We all know that engine coolant is important. But what does coolant do? This blog post will take a closer look at engine coolant and how it benefits your vehicle.

What is Coolant?

Coolant is a fluid that helps regulate the temperature of your engine. It absorbs heat from the engine and transfers it to the air. Coolant also prevents your engine from freezing in cold weather.

Types of Coolant

There are two types of coolant: organic acid technology (OAT) and conventional. OAT coolant is designed for long-term use and can last up to five years or 150,000 miles. Conventional coolant needs to be replaced every two years or 30,000 miles.

How Does Coolant Work?

Coolant flows through your engine constantly, absorbing heat from the engine block and cylinder heads. It then flows through the radiator, transferring the heat to the air. As the coolant circulates, it picks up more heat from the engine and transfers it to the air until the engine reaches its ideal operating temperature.

Benefits of Coolant

Coolant provides several benefits to your vehicle, including:

1. Improved Engine Performance

When your engine operates at its ideal temperature, it runs more efficiently and produces fewer emissions.

2. Protection from Overheating

Coolant prevents your engine from overheating by absorbing and transferring heat away from the engine.

3. Protection from Freezing

In cold weather, coolant prevents your engine from freezing by lowering the freezing point of the water in the coolant. This keeps the engine coolant from becoming solid, damaging your engine.

4. Corrosion Inhibition

Coolant also contains additives that inhibit corrosion in the engine cooling system. These additives form a protective layer on metal surfaces, preventing rust and corrosion.

5. Longer engine life

Coolant helps extend the life of your engine by preventing overheating and corrosion.

6. Better fuel economy

Because coolant helps your engine run more efficiently, it can also improve your fuel economy.

7. Reduced emissions

Coolant helps your engine run at its ideal temperature, which reduces emissions.

We invite you to bring your vehicle to J&S Automotive today if you need a cooling system repair.