Why Antifreeze Is Important in Winter Car Care?

When many car owners think of winter car care, antifreeze is the first thing to come to mind.  Out of all winter car care tips, antifreeze may be the most well known method of keeping cars running in the winter.  So, why is antifreeze important in winter car care?

How Does Antifreeze Work?

Antifreeze is most often a mixture of half glycol and half water. Glycol is what helps the fluid from freezing in harsh winter conditions.  In hot summer months, glycol also helps the car’s antifreeze fluid from reaching the boiling point.  In other words, antifreeze keeps engine temperatures constant under all driving conditions and climate extremes.  So why is antifreeze different than water? Water actually transfers heat more efficiently than antifreeze. Antifreeze, however, includes additional additives that prevent rust and corrosion in the car’s radiator, heater, and engine.

What is the Main Ingredient in Antifreeze?

Historically, the main ingredient in antifreeze has been Ethylene glycol.  The problem with Ethylene glycol is that it is a toxic material.  Ethylene glycol has also become famous because of its sweet smell and taste, which makes it appealing to animals and children.  In part because of the issues associated with Ethylene glycol, antifreeze manufacturers started using Propylene glycol as an alternative in antifreeze formulas.  Propylene glycol produces a similar antifreeze performance as Ethylene glycol does, but it is not as toxic.  Both glycol’s, however, tend to pick up heavy metals during the everyday antifreeze use in cars.  Thus, it is important to dispose of used antifreeze according to State rules. 

Making Sure Car Antifreeze is Ready for Winter

Before winter weather strikes, it is important to check the levels of antifreeze in your car engine.  Checking antifreeze is something that should only have to be done a couple of times a year to make sure there are no leaks in the system.  Antifreeze, however, only needs to be changed every two or three years, according to the antifreeze manufacturers recommendations.   If the antifreeze is consistently low and needing to be refilled, it means that there is a leak in the system.  It is important to have this problem checked or check it yourself.  Low or no antifreeze in the system will cause the vehicle to over heat or it could cause damage to your car.  The antifreeze should also be in good condition.  It should look clear and be pale yellowish-green in color.  Long-life antifreeze should appear pale orange in color.  Still some other kinds of antifreeze are beige in color.   No matter the color, the key is that the antifreeze is not dirty looking and that flecks of rust aren't floating around in it.  After the antifreeze is checked and if it is in bad condition, the system may need to be flushed. Fresh antifreeze in the system helps to ensure that the vehicle engine does not suffer damage.  Proper maintenance of the cars antifreeze can result in extended engine life of the car.