In the olden days, coolant colors indicate the type of additives that the coolant uses. Does that mean the color doesn’t mean anything then? Well, this is where it gets a little complicated. ![]() Some coolant manufacturers now even make universal coolants that can mix with any coolant colors safely. ![]() So, now to answer your main question, can you mix coolant colors? The short answer is yes, as long as it’s the same type of coolant, you can safely mix the coolant in your car. The best case scenario is that it will take an eternity to warm up, but in the worst case scenario, it may seize the engine and you’ll need an expensive engine rebuild. Needless to say, your car won’t work properly if it freezes. Note that some coolant comes premixed with antifreeze, and when your mechanic says antifreeze, it’s likely they’re referring to this type of coolant.Īs you can guess, the purpose is to prevent the coolant from freezing for car owners in freezing regions. However, if you use a 70/30 mix of coolant and antifreeze, this will drop the freezing point to a very chilly -84☏. So, the antifreeze will actually freeze before the coolant does. However, the name is a little misleading, as antifreeze actually freezes at around -5☏, whereas a 50/50 coolant and water mixture will freeze at -35☏. As some of your friends or mechanic may refer to it as antifreeze rather than coolant.Īntifreeze is technically a glycol-based fluid that, as the name suggests, prevents freezing. One thing you might be curious about is the difference between antifreeze and coolant. Antifreeze VS Coolantįairly simple, no? It’s one of the few components in your car where the inner workings are fairly easy to grasp. After the engine cools down, the coolant will travel back into the main system from the tank. Additionally, there’s a reservoir or an overflow tank that stores excess coolant. This is why it’s necessary to have a pressure cap to prevent it from bursting. This is a high-pressure system, where pressure increases along with the temperature, and the coolant essentially increases in volume. The now-cooled coolant then can carry heat away from the engine, and back into the radiator via a set of hoses where it can cool down again. This allows the coolant to circulate into the radiator, where the radiator fins and fan will disperse heat from the coolant.Īfterward, the coolant exits the radiator and is pumped by the water pump back into the engine. Once the coolant and engine reach a certain temperature-usually about 180☏- the thermostat will open its main valve. ![]() This forces the coolant to flow back to the engine, and this helps the engine get to operating temperature quickly. Here’s how the system works: when you turn on the engine, the thermostat will open a bypass valve and close its main valve. Here are all the major components of your car’s cooling system: Of course, the system doesn’t just spray water onto the engine, it’s a little more complicated than that. Modern cars use liquid cooling, a cooling system that relies on liquids to disperse heat from the engine. Of course, if you already know how it works, then feel free to skip this section. Conclusion How The Cooling System Worksįor you curious cats out there, we’ll discuss how your car’s cooling system works and what role the coolant plays.Use this table of contents to find the information you need: This article will answer your question about mixing coolant colors, and everything you need to know about it. I was once as confused as you are, but I intend to help in this post.
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