Monthly Archives: June 2021

Are Coolant and Antifreeze the Same Thing?

Are Coolant and Antifreeze the Same Thing?

A car's radiator is immensely stressed during extreme winter temperatures because it can quickly fail, causing serious engine issues. In some circumstances, a problem with the radiator can warrant the need to replace it. To ensure that the engine weathers the icy conditions, antifreeze is used in the radiator. Many people use antifreeze and coolant interchangeably, but there's a difference. Let's try and understand that in-depth below. Are Antifreeze and Coolant the Same? If you say that antifreeze is a coolant, you might be right and wrong at the same time. Well, antifreeze and coolant are similar, but there's a difference. The former is a glycol-based fluid that must be mixed with water in the ratio of 1:1 for use. It is that antifreeze/water mixture that is called coolant. The major component in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, which ensures that the coolant doesn't freeze despite the sub-zero conditions that come with winter. It does that by lowering the freez ... read more