Your engine’s radiator is an essential component. Without it, the car’s engine is in danger of overheating. When this happens, it can cause engine damage. At the very least, your engine will stop working until it cools down.

To prevent your engine from overheating and keeping the car’s cooling system working properly, you will need to add coolant to the radiator. However, this isn’t always as easy as it sounds. There’s more to the process than simply pouring water or antifreeze into the radiator.

Como verificar o fluido do radiador

Antes mesmo de pensar em despejar refrigerante no radiador, primeiro você precisa verificar o nível do fluido. Encher demais um radiador pode ser tão prejudicial quanto deixá-lo secar. Existem algumas dicas simples que tornarão a verificação dos níveis de fluido do radiador segura e fácil.

1. Verifique se o motor está frio.

Sempre deixe o carro parado com o motor desligado por vários minutos antes de tentar verificar o nível do fluido. Uma boa dica é tocar no capô. Se o capô estiver quente, o radiador ainda estará quente demais para ser tocado. Dependendo do clima, pode levar de vários minutos a uma hora para o radiador esfriar.

2. Abra o capô.

When the hood is cool to the touch. Go ahead and lift it. There should be a lever inside the car by the driver’s seat. Some older models have latches underneath the hood that you simply press or pull on.

Once the hood is up, make sure that you use the attached rod to properly hold it in place. You don’t want the vehicle’s hood suddenly falling on your neck or head.

3. Encontre o radiador e sua tampa.

O radiador está geralmente localizado na parte dianteira do motor. Este design conveniente torna mais fácil para você verificar o fluido com segurança. A tampa fica geralmente na frente do radiador, perto ou na parte superior.

If you’re having trouble finding the radiator or the cap, the vehicle’s owner manual should include a simple diagram of the engine block with all of the components labeled.

4. Remova a tampa do radiador.

The first step is to grab a towel. Even if the engine block is cool, the liquid in the radiator can still be hot. There’s also the chance that steam can escape when the cap is removed. If you don’t feel any heat coming off the radiator, use the towel to carefully remove the cap.

You do not want to stand directly over the engine when you’re removing the cap in case steam has built up inside.

5. Verifique os níveis de fluido do radiador.

Once the cap is off it’s time to check fluid levels. There should be markings on the radiator expansion tank. The markings can wear off over time but you can still estimate how high or low the coolant levels are.

Your owner’s manual should include a section on the vehicle’s radiator, along with optimal fluid levels. Often this includes a diagram of the radiator tank with fluid levels visibly marked. You can compare the diagram against your vehicle.

Como adicionar fluido de radiador

After checking the radiator fluid and discovering that it’s low, you’ll need to add coolant to keep your engine running. Before you start, there are a few things you’ll need to make the job go faster and easier.

• Água destilada
• Coolant – antifreeze
• Luvas
• Funil

Now that you’ve gathered the necessary supplies it’s time to fill the radiator.

1. Find the radiator’s overflow tank.

O tanque de transbordamento está na lateral do radiador. Ele captura qualquer estouro do radiador. A maioria desses tanques move o refrigerante de volta para o radiador, tornando-o a escolha ideal para adicionar novo fluido. O fluido se moverá para o radiador quando necessário, evitando transbordamentos.

Sometimes the radiator has a low fluid level and the overflow tank is full. Often this indicates a problem with the coolant system and should be inspected by a certified mechanic. If you’re not sure if your overflow tank returns the fluid to the radiator, it should be stated in the owner’s manual.

2. Misture o refrigerante com água destilada.

You want to mix the coolant with equal parts of water for the radiator to work efficiently. The funnel makes it easy to pour the liquids and the gloves will protect your hands from accidental splashes. You can use a higher concentration of water or coolant but it can put more stress on the system. Some coolants come premixed so you don’t have to do any mixing. Just read the instructions printed on the coolant label.

3. Despeje o refrigerante no tanque de transbordamento ou radiador.

The overflow tank is the preferred place to pour in the coolant, and the funnel makes this easy without spilling a drop. This also applies if you have to pour the coolant directly into the radiator. You also want to make sure you don’t go over the recommended level, When you’re done, replace the radiator cap.

4. Start the vehicle’s engine.

Any time you add coolant to the radiator, it’s a good idea to start the engine. You should be listening for any usual sounds, primarily from the cooling fans. Humming or clanging noises could indicate a problem with the cooling system.

5. Verifique se há vazamentos.

Sempre verifique embaixo do veículo após encher o radiador. Se o líquido estiver vazando, isso pode indicar,

• O radiador estava cheio
• Um vazamento ou torção em uma mangueira

Qualquer um deles pode significar um problema mais sério com o radiador do que simplesmente estar com pouco fluido. Você também deseja limpar qualquer fluido derramado. Não é apenas uma preocupação ambiental, mas também pode ser perigosa para animais e humanos.

Como saber quando trocar o fluido do radiador

Some times your radiator fluid levels are fine but you still need to change your radiator fluid. How do you know if the coolant is dirty? There are a few signs that could indicate it’s time to change your radiator fluid.

1. The coolant looks ‘milky’ or cloudy.

Some coolants are brilliant blue and others are a clear white. While the colors can differ, each one should be slightly transparent. If the coolant is cloudy or looks like it might have been mixed with milk, you’ll want to schedule a visit to your mechanic.

Freqüentemente, isso é um sinal de que o óleo está vazando no sistema de arrefecimento e pode causar problemas sérios e caros no motor.

2. Verifique se há partículas flutuantes no refrigerante.

Sujeira e outras partículas pequenas podem entrar no refrigerante. De lá, entre no sistema de refrigeração e, eventualmente, no motor. Quando partículas minúsculas entram no motor, podem causar bloqueios e outros problemas que, se ignorados, costumam ser caros para consertar.

As soon as you find debris in the coolant it’s best to immediately take your vehicle to a licensed service center.

3. Use uma tira de teste.

Com o tempo, o refrigerante pode começar a perder sua eficácia. Às vezes, uma garrafa de refrigerante fica em uma prateleira por muito tempo ou o veículo raramente é dirigido e requer poucas mudanças de fluido. Existem tiras de teste baratas que você pode encontrar na maioria das lojas de peças automotivas.

Simply dip the test strip into the radiator and compare the color change to the included chart. If the strip shows that the fluid has lost some or most of its effectiveness, it’s time to change it before there are problems with the vehicle’s engine.

Água vs. Refrigerante

Since it’s recommended that you mix equal parts water and coolant, some drivers wonder why they can’t save money and leave antifreeze out of the mixture. There are a few good reasons why you shouldn’t leave coolant out of the mix.

Distilled water by itself is fine when you’re engine suddenly overheats. It’s recommended that every driver keep a gallon of distilled water in their vehicle at all times for these emergencies. While water will keep the engine cool long enough to drive to a service station it doesn’t have the protective properties associated with antifreeze.

Water boils at a different rate than coolant. Water boils at 212 F and coolant around 387 F. Since water boils at a lower temperature, there’s a chance it will evaporate leaving your radiator dry. Water also won’t protect the cooling system from corrosion, in some cases, it can add to it.

Conclusão

It’s important to keep up with your radiator fluid, it is a part of basic vehicle maintenance. This includes checking the fluid level and replacing it when necessary. Like every other component in your vehicle’s engine, there are shortcuts you can take.

However, if you want to prevent your car engine from overheating or worse developing expensive problems keep an eye on your coolant levels and don’t depend solely on periodically adding distilled water.