Driving on a hot sunny day
can cause your engine to overheat, and when you pop the hood you can almost
cook barbecue on that sizzling hot radiator. Worse thing that could happen is
that, you can still experience overheating in normal temperature conditions if
you have very low water and coolant levels. Here are some information that can
help you get the right coolant for your ride. engine cooling system specialist NJ
The Anti-Freeze
There are three basic types
of engine coolants in today’s market, and each type is especially to provide
slightly better benefits in particular areas. Basically, a vehicle can run on
any type of engine coolant, but there are important things that should be
considered before purchasing one for your car. Some of these factors include;
the type of additives that help preserve the metal in your engine and prevent
corrosion, and of course, how often you feel comfortable flushing them out from
your engine. engine cooling system specialist NJ
- IAT
- Inorganic Acid Technology Coolants are dyed in bright green and contains
phosphate and silicate corrosion inhibitors, which helps protect the car’s
engine and radiator. It is recommended that this coolant is flushed out of
the car’s system every 30,000 miles or roughly every 2 years. Commonly
used in 1920s to late 1990s, this coolant is the only one that can be used
on vintage cars and also vehicles that have copper and brass components in
the radiator.
- OAT
- Stands for Organic Acid Technology. OAT anti-freeze contains ingredients
such as 2-EHA, sebacate and other various organic acids. Dyed in dark
green (although some brands may vary in color), this coolant doesn’t have
phosphate and silicate protection. However, it can last much longer than
IAT. Some manufacturers however, include special additives to prevent
corrosion and rust. This coolant should be flushed out every 150,000 miles
or every 5 years.
- HOAT
- Available in different colors (orange and yellow), HOAT or Hybrid Organic
Acid Technology is quite a unique coolant. It contains some silicates to
help prevent corrosion, along with some additives. This antifreeze use
organic acids but not 2-EHA and usually include silicates to provide
protection for aluminum surfaces. HOAT anti-freezes are used by many
European car manufacturers. Like OAT, this should be flushed out of a car
every 150,000 miles.
- American
vehicles (Ford) have traditionally been designed to use antifreeze with
silicates and phosphates as corrosion inhibitors. European vehicles (BMW)
have traditionally used antifreeze that does not use phosphates. Japanese
(Toyota, Nissan) vehicles have traditionally used antifreeze that does not
use silicates.
Color matching is not enough to determine if a
coolant is compatible with your car since some coolants can be dyed differently
by a particular manufacturer. It is best to remember the attributes of a
particular coolant is and cross match it with the attributes of your vehicle.
It is imperative that you do not mix OAT based formulas with IAT formulas. The
result is typically turning your coolant into sludge due to a chemical
reaction.
Keep in mind that only one type of coolant can
be used for a specific type of car build. Most car manufacturers already have
the type of coolant to be used specified in the user manual, you just have to
read it and remember.
