My daughter told me yesterday that her car had been overheating for a few days and for a few weeks her car-heater hadn’t been working. I knew right away that it needed coolant. We had taken one of our cars in because the heater hasn’t been working for over a year. We found out that it too needed more coolant. My husband asked why it wasn’t overheating, they told him that there was enough coolant to stop it from overheating, but not enough to allow the heater to work.
It took me a bit to find the coolant in the basement, but once I did I took it to her car and poured it in. I forgot to watch for the line and it came up to the brim, but we took care of it. Then when my husband returned from work I told him about her car and that I took care of it. He then reminded me that it’s important to dilute the coolant first, with water. He thought the mechanics would need to remove what I had put in, dilute it and fill it again.
I found out today after calling the mechanic that it was okay to keep it in the car without diluting it, but that the car should be checked to find out where it might be leaking. It isn’t leaking in our driveway, but they said there must be a leak somewhere, and it’s better to check it out than leave it for the kids to remember to check it from time to time.
One thing he did tell me that my husband didn’t know and maybe some that read this blog have never heard either is that tap water shouldn’t be used to dilute the coolant especially the tap water in my city that contains chlorine. The reason for this is that chlorine can cause the engine to erode over time, not something anyone would want with any vehicle.
Related articles
- Reduce your bills by adopting car maintenance tips (castlecover.co.uk)
- Checking If Your Engine Coolant is Still Good (athingforcars.com)
- Why is it important to use Antifreeze in your Car Cooling System (flashcustoms.wordpress.com)
Much Ado About Many Things 