Coolant is one of the most important fluids for your vehicle. The fluid is responsible for preventing overheating and freezing that could damage your engine. Here are some other things that you should know about coolant.

Checking and Changing Should Be Done Regularly

Just like with your oil, you'll want to check your coolant to ensure that it's at a high enough level to do its job sufficiently. Auto repair specialists who check coolant look for the fluid's strength and PH level. For most vehicles, the coolant should be changed after every 50,000 km (or 30,000 miles) of driving, but the specific recommendation may vary depending on the make, model and year of your vehicle.

Coolant Can Leak

Coolant is one of the fluids that can leak from your vehicle because of mechanical problems or too much coolant in your system, so it's important to check for any leaks. The fluid can be green, blue, red or pink in colour when it leaks, and the fluid can leak underneath or inside your vehicle.

Major Engine Damage Could Occur Without the Right Freezing Level

When the weather gets especially cold, your coolant could damage your engine if you have a fluid that doesn't have the right freezing level. If your coolant freezes, it may end up cracking or damaging your engine block in other ways, which will likely result in costly repairs or an engine replacement.

Coolant Protects Other Parts

In addition to your engine, coolant is responsible for keeping other parts of your vehicle safe from damage. Coolant can keep your vehicle's cooling circuit from rusting or corroding. Some nonmetallic parts that are made of rubber and plastic can also be protected with coolant.

The Wrong Type of Coolant Can Cause Damage

Not all coolants are the same, and you'll want to make sure that you're using a type that's right for your vehicle. The corrosive and other damaging effects that the wrong coolant could have on your vehicle may not become apparent until a year or more after they start to occur, and you'll likely have to pay for costly repair services by the time you notice the damage.

Giving your vehicle the right type and amount of coolant can help you keep driving longer. If you need help with installing coolant or want professionals to do the work for you, Kelowna Transmission and Auto Repair can handle the job.