Coolant Talk 

By: Bill Mays   (Edited: 11/7/2008)

 

Coolant Confusion

Coolant in an engine must do three things: carry heat to the radiator, prevent freezing and protect against corrosion. The glycol-based coolants on the market today can handle the first two tasks almost indefinitely, but corrosion protection relies on chemicals in the coolant that are eventually consumed as they do their job. Corrosion protection has always been a chemical balancing act, and with so many different types of coolant to choose from, it’s getting easy to inadvertently tip the balance the wrong way during cooling system service.

While there are some minor variations, three basic types of coolant are available today: Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT), Organic Additive Technology (OAT) and Hybrid Organic Additive Technology (HOAT).To some extent, each will work in any cooling system, but each has been developed to meet car manufacturers’ specific needs for warranty and/or maintenance intervals. Filling a vehicle that was designed for one type of coolant with another type can sometimes cause problems, and you shouldn’t expect the same corrosion protection as the factory fill.

Replacement Needed....

For most of the history of glycol automotive coolant technology, every car manufacturer has recommended replacing the coolant periodically. Again, it’s not because old coolant won’t carry heat or protect against freezing, it’s because the corrosion inhibitors literally wear out. Today’s extended-life coolants work as advertised, but they need two conditions. First, they must be used as instructed and not mixed with a different type of coolant. Second, the system must be maintained properly as noted earlier, using only the same coolant and water to keep the radiator full. Anything else will reduce the amount of time the coolant will protect against corrosion.

After flushing a cooling system, the brand-name coolants will protect against corrosion as advertised as long as you follow the instructions. When adding coolant to top-off a system, it’s best to add the same type of coolant.

Duffy's Repair uses coolant made to your car's specifications when servicing and repairing the cooling system. Come by today to have your cooling system checked by our ASE trained technicians.