Is coolant additive the same as antifreeze?
When it comes to maintaining your vehicle's engine, understanding the difference between coolant additives and antifreeze is crucial. Both play a role in regulating engine temperature, but they are not the same. In this article, we’ll break down what each term means, their purposes, and how they work together to keep your car running smoothly.
What Is Antifreeze?
Antifreeze is a liquid, typically made from ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, that is mixed with water to create engine coolant. Its primary purpose is to regulate the temperature of your engine by preventing the liquid in your cooling system from freezing in cold weather and boiling in hot weather. Antifreeze also contains corrosion inhibitors to protect your engine and radiator from rust and damage.
What Are Coolant Additives?
Coolant additives, on the other hand, are specialized chemicals added to the coolant mixture to enhance its performance. These additives can serve various purposes, such as improving heat transfer, preventing corrosion, or extending the life of the coolant. They are not a replacement for antifreeze but rather a supplement to improve the overall efficiency and longevity of your cooling system.
Key Differences Between Coolant Additives and Antifreeze
While both coolant additives and antifreeze are essential for your vehicle's cooling system, they serve different roles. Here are the main differences:
- Composition: Antifreeze is a base liquid (ethylene glycol or propylene glycol), while coolant additives are chemicals added to enhance the coolant's properties.
- Purpose: Antifreeze prevents freezing and boiling of the coolant, while additives improve performance, such as corrosion resistance or heat transfer.
- Usage: Antifreeze is mixed with water to create coolant, whereas additives are used to enhance the existing coolant mixture.
Do You Need Both?
Yes, both antifreeze and coolant additives are important for maintaining your vehicle's cooling system. Antifreeze is essential for the basic functioning of the system, while additives can provide additional protection and efficiency. Many modern antifreeze products already include additives, but in some cases, you may need to add specific additives depending on your vehicle's requirements or the climate you drive in.
Conclusion
In summary, coolant additives and antifreeze are not the same, but they work together to ensure your engine stays at the optimal temperature and remains protected from damage. Always check your vehicle’s owner manual or consult a trusted mechanic to determine the right type of antifreeze and whether additional additives are necessary for your car. At Kevin's Autos, we’re here to help with all your car maintenance needs—feel free to reach out for expert advice!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the car need to be running when adding coolant?
HOW TO ADD COOLANT TO YOUR CAR OR TRUCK. Make sure your engine is off and cool, your vehicle is in Park or Neutral, and the parking brake is set. Locate the engine coolant reservoir; translucent white color, and has hose(s) connecting it to radiator.
Do you put coolant or antifreeze?
Your cars cooling system runs on "anti-freeze", aka "coolant". A mixture of 50% anti-freeze and 50% water flows through the the cooling system absorbing heat from one place and carrying it to another place.
Are orange and pink antifreeze the same?
Red/Pink Coolant
It works in the same way as orange coolant in removing excess heat from the engine and protecting the engine from freezing temperatures. One of the factors that distinguish the difference between Orange and Red or Pink coolants, is that Red and Pink coolants do not contain silicates or Phosphates.
Is antifreeze an additive?
An antifreeze is an additive which lowers the freezing point of a water-based liquid.
Are antifreeze and coolant the same product?
Many people end up using the terms as a single item, but they are two different products. Engine coolant helps keep your engine running at a consistent temperature, while antifreeze helps protect your engine from damage caused by freezing temperatures.
Is it bad to mix coolant and antifreeze?
Don't mix coolant types unless one or both are universal/mix-with-any, as incompatible additive packages in the coolants could react with each other and thicken/gel, which can in turn block cooling passages and cause catastrophic engine failure.
What happens if you put antifreeze instead of coolant?
A coolant is much more effective at taking away excess heat from the engine than pure antifreeze. Another important reason why you shouldn't use pure antifreeze instead of a coolant mixture is to prevent additives from settling at the bottom of the engine.
What is the difference between coolant and additive?
Chemicals/substances that are added to coolant during manufacturing to enhance its performance and provide additional benefits are coolant additives. Coolants control engine temperature, ward off overheating, and, when combined with additives, shield the engine from corrosion, cavitation, and fouling.
Is there a difference between antifreeze and coolant?
Difference Between Antifreeze and Coolant
Coolant combines water and glycol - typically ethylene glycol - while antifreeze is pure glycol. Antifreeze doesn't freeze or boil as easily as water, so it's often used in high-performance engines that run at higher temperatures.
What does coolant additive mean?
SCAs, or supplemental coolant additives, are formulations added to the coolant stream to provide, as the name suggests, supplemental anti-corrosion and cavitation (or liner pitting) protection. Liner pitting is a significant problem in heavy-duty vehicles like the ones previously mentioned.
