For a lot of folks, the use of a coolant is the same as the use of oil. You wait until something goes wrong with your engine, and then you have your dad or the mechanic yell at you for not maintaining their levels.
It makes sense, too. Obviously, you need gas. You need gas to get around. It is what drives a car in the first place. It is the “food” of the car, and you cannot do without it. Everyone that drives puts in fuel. But if the fuel is the “food” of your car, then the coolant is the essential vitamin.
You can get by with just food, but eventually, your body is going to start sending off alarms if you are short a certain mineral or vitamin.
When the early sailors left the harbor, they had salt, meat, water, and all the things they needed-or, so they thought. But when their teeth started to fall out, and they began suffering from horrific illnesses, they discovered the importance of having some vitamin C in their diet. They began taking some lemons along in later voyages.
The same goes for car coolant, but many realize its need later by the time it might be too late and the damage already inflicted.
The invention of the first Internal Combustion Engine dates back to the late 19th century. Tiny combustions drove the engine’s mechanics, transferring the energy to what needed the push – an amazing discovery. However, the early inventors’ joy was short-lived as problems emerged. The parts underwent wear and tear, rendering the energy transfer inadequate. The Internal Combustion Engine (Or ICE, for short. Ironic, isn’t it) needed to be replaced along with the parts after a short while. It was simply not sustainable until a liquid solution was discovered that could transfer the heat generated away from the engine – water. It increased the engine’s life, allowing it to function as required. Brilliant!
However, the new discovery soon had its shortcomings as some more problems became apparent. Water is great at absorbing and transferring heat away from the engine, but it comes with issues. One, when the water reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it boils, which renders it useless for transferring heat when the engine has been running for long periods.
This problem was an issue, but soon a more pressing issue was noticed. You see, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. So, those living in the North of the South encounter the opposite problem, the water freezes. When an engine warms, it might melt the frozen water, but when water turns to ice, it expands, causing the engine to break or damage for the worse.
The invention of the first Internal Combustion Engine dates back to the late 19th century. Tiny combustions drove the engine’s mechanics, transferring the energy to what needed the push – an amazing discovery. However, the early inventors’ joy was short-lived as problems emerged. The parts underwent wear and tear, rendering the energy transfer inadequate. The Internal Combustion Engine (Or ICE, for short. Ironic, isn’t it) needed to be replaced along with the parts after a short while. It was simply not sustainable until a liquid solution was discovered that could transfer the heat generated away from the engine – water. It increased the engine’s life, allowing it to function as required. Brilliant!
However, the new discovery soon had its shortcomings as some more problems became apparent. Water is great at absorbing and transferring heat away from the engine, but it comes with issues. One, when the water reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it boils, which renders it useless for transferring heat when the engine has been running for long periods.
This problem was an issue, but soon a more pressing issue was noticed. You see, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. So, those living in the North of the South encounter the opposite problem, the water freezes. When an engine warms, it might melt the frozen water, but when water turns to ice, it expands, causing the engine to break or damage for the worse.
So, a solution had to be found, and it was discovered eventually – coolant.
The first anti-freeze was also synthesized in the late nineteenth century and added to the engine’s water. This widened the range of temperatures, allowing the coolant to remain in liquid form. The solution addressed the woes perfectly with less engine wear and tear.
But soon, everyone encountered another new problem: the chemicals in the early anti-freeze damaged the engine’s metal. It took quite some time for the perfect mix of chemicals to be sorted out, which would address this issue
With a solution now available, experts remind us that not using an engine coolant while driving may turn dangerous. Lack of coolant may cause your engine to overheat, causing the engine’s temperature gauge to always stay in the red line. The “check coolant” light will begin blinking when this starts to happen unless the gauge is faulty, so you will know when to get it re-upped. If you ignore it, the car’s performance will go down, and you might notice certain things. The check engine light might start blinking, and possibly your car’s AC or Heater may begin to malfunction. If you keep ignoring the problem, your car’s engine may stop functioning one day while you are driving. Possible consequences could range from a blown gasket to a damaged engine. This will then require some expensive replacement.
It can be dangerous to be low on coolant because having a malfunction on the road is the last thing you need. Modern cars thankfully have cut-offs that will shut the car down before there is a lot of damage to the engine itself. If you have an older car, it will be impossible to avoid massive engine damage if you drive without coolant. And it might be quite dangerous too.
So, prepare beforehand to avoid expensive repairs. You can find the best engine coolant here so you can keep on trucking.
