i need to top up the coolant and dont know if i can use my dads antifreeze!
2007-12-08 23:17:33 · 10 answers · asked by K R 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
yes they are the same thing in a car, do not put water in it unless you mix it with antifreeze, they have recently came out with a new enviromentaly safe antifreeze called "dex cool" that is pink dont mix it with the old green antifreeze so look to see what color is in the car and what color is in the bottle
2007-12-08 23:24:04 · answer #1 · answered by d s 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh my. I have been working on my own cars since my dad died and I was a single mom.
Yes... anti freeze and coolant are the same thing in this application.
You can't use it straight or it will freeze, it must be mixed with water to activate the no freeze part. I will assume there is some mixture in your car already and you are just topping it off.
Go ahead and pour it into your reservoir. Never remove the cap when it is hot, the fluid can burn you horribly. Please be careful!!
You can get a tester at the auto parts store or wally world to let you know how good you are to what temp. This is a handy little thing to have around.
In cold months, its called anti freeze, in hot months its called coolant, same thing, the chemicals keep it flowing in your engine.
Never pour it on the ground. Animals find the taste to be sweet, but it will kill them and it is a horrible way to die.
While you have your dad, ask him to teach you the basics, and buy a Haynes book for your car. Very handy!!!
Watch that when you pick the brains of men, that they have a brain to pick.
I was asking advice on the king pins on my '84 E150 (Ford Van) and one guy tells me I had ball joints, not king pins... lol, hmm. I now know more about king pins than I ever wanted to know!!!
2007-12-09 00:13:42 · answer #2 · answered by Nature Mother 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Having worked on forecourts many years ago i can assure you that most modern coolants do indeed contain antifreeze at a 25 - 33% percentage.
In other words if your dad bought a proprietry brand of coolant from a garage or car accessory shop it will contain antifreeze. On 90% of forecourts water is still given away free and not sold unless in distilled form.
2007-12-08 23:26:37 · answer #3 · answered by freddiem 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Anti-freeze is basically Ethylene Glycol. Coolant can be anything, Oil, Water, Etc.
2007-12-08 23:33:45 · answer #4 · answered by Richard 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Coolant contains anti-freeze and is ready mixed
Anti-freeze requires mixing
2007-12-09 01:31:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Same thing. If you check the container, it will say coolant/antifreeze.
Coolant is NOT water!!!
The chemical (ethylene glycol) has a braod range of frrezing and melting, so it helps balance out temperatures in the engine, cold or hot!
2007-12-08 23:21:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
What Is Coolant
2016-11-02 23:19:32 · answer #7 · answered by derival 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
anti freeze is just a property of the coolant.
2007-12-08 23:21:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
anti-freeze has an alcohol content so it does not freeze (hence the name). Coolant can be nearly any liquid.
Water can cool, but it will freeze.
anti-freeze can cool and will not freeze.
2007-12-08 23:21:40 · answer #9 · answered by macherin77630 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes it will be safe to use your dad's antifreeze. Antifreeze is one of the properties in coolant where it won't freeze in cold weather. Please dont mix the green with orange or vise versa, they are not compatable.
2007-12-08 23:22:29 · answer #10 · answered by bobby 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋