Check Your Vehicle's Coolant/Antifreeze
One
of the easiest and most important things you should do to ensure that your vehicle
is prepared for the cold temperatures and severe weather to come is to check the
level and concentration of your coolant/antifreeze. If you don't remember the
last time you checked or changed your antifreeze, you need to do so before winters
extreme temperatures and harsh road conditions can seriously damage your car's
engine.
If
your car is four years old or newer, there is a very good chance that your cooling
system contains an extended life antifreeze/coolant. Thus, topping off or flushing
and filling your system with conventional antifreeze that does not have an "extended
life" formulation will reduce the efficiency of your vehicle's cooling system
and can lead to failure or other serious engine problems.
"The
difference between extended life and conventional antifreeze is the protection
they provide against damaging rust and corrosion in the cooling system,"
said Edward Powderly, brand manager for PEAK Performance Products. "With
conventional antifreeze, key inhibitors, such as silicate, phosphate and borate,
can start to deplete after just 24,000 miles, which can diminish the protection
of the cooling system."
Extended life coolants, which are based on organic
acid technology (OAT) and free of the conventional inhibitors, utilize advanced
inhibitors to provide maximum protection for the cooling system for up to five years
or 150,000 miles when a complete system flush and fill is performed.
But
which extended life coolant should you choose? In recent years, carmakers have
introduced a virtual rainbow of extended life formulas, each with its own color
and proprietary performance characteristics. Responding to the growing confusion
and inconvenience caused by so many different colors and formulations of antifreeze,
Old World Industries has introduced PEAK GLOBAL Extended Life Antifreeze &
Coolant, a patented, advanced organic acid technology based product that can be
used in all domestic, Asian and European-made automobiles regardless of make,
model, year or original antifreeze color. "So
if you drive a Dodge and your spouse drives a Volvo, while your teenager is zipping
around in a new Chevy Cavalier; now there is a single, extended life antifreeze/
coolant that you can pour into every one of your vehicles with confidence,"
said PEAK's Powderly. "Because of its new coolant technology, the all new
PEAK Global Extended Life Antifreeze & Coolant can be used in all automobiles
worldwide regardless of make, model, year or original antifreeze color, including
GM DEX-COOL and new Ford and Chrysler coolants." If
you changed your antifreeze recently, but your system level is low, use an antifreeze
ball tester to make sure that the antifreeze-to-water ratio is correct. Then,
top-off with a "ready to use" mixture of antifreeze/water.
Cooling
system failure is a leading cause of engine related breakdowns. Don't wait until
it's too late. By taking just a few minutes, twice a year, to check your antifreeze,
vehicle owners can protect themselves from the expense and inconvenience of radiator
work, and ensure their comfort and performance season after season. |
