Our cars have to operate in a wide range of outside temperatures and our engine coolant must be able to perform no matter what.  Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant works.  Very hot, high pressure, corrosive . . .

And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion.  These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber.  The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials.  That’s why different manufacturers recommend different types of anti-freeze for their vehicles.

There are several different “families” of anti-freeze.  Your owners’ manual will tell you what kind you should use.  Of course, your service center will know what to put in your car.

It’s important to stay on top of this because coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have.  Regular service needs to be done to avoid failures and also to keep your warranty in place.

While the specifics of the service required may vary from vehicle to vehicle, your service consultant will know what to do.  You’ll be advised to replace the coolant at specified intervals.

Some manufacturers may recommend periodic coolant system flushes.  A flush adds a cleaning step to the fluid replacement process. Again, check to see what your service consultant recommends.

Someday, you may have to deal with an overheating problem, so you need to know what to do if your coolant temperature warning light comes on or your temperature gauge is in the hot zone.

Now, overheating can be very expensive.  You can literally melt down your engine and have to replace the whole thing.  So take the warning signs seriously and take immediate steps.

First turn off the air conditioner.  This will lower engine temperature right away. Next turn your heater to maximum heat and run the fan at high speed.  You might need to roll down the windows, but this will take a lot of heat off the engine. Pull over as soon as you can safely do so, especially if you are stuck in slow-moving traffic, and shut the car off.  It may take as much as 45 minutes for the engine to cool to the point that it’s safe to operate the car again.

If you need to add water or antifreeze, be sure to wait until the car cools down.  Opening the radiator cap or even the overflow bottle when the coolant is hot and under pressure may result in serious burns.

So after the engine has cooled for 45 minutes or so, look to see if the coolant is low in the overflow tank.  If so, you can cover the overflow tank cap with a large cloth and open the lid.  Then start the engine and pour in some water or antifreeze. Pouring it in when the car is running will circulate the new, cool fluid with the warmer fluid in the engine and avoid engine damage.

Of course, overheating is a serious problem and you need to get it fixed right away.  Your service center will make sure the coolant is right before you drive home.

Those spring and winter inspections really come in handy when they head off a cooling system problem.  And don’t forget that severe service driving conditions, like towing or hot, dusty driving, mean that you’ll need to service your coolant more frequently.

At AutoNetTV, we suggest that you have your service center inspect your coolant system to find small problems before they become big, and to change belts and hoses before they fail. After all, we don’t want you to lose your cool out there.

The coolant system is a vital part of your vehicle. It is also the second most common cause for vehicle failures. Even though coolant system failure is fairly common, it is easy to prevent.

The most recognizable part of the coolant system is the radiator.  It is connected to the engine with hoses and is filled with coolant.  The coolant draws heat off the engine and then goes into the radiator.  Air passes through cooling fins to reduce the temperature of the coolant and then it’s back to the engine again.

There are several ways for the cooling system to fail.  Most common is with the coolant itself.  Coolant is a mixture of water and antifreeze.  The proper mixture keeps the coolant from either boiling away or freezing. Both of which can result in massive engine damage.

Another very important coolant issue that is often overlooked is the age of the coolant itself.  Antifreeze has additives that protect the coolant system from corrosion.  As these additives are depleted over time, they can’t protect the radiator and other parts from rust, scaling and corrosion.  Old coolant may still keep your engine cool, but it won’t protect it from corrosion.

If you see a warning message to check the coolant or if the temperature gauge is in the hot zone your cooling system needs to be checked.  It’s OK to add water or antifreeze yourself. But you need to be cautious. Remember four things.

• First, you never want to open the radiator pressure cap. You could be severely burned.
• Second, try to get to your service center immediately if your coolant is low. If that is not possible, follow the directions in your owners manual – it will direct you to only make additions to the coolant overflow bottle.
• Third, remember that you need a proper mixture of water and antifreeze. If you make an emergency addition to your cooling system, follow-up with your service center where they can make necessary corrections.
• Fourth, not all cars use the same type of antifreeze. You need to check your owners manual to make sure you use the right kind. Mixing antifreeze types or using the wrong kind of antifreeze may void the manufacturers warranty on your cooling system. Again, another reason to rely on your service center to do things right.

Remember, your local service center has the equipment to change your coolant quickly and inexpensively.

You may know that most automotive failures are tire related, but do you know the second most common cause for vehicle failure? Nope, it’s not teenagers. It is the coolant system.  But, if you take good care of your coolant system, it will take good care of you.

A car’s engine creates a lot of heat – so much heat, that if it is not properly cooled, the engine can lock up, resulting in massive damage and repair bills. But when everything is working right, your engine operates at the proper temperature and all is well. Without antifreeze in your cooling system, the water could freeze and cause engine damage.  This could be very expensive, not to mention inconvenient.

The right mix of water and antifreeze protects the engine against damage from freezing and overheating.  Antifreeze also protects the coolant system against corrosion that could cause the system to fail. The thing to remember is this: coolant system failure is very common, but it is also very easy to prevent.  Your service center knows the manufacturers’ recommendations, and can tell you when the coolant needs to be changed.  They can also perform a coolant system service.

Even the best antifreeze cannot completely protect the coolant system from harmful deposits forever.  The anti-corrosion additives are used up over time, so the coolant must be replaced.  A coolant service cleans out the system and replaces the old fluid with fresh coolant. A coolant system service is a low-cost way to protect against major engine repairs down the road. Prevention is the key.  Be sure to watch out for the two main warning signs: if your temperature gauge is in the “hot” zone or if you get a message warning you to check your coolant.  If you take a look under the hood, you will see the coolant overflow bottle.  You can see there are lines that indicate the proper level of coolant … if your engine is cold – or if it is hot.

You can add water or antifreeze to that bottle yourself, but be careful.  First, you never want to open the radiator pressure cap.  The steam could severely burn you.  Second, try to get to your service center immediately if your coolant is low.  If that is not possible, follow the directions in your owner’s manual.  Third, remember that you need a proper mixture of water and antifreeze, or you will damage your engine.  If you make an emergency addition to your cooling system, follow-up with your service center where they can make necessary corrections.  Fourth, not all cars use the same type of antifreeze.  You will need to check your owner’s manual to make sure you use the right kind. Mixing antifreeze types or using the wrong kind of antifreeze may void the manufacturers warranty on your cooling system.  If you’re not sure, ask your service technician for guidance.

When winter approaches, we break out the sweaters, coats, boots and mittens.  We want to be ready for winter conditions.  Your vehicle needs to be ready for winter as well.  The last thing you want is to get stranded out in the cold.  You need your vehicle to be safe and reliable.  It’s a good idea to get caught up on any neglected maintenance items anytime – but the stakes are higher in the winter.

There are some specific things that we need to do to have our vehicle ready for winter. The most obvious is having the antifreeze checked.  If the antifreeze level is too low, it can’t properly protect your engine, radiator and hoses from freezing.  If your car does not seem to be making enough heat to keep you warm, your antifreeze level may be low or you could have a thermostat problem.  Get it checked out.  If you are due for a cooling system service, now is a perfect time to have it done.

In the cold months we always worry about being able to stop in time when it’s slick out.  The first thing to remember is to slow down and allow yourself plenty of room to stop.  Of course, you want your brakes to be working properly.  A thorough brake inspection will reveal if the pads or any other parts need replacing.  Check with your service consultant to see if it is time to replace your brake fluid.  It accumulates water over time which really messes with your stopping power.

It is a really good idea to have your battery tested.  A battery’s cranking power really drops with the temperature.  If your battery is weak in the fall, it may not be up to winter.  There is nothing like a dead battery in a snow storm.

Which leads us to an emergency kit.  You should always have a blanket or something to keep you and your passengers warm if you get stranded.  If you will be venturing away from civilization, pack more items such as food and water to help you survive.  Keeping at least half a tank of gas is a good precaution if you get stuck and need to run the car to keep warm and it will help keep your gas lines from freezing up.

Winter always makes us think of our windshield wiper blades – usually during that first storm when they aren’t working right. That’s why it’s a really good idea to replace your blades in the fall before the winter storms.  If you live where there’s a lot of snow and ice, you might want a special winter blade that resists freezing up.  And be sure to have enough windshield washer fluid.

The final thing to consider is your tires.  Any tire can lose pressure over time – up to one pound every six or eight weeks.  For every 10 degrees the temperature drops you lose another pound of pressure.  So if it was 80 degrees outside when you checked your tire pressure two months ago and now it’s 40 degrees out, you could be down 5 pounds of pressure. That’s enough to be a real safety issue and it wastes gas too.  You may need special winter tires as well.  Your tire professional can help you find the right tire design for your expected road conditions.

If you’re getting winter tires, it is always best to put them on all four wheels.  If you are only getting two, have them put on the rear – even if you have a front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicle.
This is a very important safety measure recommended by tire manufacturers.  Sliding or fish-tailing on ice and snow is a matter of not having enough traction at the rear end.  That is why your newest tires should always be on the rear.

We would like to give you an update on some of the things happening in automotive fluids.  You know, cars are becoming more sophisticated everyday – and fluids such as, oil, coolant and transmission fluid are becoming more specialized at about the same pace.

The do-it-yourselfer has to be pretty careful so that they do not actually harm their vehicle with the wrong type of fluid.   That is why so many rely on the advice of their service consultant to not only get the correct family of fluids, but to suggest the formulation that is best for their car and the way they drive.

Let’s start with engine oil.  If you have been paying attention, you will have noticed a number of new oil weights on the scene in the last several years.  Modern engines are built to much tighter tolerances and have very complicated valve trains.  The oil must be thin enough to lubricate complicated parts when the engine is cold. The weight of an oil is expressed in terms like 20-W-50 or 5-W-30.  Manufacturers recommend the weight of oil for each vehicle they make.  The recommendation is based on engine design. Your service center will know what weight your manufacturer recommends – and it’s important to follow those recommendations.  Your service adviser can also offer suggestions for special formulations and can explain conventional and synthetic oils.

Antifreeze, or engine coolant, is another area that has become more complicated.  For a long time, manufacturers only called for a couple of different types of coolant.  Now there are several different formulations that are needed because of the different materials that manufacturers are using to build the cooling system.  Using the wrong type of coolant can actually void your warranty, so you want to get that right.

Transmission fluid is beginning to be specialized as well.  New transmission designs have particular requirements that mandate the use of specific formulations. Recently, new, somewhat confusing, standards for brake fluid have also been released.

Not too long ago, there was a good chance that all of the vehicles at your house would use many of the same fluids.  However, as automotive technology advances, the array of basic automotive fluids you need will grow.  And, some of the formulations will cost a little more. Fortunately, your service center will continue to update their training to keep pace with technology so that you’ll get the right fluids your car needs.  It’s all part of the commitment your service center makes to your driving peace of mind.