While you work hard to make sure your fleet stays in optimal condition, the antifreeze or coolant you use works just as hard to ensure your radiator and engine are regulated during excessive fluctuations in external temperature. Using antifreeze in the summer is equally as important as it is in the winter. Learn more about summer coolants below to prevent overheating and corrosion and keep your fleet working as expected.
What Does Antifreeze Do?
Antifreeze is used in motor vehicle engines and generally contains a 50/50 ratio of water, ethylene glycol, and additives, which form a colored liquid that is poured into the coolant reservoir or radiator. Its primary function is to ensure your engine runs at the appropriate temperature, regardless of the weather. In other words, coolant ensures the fluids in your engine remain fluids and do not become solid or evaporate. The additives in the coolant prevent the system from rusting.
Before you consider using antifreeze in your engine, make sure to check your truck’s user manual to ensure you use the correct product.
Do You Need Antifreeze in the Summer?
Yes, you should use antifreeze throughout the year. Ideally, you should check your coolant reservoir once before the winter and once before the summer to ensure it is at optimal capacity. Using antifreeze on your fleet’s engines in the summer raises the boiling point of the cooling systems’ water and ensures the engines do not overheat.
Benefits of Using Antifreeze in the Summer
A few benefits of using vehicle antifreeze in the summer include:
- Engine protection: One of the main benefits is that the chemical inhibitors in antifreeze protect your engine’s cooling system from the extremities of cold and hot temperatures, preventing rust and corrosion.
- Improved fuel conservation: Each liquid component in an engine, including antifreeze, serves a specific function aimed at preserving your motor while improving fuel economy to help you get the most out of each tank.
- Improved maintenance costs: Organic acid compounds in certain extended life coolants or types of global antifreeze preserve the engine’s life by using the appropriate corrosion inhibitors. As a result, you could end up extending your fleet’s service intervals which directly impacts your maintenance costs.
- Parts preservation: Antifreeze prevents plastic and rubber parts from being damaged during combustion.
Using a summer coolant will extend your fleet’s engines’ useful lives by regulating the cooling system properly.
When to Change Your Antifreeze
On average, the recommended time frame to flush and change your coolant is roughly every 24 to 36 months or every 30,000 miles. If you are located in especially cold or hot climates, check on the coolant levels at least once a year β you may burn through antifreeze quicker due to these more extreme temperatures. There are a few other occasions that could indicate that it is time to change your antifreeze:
- Rising temperature gauge: If the antifreeze is doing its job correctly, your temperature gauge needle should be in the middle between the βhotβ and βcoldβ indicators. If the needle shifts because of excess heat in and around the engine bay, your truck could be overheating.
- Sweet scent: If you notice a sweet, maple-syrupy smell while driving and you cannot locate the source, it could be the antifreeze burning at a rapid rate.
- Bright-colored leaking fluid: Similar to an oil leak, you may find a brightly-colored fluid leaking from the engine when you stop the vehicle. This is most likely the antifreeze, and you should replace it as soon as you can.
A coolant flush helps remove any dust and dirt particles that accumulate and can clog the radiator. By flushing the system with clean water and replacing it with fresh antifreeze, you regenerate the coolant system to ensure it performs optimally.
What Color Is Antifreeze?
Antifreeze comes in various colors and is used in different ways, depending on the additives and inhibitors they contain. They are identified as follows:
- Inorganic acid technology (IAT): IAT antifreeze is bright green in color and often used in older vehicles. It features strong inhibitor chemicals like phosphate to prevent corrosion, but the system needs to be flushed more frequently.
- Organic acid technology (OAT): OAT antifreeze colors include bright red, pink, green, orange and blue. This type is used in newer vehicle models. The carboxylic acid additive in OAT coolant provides better protection against corrosion and does not have to be flushed frequently.
- Hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT): Also developed for newer vehicles, HOAT coolant contains a mixture of the additives found in IAT and OAT antifreeze and is extremely effective against rust and corrosion. It is typically yellow, pink, blue, turquoise, or purple.
As a general rule, every vehicle should use one type of antifreeze throughout its useful life. Try not to deviate from this to ensure your engine and its parts do not suffer damage due to corrosion over time.
Common Antifreeze-Related Problems
In certain situations, you might find antifreeze leaking from a part of your engine. There could be a few reasons for this:
- Cracked hose: Antifreeze may leak if there is a crack present or damage is visible on one or more of the hoses that run to the radiator.
- Busted radiator: If you have been using the wrong antifreeze for a long period of time, corrosion may be an issue, leading to a busted radiator.
- Blown head gasket: If you have a blown head gasket, you may notice antifreeze mixed with oil leaking from the engine.
One sign that your engine may be losing coolant is the engine light on the vehicle’s dashboard. When the coolant reservoir levels are low, it will let you know. Keep an eye on this light to help you identify and address antifreeze issues promptly.
Choose Quality Coolants From SC Fuels
As a leading service provider and bulk supplier of fuels, lubricants, and chemicals, SC Fuels offers a quality selection of fuels and chemicals for your fleet. Browse our coolant products today to keep your fleet in top condition throughout the year. Contact us today via our online form to get started or ask questions.
