Using your reasoning, it’s easy to assume that antifreeze is important when the weather is cold and that coolant is important when the weather is hot. The truth, though, is that antifreeze and coolant are one in the same!
No matter what the weather is like, the experts at our Phoenix area Volkswagen service center know that your car typically runs at somewhere around 200º once it’s warmed up. As such, it’s important that coolant runs around the engine to channel heat away to the radiator, where it’s cooled off.
Water does this job well, but is susceptible to boiling or freezing under many circumstances. This is why most vehicles run on a 50:50 mix of water and antifreeze. If you’re filling your reservoir, though, be sure to take note of whether you’re buying pre-mixed, or pure antifreeze. If you buy pure antifreeze, you’ll need to dilute it when adding it to your vehicle.
How Often to Change Your Coolant at Our Phoenix Area Service Center
Asking how often you should flush your coolant and replace it, unfortunately, is a simple question that doesn’t have a simple answer. The team at our Phoenix area shop recommends consulting your vehicle’s routine maintenance schedule, found in your manual, which varies from one vehicle manufacturer to the next.
Most modern vehicles have a longer coolant life, some being marked for changing as high as 150,000 miles or even with a “lifetime” designation. Even these should be changed when they degrade, though; our experts can test your coolant to see how it’s holding up. If your car is overheating, if the coolant is leaking, or if the coolant is visibly discolored, you should come in for service right away.
To learn more about your vehicle’s coolant, how to maintain it, and when your specific vehicle needs it changed, be sure to contact the Lunde’s Peoria Volkswagen team at (602) 714-3968!
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