The full name of antifreeze is antifreeze coolant. As you can see from the name, it has two main functions: the first is antifreeze, and the second is cooling.
Antifreeze and coolant are the same thing. They are cooling media with antifreeze functions that circulate in the engine cooling system. In layman's terms, they cool the engine.
Its main function is to protect the normal and good operation of the engine, circulate in the engine water tank, and have anti-freezing, anti-boiling, anti-rust, anti-corrosion and other effects.
How often should antifreeze be changed?
Most family cars are replaced every two years or 40,000 kilometers. Some ultra-long-lasting antifreezes can be used for more than 6 years without any problems.
Of course, this is just a reference replacement cycle, and the specifics need to be judged according to our own maintenance manual or actual usage!
When there is insufficient coolant, the engine water temperature will be too high, causing damage to engine parts. So once you find that the coolant is insufficient, you should add it in time. When adding, keep it between the max and min scales of the pot, that is, between the maximum and the minimum.
Can antifreeze be mixed?
The answer is no mixing.
The dye is added to observe and distinguish antifreeze.
In fact, antifreeze itself is colorless, but in order to distinguish the antifreeze, manufacturers often add some dyes to it when it leaves the factory.
The color is also for easy observation. Colorless and transparent liquids are more difficult to see the scale. If there is leakage, it is impossible to detect it. Colored liquids are more intuitive.
Different colors and brands of antifreeze have different chemical compositions
The chemical properties of antifreeze of different colors and different brands may be very different, and their ingredients may also be different. Mixing may cause chemical reactions such as precipitation and bubbles, thereby reducing the performance of the antifreeze.
Precisely because antifreeze cannot be mixed, when replacing antifreeze, be sure to drain out the old fluid and clean the cooling system before replacing it with new fluid.
Can antifreeze be replaced with water?
The answer is that antifreeze cannot be directly replaced with tap water.
Tap water cannot meet the temperature range of the engine
Because general tap water begins to freeze at 0°C, while antifreeze does not start to freeze until it reaches -30°C; tap water begins to boil at 100°C, while antifreeze does not boil until it reaches 107°C.
If the car does not use antifreeze and just add tap water directly, in the northern winter, the tap water freezes and will burst the cooling pipes of the car; in hot summer, the tap water will be boiled directly, causing the engine temperature to be too high.
This is like saying that antifreeze is like a rubber band. It has great elasticity and can be stretched to a very long length. It can also bounce back to its original position and expand and contract freely. In terms of antifreeze, its freezing point is very low and its boiling point is very high. It can fully meet the engine temperature change range.
Tap water is more like an ordinary rope. It has no elasticity and will break if you pull it hard. It does not stretch as freely as a rubber band, which means that it cannot meet the temperature change range of the engine.
You can add pure water for emergency use for temporary use
If an antifreeze level alarm occurs on the road and antifreeze is not available nearby, you can add a small amount of distilled or purified water as an emergency measure. The amount added is only enough to ensure that the vehicle can drive normally.
However, after adding water to the antifreeze, you should go to a 4S shop or professional auto repair shop to check the cooling system as soon as possible to see if there are leaks and replace with new antifreeze.
Summarize:
Generally, household car antifreeze is replaced every two years or 40,000 kilometers. Some ultra-long-lasting antifreezes can be used for more than 6 years without any problems.
Antifreeze cannot be mixed, nor can it be replaced with water, unless pure water is added in an emergency for temporary use.
