car coolant/antifreeze

[whitey]

hi, just a quick query to see if anyone know's what antifreeze/car coolant is in french. we have a 1.2 renault clio that we need to top up. thanks for any help. regards mel .

[Sunday Driver]

Liquide de refroidissement.  Buy it in a supermarket.

 

[whitey]

Thanks SD will be off out to buy some today. mel .

[Onion van man]

Word of warning, Make sure you get the right type of Anti-freeze to match what is in the car. You should be able to tell by the colour. If in any doubt drain,flush and refill. Do not be tempted to just top-up with anything, Some of the new coolants like 'toyota 4 life' will turn to a crystal like sludge if mixed with anything else.

[suein56]

[quote user="Onion van man"] If in any doubt drain,flush and refill. Do not be tempted to just top-up with anything, [/quote]

Whilst we're on the subject of antifreeze - I am trying to figure out what kind of a service to ask for for my Citroen Saxo here in France and looking back at the UK service sheets for my car it seems that the antifreeze appears to have only ever been topped up, never drained, flushed out etc. Is this unusual? How often should the antifreeze be flushed out and drained? Does it depend on mileage or on a time-period? The car is now 11 years old and has done 47k miles. It was always Citroen serviced in the UK.

Sue

[Onion van man]

[quote user="spg"]

[quote user="Onion van man"] If in any doubt drain,flush and refill. Do not be tempted to just top-up with anything, [/quote]

Whilst we're on the subject of antifreeze - I am trying to figure out what kind of a service to ask for for my Citroen Saxo here in France and looking back at the UK service sheets for my car it seems that the antifreeze appears to have only ever been topped up, never drained, flushed out etc. Is this unusual? How often should the antifreeze be flushed out and drained? Does it depend on mileage or on a time-period? The car is now 11 years old and has done 47k miles. It was always Citroen serviced in the UK.

Sue

[/quote]

The standard blue Anti-freeze/coolant should be drained, flushed and refilled with fresh every 2 years. Comma oils say the life of their coolants are Red 5 years, Green 3 years and Blue 2 years.

I flushed my Saxo and filled it with Comma Red.

[tracteurtom]

It's a good question spg and one that will get different answers, it all depends on your approach to car maintenance, me thinks.  The manufacturers all go on about how little servicing their modern cars need, it helps the sales men sell them in the first place.  The Toyota 4 life coolant as already mentioned is supposed to be for life, but what is life ?  Modern oils keep an engine sweet for 12 months or 12k ++ miles, but in reality, if the oil is swapped out sooner the engine will have a much longer life, and thats the crunch, manufacturers dont say this but a modern car is a disposible item and its not in the manufacturers interests to make a car that can run for ever.  A 150k or so miles is the design spec these days and they are then more than happy to sell you a new engine, if you haven't already moved the car on !

So, if you intend to keep the car, get the coolant changed - once every 2 years.  This is tres tres important on a modern diesel (ali head, iron block and turbo) as they are prone to overheating from faulty cooling systems resulting in extortionate repair bills.  Also change your oil once every 5000 miles or so (oil filter once every other change).  But if you are one who sells the car once every 2 - 3 years, just go with the flow at the garage, at least its the lower cost option  !

[Onion van man]

I agree with you pcwhizz. Most people actually forget the main roles of engine coolant(compared with straight water), which is to increase the boiling point and prevent internal corrosion of the cooling system which it does 365days of the year, not just when its cold.

As for the 'Toyota 4 life'.  I have yet to find out toyota's definition of 'life'. My definition is until I flush the system and change it for Comma Red.

Talking of other automotive fluids. The brake fluid should also be changed every 2 years as it absorbs moisture from the air and that corrodes the inside of brake calipers etc.