Winter season is the most dangerous season for the car’s radiator due to the freezing temperatures. The drop in temperatures can seize the car’s engine, affecting its performance and leading to expensive repairs. The engine may even seize to such a level that it may even result in the scrapping of the car entirely. Another question which comes up frequently is – Does Coolant and Antifreeze Go in the Same Place? which we will discuss too.
To get rid of this and keep the engine performance smooth even in freezing temperatures, car owners employ antifreeze, which is often confused with coolant. Many think that coolant and antifreeze are the same, and to all those who think this way – you are both right and wrong. Let’s discuss a few things to help you with your question.
What is Antifreeze?
Antifreeze is an Ethylene glycol-based liquid that is used to lower the freezing point of the fluid that circulates around the engine of the vehicle. Ethylene Glycol has a property that makes it difficult to boil or freeze. So, apart from lowering the freezing point of the liquid, it also halts the rising of the fluid’s boiling point so that it does not evaporate.
What is Coolant?
Engine coolant or Radiator coolant is formed when an antifreeze is with distilled water. In simple terms, coolant is a diluted version of an Antifreeze. The ratio of antifreeze and distilled water is 50:50, but sometimes, this ratio is changed to 70:30 to help with the corrosion effect. The 70:30 ratio coolant is more expensive than that of the 50:50. Most of the engines in the USA use 70:30 ratio coolant, which keeps the internal parts of the engine lubricated so that they work smoothly.
Colors of Antifreeze
Two of the most common colors of antifreeze are Green and Orange. The main difference between Green and Orange antifreeze is that the Orange antifreeze represents the ‘Extended Life’ as it lasts longer than green antifreeze because of its corrosion obstruction.
Colors of Coolant
The colors of the coolant vary from Green to Blue to Pink. Sometimes, the Green color can cause confusion between antifreeze and coolant.
Is Antifreeze the same as that of Coolant?
Neither of the two colors of antifreeze is the same as that of coolant. Antifreeze should be mixed with distilled water to produce the coolant. Distilled water is the main ingredient that changes the antifreeze into a coolant. Hope that answers your question about whether antifreeze and coolant are the same.
Does coolant and antifreeze go in the same place?
Once mixed with distilled water, you simply pour the antifreeze in the same place as the engine coolant. It will then filter around the engine and mix with the coolant to make sure that the coolant does not freeze.
What are the most common mistakes?
Adding more coolant does not help every time. Coolants must be regularly flushed out and refilled to prevent deposits from building up and avoiding corrosion.
Another common mistake people make is mixing the two different types of antifreeze instead of mixing them with water separately. Always mix green separately with distilled water and orange separately with distilled water.
Conclusion
Understanding the main differences and use of antifreeze and coolant is very important for engine performance. Even though antifreeze and coolant go in the same place, many times, people mix two antifreeze together, resulting in the engine not performing as expected. Hope that the above guide on coolant and antifreeze helps you understand their importance and use to help your engine run smoothly.