How to check antifreeze? density of antifreeze. Is it possible to dilute antifreeze with water

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Extreme temperatures are one of the car's most insidious enemies. Both frost and strong heating negatively affect the operation of critical components of equipment, which affects both the efficiency of its operation and the degree of overall safety. Antifreeze is one way to prevent problems caused by high engine temperatures. Therefore, any motorist simply needs to know the answer to questions about how to check antifreeze and how to properly replace it.

What is antifreeze?

Strictly speaking, in the context of automotive topics, antifreeze refers to any coolant that serves the engine system. In the process of circulation between the engine and the radiator, it helps to remove unnecessary body, eliminating the risk of overheating of parts. And the antifreezeonly maintains its own performance at high temperatures, but also retains its fluidity in conditions of severe frost, which is also important. A special combination of water and ethylene glycol in the composition helps to maintain the working condition of this fluid. For example, the boiling point of pure ethylene glycol-based red antifreeze is 197 ° C, and this composition freezes at -13 ° C. However, “pure” non-freezes are practically not used today, largely due to environmental hazard and toxicity, so the same upper boiling threshold is 100-120 ° C due to the inclusion of softening additives.

When should I change antifreeze?

Practice shows that on average this fluid is changed every 2-3 years, although the manufacturers themselves today set the maximum service life of antifreeze at 5 or even 10 years. If we translate the durability of the resource into a mileage indicator, then we can talk about 80-250 thousand km. What is the reason for the need to update the fluid? Top reasons include:

• Pollution. In the process of circulation, the composition is inevitably replenished with small particles of technical rubbish and dirt. How to check antifreeze for contamination? An external examination may well provide sufficient information about the state of the liquid - if the color has become cloudy and exfoliated lumps of pipes are floating on the surface, then it is obvious that a replacement should be made.
• Loss of anti-corrosion properties. This applies to additives with modifiers that exclude the processes of oxidation of metal surfaces. By the way,the presence of the same rust particles in the liquid directly indicates the loss of sufficient anti-corrosion properties.

Checking the level of antifreeze

To begin with, it should be noted that antifreeze can be located both in a special plastic tank on the engine side and in the radiator. As for the tank, there are “Max” and “Min” markings on its surfaces - they determine the critical level of lowering or overflowing. Depending on the current temperature, the liquid may expand and then the indicator will be inaccurate. How to check antifreeze in a car so that the most accurate data is recorded? Experts recommend doing a check with the engine off and cold. Moreover, in the case of a radiator, when the cap is opened, hot antifreeze can splash out, causing chemical burns. Therefore, in both cases, the cooling system must be cool.

Checking the density of antifreeze

This indicator is one of the key parameters indicating the efficiency of the liquid in terms of performing cooling tasks. Specific density requirements may vary depending on application specifications, motor thermal protection indications and additive package. On average, the range from 1.04 to 1.11 g/cm3 is considered normal. How to check the density of antifreeze without the help of specialists? To do this, you need a device called a hydrometer. This is a small device with a float, the latest versions of which alsoallow you to determine the temperature of the liquid. As for the technique of using the hydrometer, the user only needs to scoop up a small amount of antifreeze in the tank with a pipette of the device, and then wait until the float fixes its position in the flask. Its readings will indicate the density of the test composition.

Flushing the system

A prerequisite before pouring new antifreeze is to ensure that the surfaces of the same tank, radiator and pipe communications are clean. After draining the old antifreeze, it is necessary to flush all the circuits of its circulation to remove traces of rust and all kinds of deposits. This is done with the help of special autochemistry. It is poured into the place of antifreeze in the same volume, after which all the covers are closed and the engine starts. For 15-20 minutes, the power plant should be allowed to work until peak temperatures are reached, then turn off the unit and drain the flushing composition. Further, a similar operation is repeated with the same conditions, but distilled water is used instead of chemistry.

How to add antifreeze correctly?

Immediately it is necessary to distinguish between the formats of topping up and completely filling the system with new antifreeze. It is to add liquid only in extreme cases, since the issue of compatibility of compositions of different types is very important. So, many inexperienced motorists mistakenly combine antifreezes of the same color, believing that the similarity of the shade also indicates the relationship of performance. In fact, the color texture does not reflect the characteristics of the composition in any way - under the samemixtures with different sets of additives and modifiers can be produced in red. But how to check antifreeze for compliance with an already filled composition? There is only one way - only through a detailed analysis of the mixture data in the documentation, and even belonging to the same group will not guarantee a favorable working effect. As for the complete replacement, in this case, after washing, the antifreeze is poured at a high temperature. And after filling, you should leave the engine running for a while, which will allow the liquid to be evenly distributed throughout all circuits, displacing air bubbles.

Should I mix antifreeze with water?

Purposefully dilute antifreeze with water to save money is not worth it. If it is a pity to pour out a well-functioning composition, but its level is not high enough, then it makes sense to add filtered or distilled water to maintain volume. For example, if about 200 ml is not enough to the normative level. But is it possible to dilute antifreeze with water if we are talking about the idea of large volumes of the missing composition? Theoretically, it is possible, however, as in the case of combining two antifreezes, the risk of a change in operational properties increases. The use of water is preferable in the sense that it does not lead to extreme modifications of the antifreeze with precipitation of certain components. However, at high mixing ratios, it may well weaken the anti-corrosion properties and lower the temperature resistance limits by 15-20%.

Conclusion

Coolant is an essential component in maintainingperformance of automotive equipment along with motor and hydraulic lubricating oils. But in this case, the nuances of the diagnosis and application of the mixture are extremely important. For example, how to check antifreeze so as not to make a mistake in the further tactics of replacing it? At a minimum, it is important to use serviceable instruments and fixtures for this, as well as focus on the official requirements for the operation of the car and its engine. In addition, it is necessary to remember the specifics of antifreezes as chemically hazardous substances, carefully considering personal safety issues when servicing the cooling system.