Cool car solutions

AH ... SUMMER is here and it shows. I am sure that you would have seen cars pulled over to roadsides with their bonnets open and steam coming out profusely from them - don't panic, this is a simple boil over. This boil-out occurs frequently these days not because the world is becoming warmer but because of various accessories being added to the functioning of the automobile.

Today, we will go into some details on one of the most important additives used in the running of the automobile - the coolant. This is one additive which every car manufacturer recommends to be used as mandatory and yet, just a decade and a half ago, one heard of this word only while maintaining imported cars. The concept of coolant being added to water, came into India only with the coming of the Maruti. Prior to that, our ancestors had only heard of, and used aqua pura.

Why I call `coolant' the most important additive to be used in a car is because the entire concept of cooling system of an automobile has undergone a drastic change. Today, the cooling system of the car is run under 15 lb. pressure (maximum) and at higher temperatures (between 90 decree celsus and 98 decree celsus)for optimum efficiency. Gone are the days when the philosophy was to keep engines cool. One point I would like to highlight here - as long as there is water in the engine's cooling system, no matter what temperature the display meter shows, one does not have to panic. To maintain this pressure in the water cooling system, a lot of emphasis is laid on high pressure hose pipes, very good clamping devices, a high pressure resistant radiator and a very effective cooling fan (mostly electrical) and last, but the most important ingredient in the water, the coolant.

Coolant/Antifreeze, as the word suggests, really does not really cool the system as one would presume, but it does a lot of hidden wonders. It has certain chemicals which prevent corrosion, takes up the boiling point from 100 decree celsus to 108 decree celsus, and, as the name suggests, acts as an antifreeze on higher altitudes, but that should not limit your thinking to using it only in the mountains.

Modern automobile engines, with all the extra equipment on board, operate at very high temperatures and require high temperature coolant system protection. For optimum high temperature cooling system protection, your cooling system should contain a 50/50 mixture of water and coolant or as recommended by the manufacturer. Water, of course, boils at 100 decree celsus . A 50/50 mixture of water and coolant boils at 108 decree celsus, which is a 8 decree celsus margin of safety. It could make the difference.

Now to complicate things just a little, modern cooling systems operate under pressure (14-15 pounds per square inch). Under this type of pressure, water boils at 246 decree F-heat (119 decree celsus). Under this same pressure, a 50/50 mixture of water and coolant boils at 262 decree - F-heat (128 decree celsus). Therefore, in a properly maintained cooling system under 15 pounds per sq. inch of pressure, your protection is extended too 128 decree celsus. Another advantage of using the recommended a 50/50 mixture is to provide rust and corrosion protection.

You may think that if a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze is good, then 100 per cent antifreeze would be great. This is not true. Concentrations over a certain amount would reduce the effectiveness of the antifreeze. Most coolant manufacturers do not recommend concentrations greater than coolant to water ratio of 2:1.

Maintenance

The second major cause of overheating is lack of proper maintenance of the cooling system. Antifreeze/coolant is a lot like motor oil; it needs to be changed periodically. For optimum protection, change your antifreeze once each year. The radiator cap acts to seal the cooling system and allows the system to operate under pressure. If the radiator cap malfunctions or is not closed securely, your cooling system is much more likely to boil over. With a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze coolant, with a faulty radiator cap, your boil over temperature reduces to 108 decree celsus (down from 128 decree celsus optimum). This makes the radiator cap a very important maintenance item.

Tips for optimum protection

Even antifreeze and summer coolant will not perform satisfactorily unless the cooling system is properly maintained. Your owner's manual should give you the correct schedule of cooling system maintenance. Coolant manufacturers offer the following general guidelines for yearly cooling system maintenance:

1. Check existing coolant concentration; 2. Test thermostat to ensure proper functioning; 3. Inspect hoses and water pump drive belts; 4. Test pressure cap & inspect radiator filter neck; 5. Pressure test for leaks and 6. Monitor coolant level and change if dirty or rusty.

Flushing the cooling system

Opening just the radiator drain cock will remove only about half the used water/antifreeze from the cooling system. Commercial kits are available for proper flushing of the cooling system. These kits allow a water hose to be connected to the heater inlet hose, forcing the used solution from the heater coils and engine block through the inlet of the radiator. If the used solution is dirty or rusty, an alkaline flush-type cleaner will help remove sludge and loosely held rust.

After filling the cooling system with the correct concentration of antifreeze and summer coolant and water, run the engine with the heater setting on 'high' until the normal driving temperature is reached. This releases any trapped air and assures a proper mixture. If your car is equipped with a plastic reservoir, it should be filled to the correct level with the same mixture of antifreeze and water.

One needs to be very careful, however, when you change the coolant. This is because today a lot of spurious coolant is sold in the market as 'genuine'. While it is not always possible to check the genuineness of the coolant, the following should be kept in mind:

1. Buy only from authorised service stations / dealers; 2. Check for holograms on the packaging; 3. Buy only sealed containers - do not buy from opened packs; 4. No sludge or deposits should be formed near the mouth of the container; 5. Stick to known brands - check your car's instruction manual for recommended brands; and 6. Be careful of the rating - whether the coolant is a summer coolant, an antifreeze or both - people often ignore this aspect with disastrous consequences.

Now some grand-mama's solutions for your car's cooling system: 1. Never open the radiator cap when the engine is hot; 2. In case of a minor water leakage in the cooling system - remove the radiator cap and add 2-3 spoons of turmeric powder (Haldi powder) and then do not put the cap back till you reach your destination/workshop; 3. In case of a bigger leak do the same thing as above but in this case add 2-3 spoons of Psyllium Husk (Sat Isabgol); 4. For bigger leaks carry M-Seal epoxy and put it on the leak while the system is hot, it will cure faster; and 5. Don't put your hands on the radiator while the engine is running for electric motor hazards.

So keep your car cool - which will in turn keep you cool. Happy motoring and don't forget to wear your seatbelt!

Tutu Dhawan

(The author can be contacted at anything@tutudhawan.com)

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