Car coolants work within engine systems and are important in maintaining your car’s temperature. There are different coolant types specific for different vehicles which need to be replaced at different times. Peninsula Auto Clinic offers engine coolant and Car Service work to the whole of Northern Beaches, including inspections, repairs and top ups.
The main car coolant types for specific cars are:
- Green coolant – Ethylene Glycol Base is a conventional fluid that is used in most cars.
- Red coolant – Organic Acid Technology is used for aluminum radiators and used in modern Japanese and European cars.
- Blue coolant – similar to red coolant with OAT coolant, this is Borate free and used in Japanese cars.
- Yellow or orange coolant – this is a hybrid version of OAT coolants and can be mostly used universally.
What is Car Coolant?
Coolant in a car helps keep the system from raising to a boiling point or freezing point. The amount of heat generated in engines is extremely high and can be compared to heating a house in winter. It works as a type of cooling system, especially in newer cars as engines become smaller. When in colder environments the antifreeze coolant works to also prevent the systems of the engine freezing and potentially breaking.
The main roles of engine coolants are:
- Maintain the heat levels within the engine
- Have lower freezing points and also higher boiling points than water does
- Help to prevent corrosion and erosion from occurring in the system
- Preventing foam from developing
- Decrease chances of sediment forming
What are the Different Types of Car Coolants?
There are different types of coolants available for cars but you need to identify the specific coolant for your vehicle. The owner’s manual will describe which coolant is able to work correctly within your specific car model
| Coolant Type | Inhibitor Technology | Vehicle Brand | Colour |
| Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) or Ethylene Glycol Base (EGB) | Silicates or Conventional Fluid | Suited to Older Cars | Green |
| Organic Acid Technology (OAT) | Organic Acids | General Motors, Volkswagen | Red or Orange |
| Silicated HOAT (Si-OAT) | Silicates and Organic Acids | Mercedez-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen, Porche | Purple |
| Phosphated HOAT (P-HOAT) | Phosphates and Organic Acids | Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, KIA | Blue |
| Hybrid OAT (HOAT) | Silicates and Organic Acids | Ford, other European Cars | Yellow |
| Hybrid OAT, Phosphate HOAT (HOAT) | NAP Free | BMW, Volvo, Tesla, Mini | Light Blue |
How to Check An Engine’s Coolant Fluid?
To check your coolant fluid levels of your car, the following steps will help:
- Make sure that the engine has been turned off and that the engine and radiator are cool. Coolant is more than water as it has other chemicals and antifreeze components so it needs to be cold. Make sure to also never open the cap of the radiator or overflow when they are hot as they can burst hot fluids.
- Open the bonnet and make sure it is secured in place when checking the coolant levels.
- The overflow bottle is clear and is connected to the radiator. These will have minimum and maximum points where the coolant level will be easily spotted. When the overflow is too low then this is when replacement fluid is needed.
- To check the radiator open the lid slowly and if there is no coolant then you will need to add new coolant.
When Do I Need To Replace My Car’s Coolant?
The quality of the current coolant and how much the car has been driven will influence when the coolant will need to be replaced. Most times the coolant should be replaced every 75,000km driven or every three years.. A vehicle inspection will help determine whether or not the coolant will need to be replaced.
How Can I Tell if my Car Needs New Coolant?
There are signs which can indicate that the coolant of the vehicle is running low or is out, look for:
- High-temperature gauge – if the temperature gauge is towards the red then the cooling system might be experiencing an issue. The cooling system, or the coolant, might be low causing the gauge to move to the red.
- Heater not functioning correctly – the internal heating system might be broken due to the coolant levels. Heat might be low when working or the system constantly flows out warm air.
- Poor fuel economy – if the temperature of the car is not correct due to the coolant levels than the system will need to work harder. This will often cause the car to use more fuel to function more efficiently due to the poor temperature control.
- Sweet smells – leaks with the coolant will often cause a sweet scent to develop and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Trusted Car Coolant Services
When any person in the Northern Beaches needs a car coolant service, Peninsula Auto Clinic is here to help. Our fully qualified mechanics will perform top-ups of tcoolant, drain out the current one and perform any repairs needed. We will utilise the correct coolant for your specific car and operate on your vehicle safely.Our mechanics are specialists in Car Repair work, including car coolant to other systems. We encourage reading our blog ‘car lubrication services’ to see what the service is and why it is important. For the best car coolant services for Mona Vale, Palm Beach and all other Northern Beaches suburbs – contact Peninsula Auto Clinic today on 9999 2553 or email us at peninsulaautoclinic@hotmail.com!
