Workshop Activities

If you think that antifreeze is only required in the winter, you should keep reading:

Antifreeze is a poor word to describe the complex composition of a quality product. Far better to use the term coolant as the requirements of an intricate cooling system don't vanish with Winters frosts.

With a suitable pressure cap on the system, typical quality coolants having 50% antifreeze : water mix will provide protection from minus 38 degrees C to 130 degrees C, lowering the freezing point and raising the boiling point. Therefore the basic function of protection against freezing is matched with equal importance during Summer months when stuck in a traffic jam of raising the boiling point. You may look around and see motorists with their bonnet up and steam pouring out of the engine cooling system. Should you fail to maintain the vehicle cooling system this may be your fate!

Modern engine design incorporates the use of lightweight products such as aluminium. Without protection aluminium engines and cylinder heads will oxidise and crumble into the cooling system. The aluminium oxide will clog the radiator and the car internal heater matrix. Modern design has produced ever smaller radiators reducing the size of water ways through the heat exchanger. Once blocked the radiator efficiency is lost and you will not have to find a traffic jam for the system to boil over during the hot Summer months.

The gasket which separated engine top and bottom is made up of laminated materials. Aging coolant becomes acidic and will eat into this head gasket and course engine failure, (water in the oil).

If you have neglected your cooling system and are now prepared to use a 50 : 50 coolant solution, as recommended by some manufactures, beware. Un-treated systems will have corroded. Introducing antifreeze into the coolant will dislodge the corrosion. The resulting oxide released will clog the cooling system. Corrosion may be all that is holding your cooling system together. The introduction of antifreeze will clean away corrosion resulting in water leaks.

Replacing the coolant at recommended intervals is part of a quality service schedule.

Don't neglect your vehicle's maintenance and enjoy a trouble free cooling system for all twelve months of the year.

A partnership established 1983

Telephone 01443 231135

Pratt's Garage, Unit 5 Cambrian Ind. Est. Coed Cae Lane, Pontyclun, CF72 9EW

The web site sets out typical work undertaken and some technical topics which may interest you.