As a result, engine coolant for cars manufactured in Asia does not use coolants with silicates. Instead, phosphates and carboxylates fill the anti-corrosive role. In Europe, engine coolant had to solve a different problem. Hard water, containing the minerals calcium and magnesium, had a reaction with phosphate inhibitors in engine coolant, causing scale to form on car engines.
So, engine coolant for cars made in Europe does not contain phosphates. Instead, coolant designed for European cars uses silicates and carboxylates. While antifreeze is a common ingredient in engine coolant, it is not always present.
You can use coolant additives without antifreeze to improve heat transfer efficiency within your engine. Some additives can be an effective option in straight water applications.
Plus, an additive like Hy-per Cool Super Coolant is compatible with nearly any type of antifreeze you are already using for your vehicle.
Different types of engine coolants are specifically engineered for different types of vehicles. Coolant varieties are categorized by name and color. You should always use the variety recommended for your car. Six types of engine coolant are:.
IAT engine coolant is green. It is made with ethylene glycol with silicate and phosphates added to prevent corrosion. As an older formula, it is not as efficient as some newer types of engine coolant. If your car requires IAT coolant, you will need to flush it and replace it approximately every two years or every 24, miles. OAT engine coolant is made with a propylene glycol base.
Organic acid technology OAT engine coolant is usually orange in color, but it can come in other colors like dark green. Always double-check the label to ensure you do not accidentally grab a color that is a different coolant type. OAT uses organic acid to help protect your engine from corrosion. As a more modern formulation, OAT coolant only needs to be drained and changed every five years or every 50, miles. Hybrid organic acid technology is one of the three main categories of engine coolant, and it has several subcategories.
HOAT coolant was traditionally yellow. You can find HOAT coolant in yellow, orange, green, pink and blue. HOAT uses both silicates and organic acid to protect your engine and combat corrosion.
It should be swapped out at the same interval as OAT coolant: every five years of every 50, miles. Phosphate-free HOAT is usually turquoise in color. This NAP-free formula, made with ethylene glycol, contains organic and inorganic corrosion inhibitors to protect your engine. It does not contain phosphates, such as nitrite, nitrate and borate.
It is also a low-silicate formula. The coolant is usually either pink or blue. Due to heat transfer issues, Asian car manufacturers require the use of this type of coolant. Silicated HOAT is usually recognizable by its vibrant purple color.
It uses silicates and organic acids to inhibit corrosive action in your engine. Its formula is free of nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, borates, amines and imidazole. Most vehicles need a coolant service around , miles. Some older vehicles may require service more often, however. Yes, engine coolant does go bad. Older fluid may cause acid buildup, may become contaminated by rust or scaling, and may have reduced resistance to boiling and freezing.
In a coolant flush , a chemical is first added to the cooling system that removes debris and buildup from the system. A machine is then used to remove the old fluid and add new fluid. The machine pushes the fluid through the system at the same speed it would travel were the engine actually running. As the coolant flows through these passages, it picks up heat from the engine. The heated fluid then makes its way through a rubber hose to the radiator in the front of the car.
As it flows through the thin tubes in the radiator, the hot liquid is cooled by the air stream entering the engine compartment from the grill in front of the car. Once the fluid is cooled, it returns to the engine to absorb more heat.
The water pump has the job of keeping the fluid moving through this system of plumbing and hidden passages. Why Coolant is Important Without a coolant, the heat produced through constant internal combustion would destroy the engine very quickly. Depending on your type of vehicle, you may need a coolant with specialized additives, a coolant formulated for specific manufacturers, or a coolant designed for high-mileage cars. The primary purpose of coolant is transferring heat and preventing engine damage caused by freezing or boiling.
Coolant also serves the purpose of protecting metals and non-metallic elastomers like rubber and plastic parts in the engine and the cooling circuit. Without the proper coolant in your system, corrosion and component damage can lead to long-term effects. This is often misidentified by drivers as a radiator failure rather than simply acknowledging that the wrong coolant was used. If a radiator ends up badly corroded or full of plugging internal deposits, a malfunctioning coolant system is a likely cause.
And by the time you get that problem, people have forgotten that they used the wrong coolant and think the radiator has simply failed as a part. And because coolant-related problems happen inside the motor, you might not realize the damage being caused unless you look at the cooling passages and the internal heat-transfer surfaces of the engine.
The amount of time between coolant changes has been steadily increasing as engine technology improves. As recently as two decades ago, changing your coolant every two years was the standard recommendation. Then, about a decade ago, that span increased to five years. In fact, some vehicles are filled for life.
0コメント