Now the summer months are looking to be well and truly behind us here is another autumn motoring tip to help keep your car in tip top condition:
Its incredibly important to check your Coolant/Antifreeze – In the summer, the purpose of the coolant is to keep your car from overheating. It does the same in the cooler months, but once the temperature drops there is a potential risk of freezing. Its important to have your coolant level tested to ensure the mix of coolant and water is correct. You should never open a hot radiator so if performing the task yourself do so when your engine is cold, however it's usually best to leave tasks like these to the trained professionals at your local independent garage.
Antifreeze protects your engine from both freezing in cold weather and heating up on hot days, and it also cuts back on potential corrosion. It's important to keep equal parts antifreeze and water in your radiator—a 50/50 ratio is considered the norm and will keep fluids from freezing at temperatures as low as -36 degrees Celsius. (Dont forget that as water freezes it expands and can do all sorts of damage, better to be safe than sorry) Fortunately, you dont have to stand over your engine with a measuring device — you can buy pre-mixed bottles of antifreeze and water at most petrol stations. If you don't pay attention to the amount of antifreeze, the coolant can freeze, and the engine will get extremely hot. Chances are you'll do untold damage to your engine, and the cost of replacing it with the labour cost too can be incredibly expensive, all for the sake of five minutes of your time to check. Happy Motoring!
