Winterize your vehicle 2019 Tip No. 1: Can your car, truck or SUV’s antifreeze remain liquid during the coming McHenry winter season?
Remember that Polar Vortex that crept through the Midwest and McHenry last January? Of course, you’d rather forget that experience, especially with another winter in the offing. Few of us enjoyed the blast of cold that wrapped the region in a deep, bone-chilling freeze particularly since the cold was extremely hard on our cars, trucks and SUVs.
Extreme cold tends to illuminate the weaknesses in our vehicles. More than a few cars, trucks and SUVs were unable to start under the effects of the Polar Vortex. The cold may have exposed a weak battery. But some vehicles suffered worse than others. Some McHenry cars, trucks and SUVs suffered catastrophic problems.
At its worst, the cold can literally break a car, truck or SUV’s engine – crack the iron block that contains all the moving parts involved in the 4-cycle process that generates thrust. It’s actually a fairly simple mathematical equation.
The vehicle requires coolant to keep it from overheating during normal operating temperatures of 195-to-220-degrees Fahrenheit. But the coolant is a liquid and all liquids have a temperature at which they freeze. Water, of course, freezes at 32 degrees (it boils at 212 degrees). The liquid required to cool a hot engine also requires the ability to avoid freezing at temperatures that are likely in McHenry and the Midwest.
The average cold temperatures in the McHenry area during the winter* months (*the winter season beyond winter in the literal sense: November through March) are as follows:
Obviously, the temperatures get much colder than this. However, even the average lows are below the capacity of water to maintain its liquid state. This is where the antifreeze capacity of the coolant is vital.
Most coolant/antifreeze will not freeze until 34-degrees-below zero. That’s a fairly safe bet to withstand the rigors of a Midwest winter. But, as we saw last January, there are days that will challenge even the best antifreeze. Unfortunately, not all cars have ‘the best’ quality antifreeze. It was ‘the best’ at one point when it was new but, overtime, it has lost much of its mojo.
This is why it’s important to have your car, truck or SUV’s antifreeze checked, and changed if necessary, before our next McHenry winter season sets in. It’s a really quick test to determine the quality of the antifreeze and well worth the time spent.
Extreme cold tends to illuminate the weaknesses in our vehicles. More than a few cars, trucks and SUVs were unable to start under the effects of the Polar Vortex. The cold may have exposed a weak battery. But some vehicles suffered worse than others. Some McHenry cars, trucks and SUVs suffered catastrophic problems.
At its worst, the cold can literally break a car, truck or SUV’s engine – crack the iron block that contains all the moving parts involved in the 4-cycle process that generates thrust. It’s actually a fairly simple mathematical equation.
The vehicle requires coolant to keep it from overheating during normal operating temperatures of 195-to-220-degrees Fahrenheit. But the coolant is a liquid and all liquids have a temperature at which they freeze. Water, of course, freezes at 32 degrees (it boils at 212 degrees). The liquid required to cool a hot engine also requires the ability to avoid freezing at temperatures that are likely in McHenry and the Midwest.
Antifreeze needs to flow in the cold of McHenry winter
The average cold temperatures in the McHenry area during the winter* months (*the winter season beyond winter in the literal sense: November through March) are as follows:
- November: 47-30
- December: 34-19
- January: 29-13
- February: 33-16
- March: 44-26
Obviously, the temperatures get much colder than this. However, even the average lows are below the capacity of water to maintain its liquid state. This is where the antifreeze capacity of the coolant is vital.
Most coolant/antifreeze will not freeze until 34-degrees-below zero. That’s a fairly safe bet to withstand the rigors of a Midwest winter. But, as we saw last January, there are days that will challenge even the best antifreeze. Unfortunately, not all cars have ‘the best’ quality antifreeze. It was ‘the best’ at one point when it was new but, overtime, it has lost much of its mojo.
This is why it’s important to have your car, truck or SUV’s antifreeze checked, and changed if necessary, before our next McHenry winter season sets in. It’s a really quick test to determine the quality of the antifreeze and well worth the time spent.
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