Did you know that your vehicle’s radiator cools your engine and in order to function during the day-to-day drives it needs water and coolant? We sure hope so! If not, no worries. We are here to share some car knowledge and hopefully get you comfortable with what is under your car’s hood! This week we have a DIY guide to changing your vehicle’s coolant – check it out below!

It is a good idea to do this before you have gone anywhere for the day to ensure a cool engine and radiator to avoid burning yourself. If not, give your vehicle ample time to cool down. Also, it is important that you are parked on a flat surface. If you are parked on a hill or a slight slant, your coolant will not accurately read in the reservoir.

Pop open the hood and find your coolant reservoir. Instead of opening up the cap, check to see where the liquid hits in the reservoir – you should see a “full” line. If your coolant hits below this line, add a 50/50 mix of water and coolant (antifreeze) until you reach the line. Certain coolants are premixed, check the bottle for more instructions.  

Tip! – Only in an emergency is it acceptable to add just water to your coolant system. Antifreeze contains protective anti-corrosion properties that most modern engines require.  

Warning! – DO NOT add coolant to a hot engine! Or open the cap, you run the risk of burning yourself or cracking your engine block. Coolant can be ejected, as well. Wait for the engine to cool completely.

More tips:

• Coolant usually has a color to it, popular colors are green, red, blue, or yellow. If your coolant has particles floating around, looks rusty or is colorless – flush out your system and add new coolant.
• When checking coolant give your radiator hoses a look-over. They are large in size and go into the top and come out of the bottom of your radiator. If they are cracked, leaked, bulging, or squishy, replace them.
• If you notice an oily surface, bring your vehicle to our service department ASAP to check for an internal head gasket leak.