There’s really no better place to start talking about winterizing your car than in terms of antifreeze (we call this coolant in the summer, though it still needs to apply its cooling capacity in the winter as well. You can call it coolant if you’d like. However, in the winter, before it can cool it needs to avoid freezing).
Another term to know about antifreeze is specific gravity. This refers to the temperature at which it will freeze. Your local auto parts store has inexpensive testers to determine the specific gravity of your antifreeze. We use slightly more expensive versions that are somewhat more accurate. However, whether we test it or you do so yourself, you’ll want to know that the fluid in your radiator, hoses and engine block will not form an icy block of its own when the temperature outside dips. The tester also determines the level at which your coolant (same fluid) will boil. The tester will indicate whether your antifreeze is up to par at both ends of the scale.
When adding antifreeze more is not better. By this I mean that you don’t want 100-percent strength antifreeze in your system. The best ratio is 60/40. That’s 60 percent antifreeze to 40 percent water.
Another important thing about your antifreeze is that it needs to stay inside the hoses, radiator and engine block. Antifreeze isn’t as effective on the pavement. Therefore, you’ll want to check to make sure there aren’t any leaks. Look at the condition of the hoses. Maybe they’re not leaking now but, if you can find cracked, dried or soft spots, they may have a leak in development. Soft spots are often visible when the hose has swelled, so to speak. Hoses are generally consistent in diameter. If the hoses look bad now, they’ll only look worse when winter sets in.
The final thing to consider in terms of antifreeze is movement. While we don’t want it to leak, we do want it to move when it’s supposed to. The driving force for the antifreeze is the water pump. In older cars, this is attached to the fan at the front of the engine. Newer cars often have electrical fans and you may need a qualified auto repair technician to locate and check the water pump in your newer auto. If you can find the water pump, checking for side-to-side play in the shaft coming out of the front of the water pump, or looking for signs of leaking grease or antifreeze can indicate wear in the water pump and, possibly, indicate it’s time for a replacement.
Inside the engine is a part called the thermostat. Just like the thermostat in your house, a thermostat in your engine reads the temperature. In your engine, it’s worried about the temperature of your coolant/antifreeze. When the fluid is cold, the thermostat should remain closed so that it heats up in the engine. When the fluid is hot, the thermostat opens so that the fluid runs through the radiator and cools before your engine overheats. A thermostat that is stuck open will never sufficiently heat your engine to operating peak operating temperature. A thermostat that is stuck closed will likely overheat your engine. This is an area where you may also want to call in an expert. However, one way to check is to turn on the heat in your car (the antifreeze/coolant flows through a heater core that provides heat to the interior of your car). If the heat doesn’t blow warm, even hot, you may have a thermostat that is stuck open. If it’s stuck closed, well, you’ve probably overheated already anyhow.
To summarize: your coolant needs to take on the additional role of antifreeze in the winter and a simple tester will let you know if it has what it takes. The fluid needs to stay in the cooling system and needs to move when appropriate. If it meets these requirements, you’ve got these winterizing bases covered.
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