Coolant / Antifreeze

To keep the water in the cooling system from boiling or freezing, the water is mixed with coolant/ antifreeze (which, in the interest of brevity, I just call “coolant”).

Most coolants contain about 95 percent ethelyne glycol, a chemical that stops water from freezing or boiling, even in extreme temperatures. (Ethelyne glycol is toxic; there are nontoxic coolants that contain propylene glycol instead.  In addition to the ethelyne glycol, coolant also contains rust, corrosion, and foaming inhibitors, so coolant does more than just keep the water in the system in a liquid state: It also helps  to prevent  the formation of rust on the metal surfaces of the engine and the radiator, lubricates the water pump, and keeps the liquid from foaming as it circulates through the system. Since the early 1960s, auto manufacturers have designed the cooling systems of most vehicles  for a 50/50 mixture of ethelyne glycol and water, which is till generally considered the proper proportion of coolant to water for the cooling system of most vehicles.

Today’s engines require specially formulated coolants that are safe for aluminum components. Also, some manufacturers are using new coolant called Dex-cool  that can last about twice as long as other coolants.

If your cooling system is operating properly, you shouldn’t have to keep adding liquid to it.

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