It has been quite a mild Winter so far and this means that lots of people have neglected to check the antifreeze in their vehicles: you should be ashamed of yourselves! But to be fair, we have been a little seduced by the Winter sunshine too and so, to regain the moral high ground, we are publishing this article to give you some tips and motivation to get your vehicle ready for the cold snap that must surely hit us soon…

Sorry to remind you that it IS winter and it IS the UK but someone has to. Use the not-yet-horribly-freezing weather as a time to get outside and check your antifreeze in relative comfort. The alternative is checking it on a freezing morning at 8am when you have to get to work and your car won’t start. 

Ok now buckle up because school is in session: here are some hot tips for antifreeze…

1. Speaking of heat, make sure that you never add coolant to the engine while it is hot. If you do, you’re risking a cracked engine block at best and serious personal injury at worst.

2. On a related note but deserving of its own heading: do not even open any of the caps on the engine until it has fully cooled, unless you want to create a geyser of hot coolant and a very dangerous situation.

3. Forgive us for our cap obsession, but you might not even have to open it in the first place. Many cars have a visual indicator on the side of the coolant reservoir that shows the current level.

4. If necessary, fill up the reservoir with a 50/50 mixture of water and coolant UNLESS it is premixed. 

5. Adding water by itself is not recommended as the aluminium cylinder heads found in most modern vehicles need the protection from corrosion that antifreeze provides. This should only be done in the worst case emergency situation

6. Whatever its colour (usually a primary colour), the antifreeze should be clear. Antifreeze that has become colourless, looks as if it contains rust or has any foreign particulate ,matter floating in it, flush the entire system and start from scratch. If you have not changed your coolant in a long time, it is probably worth doing this either way

7. Sludge and oil on the surface of antifreeze means your vehicle could have internal head gasket leakage so get it to a professional quickly.

8. While you are nosing around in the engine, check out the radiator hoses. They shouldn't have any leaks, cracks or bulges and should feel firm to the grip; if they do then they need replacing.

We have got lots of choice at Motornuts when it comes to antifreeze so check out all of our brands. Need help choosing one that;s right for your vehicle? Call our customer service team today.