Why is antifreeze added to the radiator of a car

Use our simple stockist search facility and you can get back on the road fast. Learn More. Have any of these symptoms?

K-Seal could save you thousands on a workshop repair. Search for a stockist today! What is the Difference Between Coolant and Antifreeze?

What is antifreeze? Antifreeze put into a car radiator. Never add only water to your coolant system except in an emergency. The reason for this is because most modern engines have cylinder heads comprised of aluminum. These aluminum cylinder heads require the anticorrosive properties found in your antifreeze. Use Caution! If you own an older vehicle, your car may not have a coolant reservoir, so in order to check your coolant levels you will have to open the cap on the radiator itself.

If you find that you need to add more liquid, wait until the engine has cooled down. This prevents the possibility of being burned or cracking your engine block. Anti-freeze and coolant are very similar and do the same job but have different concentrations. Anti-freeze is concentrated and needs to be diluted with water before use.

Engine coolant is ready mixed and so can be used without the need to dilute. How often should anti-freeze be checked? Sometimes it can be hard to check the coolant in your car because the while the head and neck will be up at the top of the engine bay and easily accessible, the reservoir can sometimes be buried deep down in the engine bay. And that makes it hard to touch and even get a proper sniff of the stuff.

That said, you should at least be able to see whether the coolant level is high or low. Get articles like this and more delivered to you without lifting a finger. First Name:. Email address:. Thanks Richard. Hi, it might be a good idea to investigate wind chill a bit further. No matter how fast you drive the air hitting the radiator, in your example, will still be 0 degrees.

But if the vehicle is moving, then windchill does lower the temp. If there are 2 thermometers outside — one in the wind and one shielded from the wind — they will still read the same temperature.

The same idea applies to moving vehicles. I know that.