Ignoring the condition of oil in your car’s engine bay is never a good idea, even more so when it’s coolant. Coolant plays a big role in how your car is running, as with the other oil in your car.

Understanding what coolant does for your engine’s life both in the short and long run is a good starting point. Coolant is a liquid mixture of water and antifreeze located in your vehicle’s radiator. It prevents your engine from overheating in hot weather and freezing in extreme cold weather, conditions where things can go very wrong for an engine. 

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Coolant Maintenance

The effects of poor coolant maintenance can be catastrophic and, even worse, possibly irreversible. The coolant is expected to naturally degrade over time due to possible severe driving conditions, this may introduce unnecessary moisture into your car’s cooling system. Moisture makes your cooling system work much harder than normal, especially when that turns to vapor and unnecessarily heats up the metal components in your engine.

How Often To Change Coolant

If we base the answer to what car manufacturers are saying, the range is too wide because of product claims. It goes from 60,000 miles up to 150,000 miles. However, it doesn’t hurt to inspect the cooling system for signs of corrosion every 50,000 miles.

That may happen even if your vehicle’s coolant is still functional. There are test strips available that can check whether the cooling system’s fluid starts to get acidic. Additionally, a hydrometer is also helpful since it can measure the system’s boiling and freezing point.

If you notice rust in the cooling system, you should change the coolant. Your vehicle must undergo radiator flush to eliminate impurities.

Consumer Responsibility

Consumers should pay attention to instruction manuals for engine coolants they choose. Every type of coolant has specific instructions and even a slight deviation in following the instructions can make the coolant not function as expected.

Dealing with engine coolant maintenance and doing it properly is a combination of being diligent, following your car’s manufacturer instructions to the letter, and clearly understanding what it is the coolant is doing to your engine to make it function properly.