system leads to overheating of engine elements and wear, but an excess is no less dangerous. If the liquid is overfilled, a leak will form and the pipe and the expansion tank itself may rupture. Both options lead to depressurization of the system and rapid wear of the elements.
Probable leak locations
Where can antifreeze go? It is still a liquid, so it can evaporate when heated. To make evaporation less intense, the tank or radiator is tightly closed with a lid. But complete blockage is also not allowed, so there are bypass valves in the lid.
They are needed to relieve pressure in the system if it has risen above the critical norm. It is through this valve that antifreeze evaporates, especially in the summer season. It is very hot in the summer, and if you drive in a traffic jam, the cooling system will not have time to fully remove heat from the engine; it will operate at an elevated temperature. In this case, the antifreeze heats up more than normal, part of it goes into a gaseous state (steam), increasing the pressure in the system, and when the pressure rises above normal, the steam will be released through the valve.
Antifreeze may also leak due to a leak in the system or a crack in one of the rubber pipes. Because of this, the coolant will simply leak out through a leak or crack. In this case, it is very easy to detect a leak - by drips on the pipes and traces of liquid on the asphalt under the car while parked.
The most unpleasant leak is due to a breakdown of the cylinder head gasket (cylinder head). As a result of the breakdown, the cooling system channel is connected to the cylinder, or the crack leads outward. It is very dangerous if a breakdown connects the channel to the cylinder. Not only will the liquid “fly out into the pipe” in the literal sense, but if the repair is untimely, a “water hammer” may occur due to the large amount of antifreeze in the cylinder, and this is already fraught with serious problems, since as a result of this effect the destruction of the piston is possible, connecting rod bend.
It is noteworthy that a cylinder head gasket failure is usually a consequence of engine overheating due to insufficient antifreeze.
Consequences of a cylinder head gasket failure
How to determine the coolant level
The cooling design consists of several elements. Due to the tightness of the system, some parts are not accessible for surface inspection. The driver can only control the condition of the tank, where the coolant level must be brought to the optimal level.
The difficulty of control is that the fluid usually lasts for a long time without refilling, so car owners often forget about the cooling system. When engine problems occur, faults within this area are the first to be suspected.
You can check the antifreeze level correctly only if the engine remains cold. The ideal level of the cooling compound is the limit set above the center line.
How to determine the coolant level
How to check correctly?
Now about how to check the antifreeze level.
Cooling systems in different cars are slightly different; some have an expansion tank that controls the level, while others do not. In cars whose cooling system includes this reservoir, checking the level is very simple. The tank is usually made of light plastic, and the antifreeze has a certain color. There are also marks on the tank wall indicating the minimum and maximum levels. Therefore, to check the fluid level, you don’t even need to unscrew the cap; you just need to look at the level on the wall of the tank and compare it with the marks.
In cars whose cooling system does not include a tank, topping up and level control is done through the neck located on the radiator. That is, we unscrew the radiator cap and look at the level.
Now some features of the test. It is performed only on a cold and idle engine, for a number of reasons. When heated, antifreeze expands, so when monitoring the level in the tank, the quantity data will be incorrect.
As for cars in which the fluid is checked in the radiator, checking when the engine is hot can lead to injury. The fact is that after heating, pressure forms in the system, and if you remove the radiator cap, there is a high probability of hot antifreeze splashing out through the neck, so it is very easy to get burned. It is best to check the level in the morning, before the trip. The engine will cool down completely overnight, and the level readings will be most accurate.
What do the marks on the expansion tank mean?
The tank intended for filling antifreeze is a reservoir made of durable plastic. The configuration may vary, depending on the make of the car and the physical characteristics of the engine compartment. The tank has a screw cap with an air vent valve.
For some brands of cars, special local sensors have been developed that read the fluid level. For example, in VAZ or UAZ cars, the tanks are equipped with a second neck into which a special device is screwed. Most cars (even Mercedes, Mazda, Ford Fiesta) do not have a second neck, but are screwed on with a simple plug.
Some tanks have the usual markings:
- Max – maximum level;
- Min – minimum indicator.
For different brands of cars, the marks on the tank look different. On cars of the Skoda, Peugeot, and Nissan Vitz brands, the delimiters look like contrasting markers; for Opel, only notches are made on the tank. There are no marks on the capacitive tank of the Lada Kalina, but you can make them yourself.
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What indicators determine the fluid level in the expansion tank?
In theory, it seems that it is quite easy to control the level of coolant in the expansion tank, but practice shows that this is not the case.
The amount of coolant is directly dependent on temperature or weather conditions. In summer, antifreeze approaches its maximum value due to the expansion properties characteristic of all types of liquids, but in winter the level decreases.
The system does not have automatic sensors, so it is not easy to measure the amount of liquid yourself. Drivers use the car, but do not realize that the cooling is not enough.
Errors when handling antifreeze and their consequences
When checking the antifreeze level in the tank, it often becomes necessary to top it up. In winter, it evaporates intensely, so you need to check its condition more often at this time. At low temperatures, all elements of the expansion tank partially lose their tightness, as the properties of rubber and plastic change. This is fraught with antifreeze leaks. As a rule, they are not fatal, but this does not eliminate the need to monitor the process and timely add a new portion of antifreeze.
Typical mistakes when handling antifreeze are:
- the plug is unscrewed “hot”, without waiting for the engine to cool down;
- there is no rag on the tank (if the tank has not had time to cool completely, this can be dangerous);
- fresh liquid is added “to the hot one;
- antifreeze is poured into an empty container;
- do not use distilled water, but ordinary water when topping up.
No matter what frivolous “experienced” drivers say, you cannot unscrew the cap when the engine is hot. Even if the brave souls are constantly lucky, it is not a fact that next time everything will be exactly the same. Since the pressure in a closed system is high, when you unscrew the cap “hot,” the liquid may splash out onto your hands or even onto your face. Serious burns always leave scars, so there is no need to rush and tempt fate.
There are situations when there is no time to wait until the system has completely cooled down. In this case, place a rag over the lid before unscrewing. It will close the drain hole and prevent a strong splash of antifreeze, but will not be able to protect against splashes. To avoid injury, it is better, however, to wait until the engine has completely cooled down and only then get to work.
What level of antifreeze should be in the expansion tank?
The best option is to mark the antifreeze on the middle part. Then, when the liquid expands, leakage is excluded, and when the temperature of the coolant decreases, there will be enough to maintain operational readiness.
Drivers practice overfilling liquid when they want to prevent boiling over or underfilling. Maximum antifreeze can lead to an increase in pressure inside the engine. The result is pipe rupture. This, in turn, leads to loss of tightness. Minimal addition of antifreeze increases the risk of complete boiling of the liquid from the tank. In this case, the engine is at risk of severe overheating.
Process:
1. Before every trip, you need to check the coolant level. To do this, look at the wall of the expansion tank. If the fluid level is below the min mark, it means the coolant needs to be added. 2. Many cars are equipped with a coolant level monitoring system, which indicates a low coolant level in the system by lighting up a light on the instrument panel. 3. You can check the coolant in the radiator in the following way. 4. Remove the radiator cap. If the radiator cap has a pressure release system, then lift the release lever before opening and the pressure in the radiator will drop. 5. Then take the lid with your hand through a rag so as not to get burned, unscrew it and remove the lid so that it opens away from you in the other direction. 6. It is possible that steam will escape from the radiator when you open the cap; in this case, you should screw the cap back on and wait until the radiator has completely cooled down. 7. It is best to check the coolant level before starting the car, when the engine is cold.
It is necessary to check the coolant level once a month.
What can be added and in what quantity?
The situation when you discover that there is not enough antifreeze in the tank requires immediate action. If leaks or breakdowns are excluded, this means that the cooling system needs to be replaced or topped up.
Experts recommend completely flushing the channels before adding new antifreeze. If you are on the road and do not have the opportunity to completely drain the old fluid, then you can simply add antifreeze into the channel. But even in this case, it is necessary to take into account the nuances.
It is strictly forbidden to mix liquids with different bases. For example, you cannot add mixtures of the first group with ethylene glycol to carboxylate-based antifreeze. As a result of the use of incompatible bases, a chemical reaction occurs and sediment is gradually released, which settles on engine elements or clogs the radiator.
When filling the cooling system, only mixtures are mixed that are based on additives with similar properties. For example, you can mix protective compounds with each other or add a small amount of antifreeze to red antifreeze with anti-corrosion properties. It is best to use fluids from the same car brand.
What can be added and in what quantity?
If the amount of antifreeze decreases due to a leak or damage to the channel, then directed repairs will be needed before changing or adding fluid.
Is it possible to mix different antifreezes?
Due to the huge range of coolants, car enthusiasts are increasingly mixing two or three incompatible substances. In this case, the output is a strange-colored liquid with sediment or foam; often the “frieze” turns into an emulsion. In general, the consequences of such mixing are extremely disastrous. If you are going to mix different refrigerants, you should clearly understand their compatibility.
How to properly add coolant to the expansion tank
On popular car brands Hyundai Solaris, Toyota Lancer, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet or BMW, the procedure for filling antifreeze is the same. Let's analyze this manipulation in detail. For the listed brands, the expansion tank is located on the right side of the engine compartment. To measure and top up, it is better to follow the instructions:
- The machine is installed on a slope so that the front part is slightly higher. This will help expel excess air from the valve.
- Open the hood and carefully unscrew the tank cap.
- Liquid is added along one of the walls in a thin stream to avoid the formation of air pockets.
- Antifreeze is added to 2/3 (closer to the top mark than to the bottom).
- After this, the tank is closed and the engine is started so that the antifreeze begins to be distributed throughout the system.
- After stopping the engine, the antifreeze level in the expansion tank is checked again. The indicator should decrease slightly. To avoid excessive consumption, the liquid is refilled.
- After the second check, screw the tank cap tightly and close the hood.
Flushing the cooling system is necessary if the antifreeze inside the tank has changed its color or has become very thick. This condition can be caused by unwise mixing of formulations or purchasing low-quality raw materials.
It is recommended to check the antifreeze level in the expansion tank monthly. If you do not monitor the indicators, you can cause the engine to overheat. It is better to pour antifreeze “on cold” - this is the name for the technique when manipulations are carried out only when the car has cooled down. It is not recommended to mix formulations, but in some cases it is allowed to use mixtures with the same base.
What and how much should I add?
Finally, about what kind and how to add antifreeze. It is necessary to top up only when the engine is cooled down in order to know the level accurately; when it is heated due to expansion, it will not be possible to accurately determine the level. It is necessary to top up to the mark in the radiator, and if there is none, then almost to the edge of the neck; the excess will be squeezed out through the cap when heated. The tank is topped up to the level located between the marks.
Only the antifreeze that is filled should be poured into the system. Mixing different types of antifreeze is not allowed. If you don’t have liquid on hand to top up, you can use distilled or plain clean water. But it is important to take into account that adding water will significantly reduce the freezing threshold of antifreeze, so you can add it only in the summer, and before the winter period, completely change the fluid in the system.
