Antifreeze protects the motor from overheating. But it has a limited operating time. Therefore, the question of how to properly pour antifreeze into the cooling system begins to worry many. First you need to determine when exactly the coolant needs to be replaced. The time of its operation depends on the make and mileage of the car, as well as the properties of the liquid itself. It should be borne in mind that in cars in which aluminum radiators and cylinder heads are supplied, the antifreeze should be changed more often. The fact that the refrigerant has become unusable is indicated by: a change in its color to brown, turbidity, the formation of a deposit on the expansion tank.

If the coolant is not replaced on time, the additives present in it will begin to destructively affect metal parts, and heat removal from the engine will be poor. If you make a mistake when replacing the refrigerant, damage or malfunction of parts is possible. Therefore, in the case when the replacement is made independently, it is better to familiarize yourself in advance with the information on how to properly change the antifreeze. This process consists of several stages: draining the old fluid, flushing the cooling system, filling in new antifreeze. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Before changing the coolant to a new one, it is necessary to drain the old one. First of all, you need to wait until the engine has cooled down. The refrigerant is under high pressure, so its boiling point rises and it does not boil. If you start unscrewing the cap, the pressure inside the expansion tank will drop to atmospheric and the boiling point will also become lower, that is, the antifreeze will begin to boil and splash out. All this will happen very quickly and can lead to burns.

The coolant circulates through the radiator, engine and stove, which are connected to each other using pipes. Therefore, it is necessary to drain the antifreeze from all the indicated places.

Prepare containers for waste fluid in advance and place them under the radiator and engine block. It is better to cover the generator with something to protect it from getting antifreeze. We open the stove tap, very carefully unscrew the bolts at the bottom of the radiator and on the engine block. In some vehicles, access to the drain pipe is blocked by a protective cover. In this case, you will need to remove it. After unscrewing the above bolts, antifreeze begins to flow out.

To speed up this process, you can open the cover on the expansion tank. When all the liquid has flowed out, proceed to the next stage - to flush.

Flushing the cooling system

Some motorists don't do this. This is fraught with dirt in the cooling system clogging the radiators. This will lead to poor engine cooling and poor stove performance. The need for flushing can be judged by the color of the drained antifreeze and the presence of impurities in it.

Use specially designed liquids for flushing... The instructions will indicate whether you need to dilute this product with water. After pouring liquid into the neck of the expansion tank, screw the cap on it and turn on the engine.

Next, you should run the stove radiator at maximum power. When its temperature rises to working temperature, the internal combustion engine can be turned off. Let the engine cool down. After that, the flushing agent is drained in the same way as antifreeze was drained. Then we clean the cooling system with distilled water. Plain tap water cannot be used as it contains a lot of salts and impurities. After filling with water, the engine should run at idle speed for 45 minutes. Turn off the engine and let it cool down. The next step is to drain the water. The procedure can be repeated several times until the drained liquid is practically clear.

Filling new antifreeze

If you purchased a concentrate, you need to dilute it with water in the ratio indicated on the package. An already diluted liquid can also be sold. Antifreeze can now be poured into the expansion tank neck. We start the engine, and turn on the stove at maximum power. This will distribute the liquid evenly and prevent air pockets from forming.

In addition to the planned replacement, it is also necessary to regularly check the level of antifreeze. If it drops below the minimum mark, you need to top it up. In some cars, the dashboard also has data on the amount of antifreeze.

Are different coolants compatible? Antifreezes from different manufacturers may not have the same composition and may not be compatible. As a result, mixed fluids will have a destructive effect on the metals from which the parts are made. Even liquids of the same color from different manufacturers should not be used together.

If you do not have information about what kind of antifreeze is poured into your car, then add distilled water, but this will reduce the shelf life of the fluid. It should be added to the same place where antifreeze is poured. Regardless of what you add, replacement should take place when the motor is cold. This must be done in order to comply with safety measures. To avoid increased pressure, open the lid a little in advance. If there are air locks in the cooling system, then warming up the internal combustion engine will remove them. Do not add antifreeze to the very edges, because during engine operation, its excess will leak out and fall on other parts. As you can see, information on replacing antifreeze is not limited only to knowing where to fill the coolant.

During the operation of the machine, the density of the coolant poured into the engine decreases, which leads to the loss of its frost-resistant properties, and, as a result, sooner or later the moment comes when it must be replaced. There are two points of view on when is the time replace antifreeze: Someone says that the procedure should be done every 45000-50,000 paths, while others think that the coolant should be replaced once a year. However, technical progress does not stand still, and some manufacturers claim that there are antifreezes that are ready to take care of the car for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Nevertheless, there is one "BUT": it should only be poured into a clean system, otherwise, when mixing old and new liquid, the latter will lose its properties.

How to determine whether it is necessary to carry out replacement of antifreeze? The most common way is to dip a special test strip into the liquid. The procedure is extremely simple, everyone once did it in chemistry lessons. Such strips are offered by almost all manufacturers of antifreeze. Upon contact with liquid, the indicator changes color, by which, using a special scale, you can determine the state of the antifreeze and decide whether replacement is necessary.

If the test still showed that you need to change the fluid, do not rush to run to the service center and give the money. You can do the procedure yourself. In this case, safety is very important - the substance is toxic. After you have found something to do with your child and dog, go to the car and find the radiator cap under the hood. Yes, and one more important point: the replacement of antifreeze should be carried out only on a cold engine, it is extremely dangerous to do it on a hot one. After removing the radiator cap, find another cap - this time the drain cap. Place the bucket down and open the lid. Antifreeze will pour. At the end of the process, check all hoses for integrity.

Before filling with new fluid, the system must be flushed to get rid of rust and deposits that ordinary water cannot remove. It is necessary to pour a bottle of special agent into the radiator and add distilled water there to the brim. The covers must be closed. Then start the engine and let it warm up. Then turn it off and, after waiting until it cools down, drain the liquid.

Top up with new antifreeze according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The concentration of the substance in the system should not exceed 70%, and the optimal ratio is 50% antifreeze and 50% water. After filling, turn on the engine and the heating in the cabin to maximum so that the antifreeze is evenly distributed throughout the system, and air bubbles come out of the cooling system.

To maintain the temperature of a running engine, the driver needs to know how to top up and pour antifreeze into the engine cooling system (SOD) correctly.

SOD is designed to store coolant (coolant) and pump it through the engine cooling jacket, a large radiator and its smaller counterpart used to heat the passenger compartment. With an insufficient level of antifreeze or antifreeze, the power unit will overheat, and air jams will form in the cleaning system.

Depending on the characteristics of the fluid, it can be used for the time specified by the manufacturer and then must be replaced. Topping up should be done as needed, regularly monitoring the fluid level in the system.

The presence of certain additives in the coolant, which is often indicated by the color of the composition, prevents the development of corrosive processes and the formation of scale. It is important to remember that adding antifreeze to antifreeze and vice versa is prohibited, as this will lead to undesirable chemical reactions, the appearance of sediment and a deterioration in the characteristics of the liquid.

When buying antifreeze, keep in mind that some manufacturers tint their product for marketing purposes.

Replacing the coolant

The refrigerant must be replaced if it has worked out the prescribed period, as well as if the car is serviced after active operation in summer or winter.

For the correct filling of antifreeze into the cooling system, it is recommended to first completely remove the old liquid, including from the heating system, by setting the stove regulator to the maximum. The location of the car on a slope with the front part of the body upwards will help to make the process more efficient. Next, you need to open the expansion tank and the radiator cap. Then unscrew the plugs on the cylinder block and radiator and drain the coolant.

If the old coolant performed its function properly, it is worth filling the same one. Before that, it is advisable to flush the cooling system with water, preferably distilled water, letting the motor pump it through all the pipes and radiators, warming it up to a temperature at which the valve lets liquid in a large circle.

If the coolant is seriously contaminated, for example, after using sealants, ordinary water or mixing antifreeze with radically different compositions, you will need to use a special flushing agent for flushing, after which the system must be cleaned with distilled water. Then you can fill the system with new antifreeze.

You can get rid of excess air after filling the coolant by bleeding it through the pipe at the top of the cylinder block. If necessary, the expansion tank is additionally filled with antifreeze to the normal level.

How to add refrigerant

Sometimes you just need to add coolant. In this case, it is extremely important to use coolant with the same composition, preferably from the same manufacturer. It is better to do this on a cold or slightly cooled engine. You need to open the system covers, and then fill the radiator almost to the eyeballs. If the coolant level was too low and air locks formed in the system, you will need to let the engine run for a few minutes with the covers open to relieve excess pressure.

In the summer heat, distilled water can be added to antifreeze. It is not recommended to mix ordinary water, antifreeze or antifreeze with each other. If this could not be avoided, it will be necessary to flush the system in the near future and fill with new coolant.

Antifreeze level control

To do this, they resort to several methods:

• Observing the indicator on the instrument panel.
• Monitoring the coolant level directly in the expansion tank.

Under normal operating conditions, this should be done once a month and always before long journeys. If an overheating signal appears on the parting panel on the way, then this problem sometimes arises due to an insufficient level of antifreeze in the system. In winter, slow warming up and poor-quality operation of the stove may indicate this.

Noticing the non-standard behavior of the power unit, regarding the temperature regime of its operation, you need to visit the service station to diagnose the system, since work with overheating is fraught with deformation of many parts of the internal combustion engine. Understanding how to properly fill and add antifreeze to the cooling system will help the driver protect the engine from overheating.

The behavior of the car depends on the operation of the engine. In order for the motor to work for a long time and not break down, it is necessary to constantly monitor its condition. Checking the engine oil level is considered one of the important operations.

Before adding engine fluid, you need to determine how much volume is in the system. To do this, turn off the engine and park the car on a level surface. The check is carried out "for cold", with the cooled down motor system.

Each motor is equipped with a special dipstick with several marks indicating the minimum and maximum amount of oil composition.

The dipstick is removed from the crankcase and wiped thoroughly. Then it is again lowered inside the neck and the existing level is determined by the risks.

Top-up rules

First, you need to find out what brand of oil was added to the engine. When selling a car, the former owner usually tells what type of car oil he used. It remains only to purchase an analogue with the required viscosity coefficient.

Topping up is carried out only when the oil level "on the dipstick" does not reach the "minimum" mark. When checking this, remember that if the engine is hot, the oil has not completely drained into the crankcase. When the engine cools down, the lubricant level will be higher. Therefore, to obtain accurate data, you must wait until the unit cools down. Enough 15-20 minutes.

In winter, to check the level, experts advise slightly warming up the internal combustion engine. The fact is that in the cold, the oil begins to freeze, and after heating, the volume will increase slightly.

How to top up

Open the hood, remove the filler cap. It is usually labeled "Oill Fill". Use a dipstick to check the amount of grease present. The mark should show "maximum". If the volume is below the indicated mark, it is necessary to top up.

For normal operation of the engine, it is enough that the oil level is in the middle between the minimum and maximum - you need to strive to achieve this value.

In order for the operation to be performed accurately, it is necessary to insert a funnel into the oil filler hole. It will prevent liquid from splashing and getting onto the surface of the motor. If this happens, it must be wiped off with a rag. Otherwise, when the internal combustion engine heats up, the lubricant will begin to evaporate, and an unpleasant odor will appear in the cabin.

When adding oil, do not fill the entire volume at once. This is done in small portions, about 250 ml. After the liquid has completely drained into the pan, you need to check the level. The operation is repeated several times until the level reaches the middle between the "min" and "max" values.

After the end of the operation, the probe is tightly set in place. Wipe the oil filler cap thoroughly. There should be no dust or dirt left on it. Install it firmly in its original place.

Before closing the hood, make sure that you have not left any foreign objects. The remaining drops of oil must be carefully wiped off.

It's time to start the car and listen to how the engine works. The oil level light should not come on. If it starts to burn, you need to urgently contact a specialist to troubleshoot.

Topping up the oil is necessary only when necessary. Overflow of lubricant leads to the appearance of excessive pressure inside the power unit. As a result, it will fail and will require major repairs.

What is a coolant for, inexperienced drivers ask? But for what: antifreeze is needed to cool the motor, and in general, the entire cooling system supplies and circulates coolant in the car motor.

In order for the cooling system of a car engine to work normally, every motorist must know how to properly and correctly top up and fill in antifreeze. This topic will be comprehensively covered in this article.

So, we know that without proper operation of the SOD, the engine can overheat, in addition, with poor-quality cooling, corrosion processes can occur. Antifreeze or antifreeze is recommended to be replaced every 40 thousand kilometers, but according to experts, such a replacement must be done annually

High quality antifreeze allows you to avoid corrosive processes, it is softer in structure and has many additives, its characteristics differ markedly from a cheap liquid in a number of indicators.

There is a lot of information about antifreeze or antifreeze and how they work in the engine system too. However, not many people understand how their correct topping up or filling is carried out, and the condition of the engine and, in general, the entire operation of your car depends on this.

What you need to know when topping up antifreeze

It should be remembered about such an important rule: refrigerants with different characteristics must not be mixed. When mixing such a cocktail, as a rule, a precipitate falls out, which does not evaporate in the air and does not disappear, but will systematically settle on thin radiator tubes and other parts of the SOD and coke in delicate parts and mechanisms of the system. That is why manufacturers recommend the use of those antifreezes that are suitable for your car, and those that are approved and initially fill the car's cooling system.

Many motorists are wondering whether it is possible to add water to antifreeze? The question is quite interesting, in small quantities and observing the correct proportions, such a method is possible, but provided that it is distilled water, and not tap water with various impurities in the form of chlorine, sodium, potassium and other chemical elements.

You should not be guided by the color of the coolant, it will only confuse you completely. The color of antifreeze does not depend on its quality and composition. Sometimes, liquids of the same shade can be completely different in chemical composition, and vice versa, multi-colored antifreezes will be compatible both in structure, and additives, and base. Therefore, when buying, you should pay attention not to the color of the coolant, but to its composition and main characteristics.

How to pour antifreeze into SOD

Modern cars require careful attention, not only because they are quite expensive, but also because they are equipped with sophisticated innovative mechanisms and systems. Today, antifreeze is mainly used for filling the engine, and we will take it as an example when analyzing this issue.

Important! The main mistake of motorists is pouring antifreeze into the radiator socket. Only those models that are disassembled have a special hole.

But initially, the one-piece radiator system is not designed to pour refrigerant into it. It is necessary to pour in the liquid through an expanded tank, which allows it to be evenly distributed over all nodes of the cooling system.

When completely replacing the coolant with a new one, it is necessary to free all the collapsible parts from the old antifreeze by removing the remaining liquid from them, and its residues must drain through an additional plug, which is located on the bottom of the radiator.

Of course, each hotel car has its own modification of the cooling system, so there should be an operating manual to help the owner. For example, English stamps have non-standard drains and special holes for filling liquid. In general, the procedure for pouring antifreeze is not complicated, and each car owner can carry it out independently.

Step-by-step instructions for replacing the coolant

Buying antifreeze

To begin with, you should purchase an antifreeze suitable in all respects. As a hint, you can use the vehicle operating instructions, in which the appropriate recommendations are necessarily written.

We start the car

Drain the old antifreeze

The next step is to drain the old antifreeze from all parts of the cooling system. The important point here is the correct positioning of the car - the front part should be slightly lower than the rear. This will allow the liquid to actively drain from all parts.

Next, we pay attention to the expansion tank plug to remove excess pressure. The coolant cools down rather quickly, so there is no risk of burns, but you should be careful when opening the plug. Then the outlet opens for draining in the radiator, of course, into containers specially placed under it, which must later be disposed of.

We flush the system

After complete disposal of the old coolant, a complete flush of the system is performed. Such an event is carried out in the th case if you switch to the use of new brands of antifreeze or when the cooling system requires urgent maintenance, as it has not been carried out for a long time. With the help of distilled water, corrosive deposits are washed off and traces of scale are removed.

Particularly difficult dirt is removed by means of a special rinse. Water allows you to get rid of dirt on the system components in 10 minutes of flushing, if this is not enough, you can repeat the procedure several times. At the same time, parts are checked for wear. If they require replacement, this is the best time to check gaskets, nozzles, fittings.

Fill in new antifreeze

After the final cleaning of all system parts, a new working fluid is poured into the radiator neck or expansion tank. This requires attention, especially to those motorists who perform such an action for the first time: it is important not to confuse the holes and instead of the expansion tank, do not pour antifreeze into the wash tank, they are close by and similar in appearance. There is no need to rush, but there is no need to make stops either, since if air enters the system, it will take a long time to pump the engine.

Note! The liquid level is of great importance. In the radiator, this is a mark at the bottom, it shows the maximum value (risks). In the drain tank, this is the maximum mark, where the liquid diverges to different corners of the system and therefore the volumetric indicators will decrease.

Bleeding off excess air

After pumping in antifreeze, bleed air from the cooling system. You can bleed air with a screw located in the engine block. When the first drops of antifreeze appear, you can be sure that all the air has been vented. The tap is turned back all the way.

We start the car

After the end of all manipulations, you need to start the engine and leave it in working condition, while every five minutes it is necessary to do a gas filling with a return to its previous state. Then the engine is turned off and the level of antifreeze in the tank is checked. If necessary, the liquid must be topped up to the normal level. It is recommended to do a daily level check after a complete fluid change. At this time, it is possible to identify hidden problems in the system, which were not previously known.

It would seem that the process is quite complicated, but in fact it is quite affordable for any car owner. It is worth performing such manipulations once, as the whole sequence of actions will be clear. For the first time, it is better to use the help of experienced drivers. But if you are afraid to replace the antifreeze yourself, in any car service specialists will provide you with this service for a certain amount of money.

How to add antifreeze yourself

It is necessary to add coolant to the car engine only through the corresponding hole located on the expansion tank. What exactly needs to be done:

Remove the cover and check for liquid. If the level is at the minimum mark, this is a reason to be wary. At the maximum level, there is also concern about system failure. The best option is the "golden mean".

Typically, antifreeze is topped up more often in winter, since the liquid is lost when the engine cools and heats up during machine downtime and idling. Do not be upset that the antifreeze is decreasing - this is a normal process in the winter. But if the liquid decreases too quickly, then you should think about checking the system or replacing the refrigerant with a more stable one. Antifreeze must be selected with a different formula that can withstand freezing and expansion.

Conclusion

• If you act in accordance with the instructions, then replacing antifreeze or refilling it will not cause difficulties even for the most inexperienced driver. But this does not mean that this process requires an exclusively independent approach. Car repair shops provide a similar service and therefore, if you have any doubts, you can use the services of specialists.
• You cannot mix antifreezes of different brands, you should not focus on their color. The selection of the coolant must be done exclusively in accordance with the brand recommended for the car.