Checking your vehicle's Coolant and Washer Fluid

Once upon a time, cars came with radiators that would spew coolant all over the road whenever the engine got hot, and system pressure got high. This created two problems. First, it turned our nation’s highways and byways into every overheating jalopy's ethylene glycol dumping ground. Second, it forced drivers to monitor and top off the cooling system continually.

Monitoring and maintenance is a task that generally makes us lazy. But it would be best if you always kept in mind that car maintenance is essential to avoid accidents. A car accident can taint your driving record, and it will negatively affect the cost of your auto insurance rate. It will be very beneficial to maintain a clean driving record to get affordable insurance plans like very cheap car insurance with no deposit to reduce coverage costs.

The Coolant Overflow Tank

The coolant overflow tank was a brilliant invention that captured overflow from the radiator's vent port to keep it from spilling onto the road. Manufacturers mounted the overflow tank so that its top was about level with the cap on the radiator, and the overflow hose fed in through the bottom. So, as the system pressure dropped and returned to normal, a vacuum created inside the radiator would suck the coolant back into the cooling system. 

Later, manufacturers moved the tank upward and got rid of the radiator cap altogether. That's how we wound up with cars with no radiator cap, and a coolant reservoir mounted nowhere near the radiator, creating potentially disastrous confusion. 

Taking the Jeep Liberty tanks as an example 

In Jeep Libertys, one tank is on the firewall – about three inches from the windshield – and another t is just behind the headlight, next to the radiator.

Suppose you don’t know what that graphic on the washer cap meant; then you'd have every reason to assume that the filler port next to the radiator fed into the radiator overflow tank. The same goes for the coolant overflow tank and the windshield. In this case, it would be very easy to wind up cleaning your windshield with antifreeze and cooling your engine with glass cleaner. So, if you're not familiar with the car or engine and need to top off the coolant or windshield washer tank, double-check everything and don't assume anything.

How to distinguish a wash tank from a coolant tank?

Checking the coolant is easy if you've got a modern car since you'll almost always check and fill it through the overflow tank. In most cases, checking coolant level is as simple as popping the hood and glancing at the overflow tank. That's another way to tell the difference between a washer tank and a coolant tank; the coolant tank is usually designed for high visibility to enable quick visual checks and will usually have “Hot” and “Cold’ full lines. Washer tanks often hide further down in the chassis, so odds are best that the first plastic tank you see upon opening the hood will be the coolant overflow tank.

Checking the Coolant Fluid

If you're checking the coolant with the engine cold, it should reach the “cold” line on the tank. The nice thing about overflow tanks, though, is that because they're vented to the atmosphere, you can add coolant with the engine running and up to temperature. Try that with an old-school radiator cap, and you could wind up with a volcano of toxic, 250-degree water going off between your fingers. And if you've got the kind of luck that a specific alliteratively named writer does, the cap will blow off and hit you in the face right before the coolant does. If you have to remove the radiator cap to check the coolant level in an older car, do it with the engine cold.

What type of coolant should I use?

There's no hard and fast rule about what type of coolant to use because there are several different kinds designed for aluminum and iron engine components, copper and aluminum radiators, or any number of other factors. The safest route is to check your owner’s manual or contact your local auto parts retailer and ask them to look up your vehicle's coolant compatibility table. If you find yourself in need of coolant and absolutely cannot get the right antifreeze – you do have a gallon of 50/50 pre-mix in your trunk, right? – you can get by temporarily with a few gallons of purified water. Don't use untreated hose water unless you're planning to flush the system because mineral impurities and pH imbalances in the water are harmful to your cooling system, heater core, and possibly, the engine block.

Tech Stuff

Most experienced long-haul truckers have heard that old bit about using antifreeze in the washer tanks to ward off ice buildup in winter months – not the most socially conscious thing to do when you're talking about ethylene glycol antifreeze. But if you're in bone-chilling need and can't get a proper de-icing washer fluid, you can supercharge your sprayer by adding a couple of ounces of alcohol and a few drops of dish detergent to the washer reservoir. This mix will do the job as well or better than antifreeze without poisoning your grandchildren. As much!

Get on your way to affordable coverage plans just by driving safely and having your car checked properly. We have listed just one of the vehicle's elements that you need to check monthly to keep it working rightly and avoid crashes: coolant and washer fluid.  It depends on you.