Your car needs to be cooled to the correct temperature 365 days per year. To do that, your car has a cooling system, which includes the water pump, radiator, the thermostat, and coolant, which is a mixture of antifreeze and water.
Antifreeze and coolant sound like they would do opposite things, but actually they work together. The antifreeze keeps the coolant from freezing during the cold weather when your car is turned off. The coolant keeps your engine cool while it is running – all year long.
You know that when your engine runs, the combustion and moving parts create heat. Coolant circulates through the engine and absorbs the heat, then goes back to the radiator. The liquid flows through the radiator, which cools it, and then sends it back into the engine.
As we mentioned, the coolant is a mixture of antifreeze and water. It’s mixed at a specific ratio, depending on the brand and type of antifreeze. When the ratio is not correct, the viscosity of your coolant won’t be correct, meaning that you’re putting your vehicle at risk of freezing when the temperatures drop.
Making sure your antifreeze viscosity is correct is one of the things you need to do to get your car or truck ready for colder weather. It’s one of the things we check during a tune up, too.
Give us a call today and schedule your car’s tune up. We’ll make sure your car is ready for anything the road – or the weather – sends your way.