Even if it’s not piping hot, it can be easy to get burnt.
You really don’t want to get coolant in your eyes! We recommend opening the cap a little bit, waiting to hear the air escape, and then opening it the rest of the way. Wait until it cools down to a reading of 160 or 170 on the gauge. Never open the system when it’s really hot.Here are a few tips to make sure you don’t get hurt when addressing a coolant system leak: Staying Safe When Fixing a Coolant System LeakĪs always, staying safe is the most important thing, so safety tips first! Coolant is like oil – it breaks down and loses its alkaline level over time. You should definitely change your coolant at least once a year. That just means that coolant doesn’t have the same properties that it once did, rendering it less effective as time goes by. The difference is that oil gets dirty, and coolant actually breaks down. Let’s say you don’t have any leaks, and there are no coolant system issues – you’d think you’re golden, right?Ĭoolant breaks down over time, and it’s recommended you replace it just like you would oil in your car. You have to add water as well! Preventing Coolant System Issues Tip: If you’re running low on coolant, and you’re just trying to get to a safe place, you don’t want to fill your reservoir with straight concentrate. For every gallon of the concentrate, you put in one gallon of water. There may be different levels of concentrate, but the one that we buy for our trucks is a 50/50 mix. How Coolant Is SoldĬoolant is sold as “pre-mixed” or as concentrate. Note: It’s very important that you never mix red and green coolant! If your coolant reservoir has red coolant, do not add green coolant and vice versa. We say this to let you know that when you’re looking for a coolant leak, it could potentially be green or red. Just about everyone now uses red coolant with semi trucks. For our trucks, we only use the red coolant. In your car, you probably use green antifreeze. They’re good for different temperature ranges. They’re green and red, and they both smell about the same. There are at least 2 different kinds of coolant. When you turn on your heater and hot air blows out, you can thank your coolant system. The after-treatment “treats” the exhaust that’s leaving your engine.)Ĭoolant is also used to heat the interior of your cab.
(That’s not technically part of your engine – it’s your exhaust, so to speak. It also keeps other components of your truck cool, mainly the after-treatment system. Your truck’s coolant system is a closed system that exists to keep the engine cool and running at optimum temperatures. What Is the Function of a Truck’s Coolant System? On-the-road service is overpriced and time-consuming, and while learning to fix it yourself can take a little practice, we’re here to help. When you’re on the side of the road, the last thing you want to be dealing with is a coolant leak. Some areas are easier to get to while others can pose a challenge. If it leaks anywhere, it’s all the same coolant system, so anywhere that has a leak in that system is going to cause you problems. There’s basically coolant from the nose to the end of the sleeper. Coolant systems are notorious for causing leaks, because the coolant fluid travels to a lot of different places – the after-treatment system, the heating system, and the engine.Ĭoolant actually runs all the way to the back of your cab.
0 kommentar(er)
