How Regularly Should You Replace Your Engine Coolant?

One of the most common questions about vehicle maintenance is how regularly should engine coolant be replaced. For some cars, manufacturers recommend changing the coolant every 30,000 miles. However, other car manufacturers don’t even include this information on the vehicle maintenance list.

According to Hyundai, the coolant, also popularly known as antifreeze, should be changed after hitting the first 60,000 miles, then after every 30,000 thereafter. On some Mercedes-Benz models, the timeline is 30,000 miles whereas on others it’s 120,000 miles or simply twelve years. On other models of Mercedes, it’s fifteen years or 150, 000 miles.

If your vehicle is usually subjected to extreme service such as regular towing, some car producers suggest draining and flushing your engine’s cooling unit and replacing the coolant more regularly. The timeline for most Chevrolets, however, is a change after every 15 years or 150,000 miles regardless of you maintain or drive the car.

Most car maintenance shops, such as those at dealerships that sell cars with lifetime coolant, recommend that you replace the coolant more regularly than the service schedule actually suggests, such as 50,000 miles.

The reason behind this is that a number of cars use long-life coolant, usually a fifty/fifty mixture of water and antifreeze in the radiator because it will offer protection against boiling in soaring weather and freezing in cold temperatures for many years with very little to no maintenance.

Latest cars have fairly long intervals between fluid replacements of all types partly because environmentalists have somehow compelled car manufacturers to minimize the amount of old coolant and other types of waste fluids, that must be either recycled or disposed of.

It is imperative to note that coolant can degrade with time and should be examined to determine whether it’s still in optimal condition because it can be quite tough to tell just by looking at it. And even if the coolant reservoir confirms enough coolant level and examination shows the antifreeze and cooling protection are sufficient, you may still need to conduct a coolant drain as well as antifreeze flush.

With time, the coolant may become fairly more acidic, losing its rust-repelling characteristics, resulting in erosion. Corrosion, in turn, could potentially result in damage to the radiator, radiator cap, thermostat, water pump, hoses as well as other vital components within the cooling system and the car heating unit. And when this occurs, your car’s engine could easily overheat.

Simply put, the coolant in any type of vehicle with at least 50,000 miles should be periodically examined. This test should check for signs of leaks, rust. What’s more, the test should guarantee that the car has enough overheating as well as cooling protection regardless of whether the cooling unit is in great shape and the reservoir is full. Usually, the cooling system is examined through tests strips that assess acidity, and a hydrometer that evaluates both freezing and boiling protection.

On the other hand, if there is significant deterioration among the corrosion inhibitors, the antifreeze coolant may have to be replaced. Depending on the extent of the deterioration, you may also have to flush the cooling unit to eliminate any contaminants regardless of the maintenance schedule requirements or the mileage readings on the odometer.

Consequently, if the testing reveals that the coolant is still in tip-top condition and does a great job curbing corrosion and protecting the engine from overheating, you don’t have to replace it more regularly than what your manual suggests! You don’t want to waste your hard-earned cash on something that is in good working condition.  Contact Car Guys Auto Center for auto maintenance needs, including, maintaining your engine coolant.

Time to Visit Your Fraser, MI Auto Repair Shop?

Feel free to stop in and visit Car Guys Auto Center today or give us a call at (586) 285-4444!  We would be happy to answer any auto-related questions you may have.  We are located at :

Car Guys Auto Center
32639 Groesbeck Hwy
Fraser, MI 48026