Antifreeze: Does Your Car Really Need It?

We’ve all seen a car overheating by the side of the road Usually, the first thing a passerby says is, "Looks like he ran out of water."But here’s the reality: Water could actually be the enemy in a modern engine. While water is excellent at transferring heat, it is also a master of destruction. If you ran pure water in your cooling system, your water pump would lose its lubrication, your aluminum cylinder heads would begin to corrode, and most importantly it would boil off far too early. For this reason, coolant in needed to mex with the water. A Coolant.( Ethylene Glycol) mix does three critical jobs that water can't do alone: Boiling Point Elevation: It raises the boiling point of your system to over 123°C(225°F), keeping the liquid from turning into steam under pressure. Chemical Stability: It contains "inhibitors" that coat the inside of your engine, preventing rust and scale buildup. Water Pump Health: It acts as a lubricant for the mechanical seals in your water pump. Yes, your car needs it 365 days a year. But how much is too much? How much coolant or antifreeze your car needs is another mystery .If you ask a most people , they’ll say "just do 50/50." While that is a safe "Goldilocks" zone for most of the world, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule. The ideal ratio depends entirely on where you live and how you drive. 1. The 50/50 Standard (The All-Rounder) -This provides protection down to 1°C (34°F)For most drivers in North America and Europe, this is the perfect balance of freeze protection and cooling efficiency. 2. The 40/60 Summer Mix (The Heat Dissipator) - If you live in hotter parts of the world Arizona, Nigeria, India etc. you might want more water (60% water / 40% antifreeze). Because water transfers heat better than glycol, this mix helps the radiator shed heat faster in 38°C(100°F) weather.

3. The 70/30 Arctic Mix (The Maximum Guard) - In places like Alaska or Central Canada, a 70% antifreeze concentration is common. This is the "hard limit" if you go above 70%, the freezing point actually starts to rise again, and the thick fluid can't flow through the engine properly.

The "Topping Off" Trap: Why Your Ratio is Probably Wrong Here is where most DIYers get into trouble. Your coolant level looks low, so you add a splash of water. A month later, you add a splash of "pre-mix." Over a year, your precise 50/50 ratio has drifted to a mystery 38/62 mix. To fix this without a full system flush, Mechanics use a tool called a Refractometer. You place one drop of coolant on the glass, look through the eyepiece, and it tells you exactly what your current percentage is based on how light bends through the liquid. Once you have your refractometer reading, you don't need to drain your entire radiator to get back to your target ratio. We developed the Coolant Ratio Calculator to take the math off your plate. By entering your system's total capacity and your current reading, our tool tells you exactly how much fluid to "siphon out" and replace with either pure antifreeze or distilled water to hit your target.