How Often Should You Change Engine Coolant? Choosing the wrong product can result in poor performance or engine failure.
#COOLANT COLOR MANUAL#
HOAT is a popular coolant used in a majority of new vehicles.Īlways refer to the manufacturer’s specifications in the owner’s manual of your vehicle to verify what type of coolant your vehicle requires. Hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) coolant is a hybrid of IAT and OAT coolants. They are available in several different colors, ranging from dark green and orange, to pink and blue. There are several brands of organic acid technology (OAT) coolant. This coolant can come in eitherĪ green or yellow color. This type of coolant needs to be changed more frequently because it tends to lose its qualities faster. Inorganic acid technology (IAT) coolant is the conventional coolant that was used on older vehicles for many years. Three types of coolant are routinely used to service vehicles cooling systems.
That protects your engine from cracking and experiencing increased pressure. It won’t freeze and expand in hyper-cool temperatures like water would. Coolant also provides resistance to freezing. The resulting corrosion interferes with heat transfer even before the build-up plugs the radiator and fills the coolingĬoolant helps reduce corrosion and engine rust. The rust is then carried off to other cooling areas. Pure water has more heat-carrying ability than pure ethylene glycol, so water would be the best coolant to use if the only consideration in the selection of coolant was its ability to carry off heat.īut water presents other challenges. The major difference between the two types is that propylene glycol is less toxic. Common coolants consist of a mixture of ethylene glycol with additive packages and some water.Īnother glycol-based coolant consists of propylene glycol and water. What is Car Coolant Made Of?Īll automotive coolants are glycol-based. The coolant is then returned to the top of the radiator where it’s cooled again. The engine’s block and head, where it absorbs the excess heat to control the engine temperature. It’s then drawn into the water pump, which pumps it into Coolant exits from the bottom of the radiator after it’s cooled. When the engine’s running, the coolant continuously circulates through the engine and back through the radiator. The thermostat controls the temperature of the coolant.The fan pulls air through the radiator when the vehicle is not moving fast enough to move the air.Radiator hoses connect the parts of the cooling system.The radiator conducts heat away from the coolant.The water pump, or coolant pump, circulates coolant throughout the system.The liquid cooling system is made up of several components. How Does Engine Coolant Work?Ĭar coolant is located in a reservoir affixed to the radiator before it’s introduced to the engine block and its components.Įngine coolant is used in conjunction with a liquid cooling system. To protect the engine and to keep it running at the ideal temperature, engine coolant is used. Aluminum components melt at about 1,225☏.Ī considerable amount of engine failures are related in some way to engine cooling problems. The rest remains in the engine block itself.Īverage combustion temperatures are close to 2,000☏ and, in some instances, may reach as high as 4,500☏. The remaining energy is converted into heat.Ī portion of this heat leaves the engine through the exhaust. Part of this energy is harnessed by the engine and is used to move the vehicle forward. Internal combustion engines create energy by burning fuel. Wondering what is car coolant exactly? Coolant transfers heat and adds antifreeze protection to an engine, so your car can stay running in optimal condition. He’s helping current students master the details of this essential auto component. Omar learned about car coolant as a UTI student himself. Omar Ramirez, Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) Education and Development, Curriculum Content Developer, talks about types of car coolant and what happens if you run out of coolant. Coolant also lubricates the moving parts it comes into contact with, which protects damage to the water pump, head gasket, the cylinder and piston timing.
Without proper protection, an engine can wear down and even melt, which can cost thousands of dollars to replace.Ĭar coolant, also known as antifreeze coolant, protects engines from overheating. As the source of power for cars, engines get extremely hot.