Does the antifreeze coolant used in cars （hereinafter referred to as coolant） need to be replaced regularly? Will the engine be damaged due to "deterioration" if it is not replaced? It is necessary to analyze these two issues, because the coolant is a very toxic chemical solution, and the replaced waste fluid will always be somewhat polluted; therefore, reducing the frequency of replacement can not only reduce the cost of the car, but also want to judge the cooling Whether the fluid needs to be replaced, we must first find out the cost of the coolant.
Ethylene glycol
propylene glycol
Glycerol
These are the three raw materials for coolants. Among them, propylene glycol and glycerol have higher manufacturing costs and higher viscosity （poor fluidity）; so these two types of antifreeze are actually very few, and most of the coolants are Ethylene glycol base.
01
The main component of ethylene glycol （EG） antifreeze is "water"
EG can be ideally compatible with water, and the maximum ratio as a coolant is not more than 60%; the closer to this ratio, the lower the freezing point of the coolant, and the lowest can reach "﹣48.3℃". Coolant is also called antifreeze. In low temperature winter, it is necessary to ensure that the solution does not freeze to avoid volume expansion and damage to the water tank after freezing; therefore, the freezing point of the coolant is also a very important parameter, but the minimum temperature in winter in different regions will be very different. Big difference, then the proportion of EG will also be different.
If the ratio exceeds 60%, the freezing point temperature will rise, and if it is lower than 60%, it will also rise; therefore, in areas with higher temperatures in winter, the ratio of EG may only be 10%-30%, and colder areas are just About fifty percent. The remaining ingredient is of course water. Will water deteriorate?
Cold Knowledge: Water will not deteriorate! ——If water composed of water molecules deteriorates, then it is not water. The so-called "water deterioration" mainly refers to changes in the composition of drinking water. For example, many kinds of bacteria appear after a long period of time. Some of these bacteria may be harmful to the human body, so they cannot be drunk; but this kind of water is still water. It hasn't changed, the only difference is that it has become "water not suitable for drinking".
Coolant is definitely not going to be drunk, and absolutely not! ! ! Because ethylene glycol （EG） is very toxic, every kilogram of aqueous solution after it is dissolved in water, as long as it contains-"1.6g" （gram） of EG is lethal to humans. Therefore, never drink antifreeze coolant by mistake, including glass water, because the main component of glass water is also ethylene glycol.
Will ethylene glycol itself deteriorate? This substance will chemically react with other chemical components, and there is indeed the possibility of deterioration; but as a coolant, it is always necessary to ensure that the main components do not deteriorate, otherwise the boiling point and freezing point standards of the coolant will change, which may cause the engine Damage. Therefore, other raw materials that can cause the deterioration of ethylene glycol are not used in the finished coolant, and the same problem will not occur in the process of using the car; because high temperature and air are difficult to cause the deterioration of EG, but the color will change.
EG may turn yellow in a high temperature environment. The main reason is that the iron ions in the aqueous solution are too high; ethylene glycol reacts with iron to form iron ions. When iron ions dissolve in the aqueous solution, the color will change, generally like iron rust. Orange. The heat dissipation water tank, heating water tank, and cylinder body materials used in cars are all cast iron, so color changes are normal, but it does not affect normal heat dissipation.
02
The coolant can be replaced regularly or ——regularly refilled''
Through the first section, we understand the service life of the coolant. In theory, as long as it is added normally, the water and the main components will not deteriorate; but it is not ruled out that some special conditions will cause the change of the coolant, but after the change, it can always be The problem is found-because the coolant "deterioration" will cause the instability of the water temperature, for example, the scale of the water temperature gauge exceeds the midline （high temperature）， or the coolant freezes in the low temperature winter.
If this phenomenon occurs, it needs to be replaced in time. Otherwise, if there is no problem, it is hard to say whether it needs to be replaced; a safe standard can be replaced once every six years as a reference, and it can be supplemented according to the suggested way during the period.
Ethylene glycol is an extremely difficult substance to volatilize, because its boiling point is 197.4°C; however, there will still be a linear decrease in the coolant during the use of the car, and the more powerful the car, the more exaggerated the speed and extent of the decrease. Why is this? The reason is very simple, because the boiling point of water is only 100°C （standard altitude）， it will also evaporate quickly in high temperature environments; that is to say, the coolant that is reduced during the use of the car actually reduces the water, so the supplement is only the supplement of water. can.
It is recommended to follow the process of supplementing water for three times and then supplementing the coolant once. The water used should be distilled water to remove impurities; ordinary raw water will precipitate magnesium hydroxide and calcium carbonate at high temperatures, forming scale （also known as water alkali） Will block the pipeline. According to this process to supplement and adjust the composition ratio of the coolant, not only can the car owner use the car with more peace of mind, but also can ensure that the coolant is not easily deteriorated, and the replacement cycle can also be appropriately extended.
Description: The manufacturing cost of antifreeze coolant is not high, so the replacement cost is relatively low; if there is a fluctuation in water temperature, don't save this cost, because high temperature may seriously damage the engine. The replacement of the coolant can be operated by itself. The process is discharge, refill, exhaust, and refill. Just follow the process shown in the figure below. Pay attention to the treatment of waste liquid and exhaust air at idle speed for half an hour after the first refill. The second raise below the China auto parts ofMAX line is the standard amount.
Picture 1: The position of the water tank drain screw
Figure 2: A brief flushing with coolant before filling
Picture 3: The standard amount for refilling after screwing back the screw
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