How to dilute antifreeze concentrate? Rules, tips

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

Any car engine has a cooling system. It removes excess heat and maintains the optimal temperature regime of the motor. Antifreeze or antifreeze is used as a working fluid in SOD. But store shelves also sell antifreeze concentrate, which is often chosen by motorists. Why is it special and how to dilute the antifreeze concentrate? We will talk about this in our today's article.

About concentrate

Unlike domestic producers, which supply ready-made, diluted products to the market, import firms produce concentrate. It is much cheaper to transport. And besides, antifreeze concentrate (its price is about 1.5-2 thousand rubles for 5 liters) takes up less space in the warehouse.

Why is it necessary to dilute this "semi-finished product"? According to its composition, this product is 95% ethylene glycol. It is hygroscopic andhas a sweet smell. In addition, the composition includes anti-foam and other additives. Antifreeze and antifreeze also consist of ethylene glycol and additives. But why can't the concentrate be used immediately in the car? This is because the composition freezes at very high temperatures - about -10-15 degrees. But it boils at +200. Our task is to balance these characteristics so that the liquid boils at +110 and freezes at least at -30 degrees.

How to be?

So we have a new concentrate. But pouring it directly into the car is impossible. How to be and with what to mix it? The manufacturer recommends diluting the composition with water. But the regular one won't work for us.

Which water to dilute the antifreeze concentrate? For these purposes, we need only distilled liquid. We will tell about it further.

Why can't I use plain water?

The danger of using it is that the mixture may form a precipitate. Unlike distilled, ordinary tap water contains a number of impurities. These are magnesium, calcium and other chemical elements. When high temperatures are reached, they begin to leave deposits and scale. As a result, heat dissipation deteriorates significantly. There is a risk of engine overheating.

In distilled water all these minerals are boiled down. As a result, the liquid becomes suitable for mixing with antifreeze and its concentrate. By the way, such water has a slightly lower freezing point (minus 10 degrees Celsius).

Also, distilled water is absolutely suitable for mixing withRussian antifreeze (in case an unauthorized leak occurs and the coolant volume needs to be renewed).

Antifreeze concentrate: mixing ratios

Let's consider in what proportions to dilute the liquid. First of all, we note that there is no specific parameter here. It all depends on the climatic conditions of the vehicle.

So, when mixing water with antifreeze in a ratio of 75/25%, the freezing threshold increases to -20 degrees Celsius. The boiling threshold is reduced to +100 degrees. But if you dilute the liquid in a ratio of 40/60%, antifreeze will freeze at -50, and boil at +150.

As you can see, a lot of water is not always good. Therefore, you need to dilute in moderation. How to dilute antifreeze concentrate? The best option is 50 to 50. In this case, the liquid will freeze at -40, and boil at +130.

If the car is used in extreme conditions, you can add only a quarter (25 percent) of water. In this case, the coolant will freeze at -60 degrees.

Any antifreeze, when mixed with distilled water, will give off heat more efficiently, regardless of type and color. Before diluting the antifreeze concentrate, you need to prepare a separate container. It is not recommended to mix the product in the engine itself. Some of the water may remain at the top, in the expansion tank.

Helpful advice

When replacing the coolant, experts recommend flushing the system from scale and sediment. This is also done with distilled water. But mix it withno antifreeze needed. So, fill the water in full into the motor and drive for about a week. When draining the liquid, you will see a dark (and possibly brown) tint.

This indicates that there were corrosion processes in the system. You should also inspect the condition of the rubber pipes. If they are hard to the touch, then they need to be replaced. Works are carried out on a completely drained coolant.

All maintenance operations of this system (including flushing) are recommended to be done in the warm season.

How much to pour?

As for the volume of liquid to be filled, it is different on all cars. For example, take the VAZ-2110. About 7-8 liters are used here. But filling this volume completely will not work. For the first time, it will take no more than 5. Next, you need to start the engine and wait until it warms up.

You will notice that the coolant level in the expansion tank will drop to a minimum. After that, you can safely fill in the rest. On GAZelle and Volga cars, the volume of the cooling system is 10 liters. But it is also worth considering the presence of an additional heater, which motorists mount abnormally. So, the total volume can increase by one and a half liters.

Antifreeze concentrate: price

The average cost of this liquid is 500 rubles per liter. Usually one five-liter canister is purchased (it's cheaper). As for manufacturers producing antifreeze concentrate, the reviews note "Mobil" and "LiquidMoly." The cost of products ranges from 1,700 to 2,500 rubles for a five-liter eggplant.

Conclusion

So we figured out how to dilute the antifreeze concentrate. When operating, remember that the more water, the lower the freezing point. If you do not remember how much of it was filled earlier, it is recommended to completely replace the fluid in anticipation of the winter season.