How To Put Water In Your Car

Download Commodity

Download Article

Your car's radiator is the heart of its cooling system, which also includes a fan, h2o pump, thermostat, hoses, belts, and sensors. Information technology directs coolant around cylinder heads and valves to absorb their heat, return it to the radiator, and dissipate it safely. Because of this, you lot need to maintain an adequate radiator fluid level, which ways you need to bank check the coolant level and add to it when necessary.

ane
Park the car on a level surface. Ideally, you should do so afterwards driving the car a brusk distance. You want to check the antifreeze or coolant level while the engine is cool or lukewarm, not hot or common cold. If you have driven the auto a longer distance, permit the engine cool for several hours.^[1]
- Do not leave the engine running when you check the radiator fluid level, and do non always try to cheque the radiator fluid level when the engine is hot.
two

Raise the hood.

Advertising
3

Look for the radiator cap. The radiator cap is a pressurized cap near the top of the radiator. Newer cars characterization the cap; if yours isn't so labeled, check your owner's manual to notice it.^[2]
4
Wrap a rag over the cap and remove it. The radiator and overflow caps blot engine heat from the coolant; using a rag protects you from existence scalded.^[3]
- Place your pointer finger and middle finger from ane hand together and press downward on the cap while simultaneously turning the cap off with your other hand. This will prevent a coolant burst in the event that the system is notwithstanding pressurized.
5

Bank check the radiator fluid level. The coolant level should be near the superlative. If at that place is any "Full" marking etched into the radiator metallic, that is the level to where your coolant should be.
6

Discover the cap to your radiator overflow tank and remove it. Also the radiator tank, about modern cars have an overflow tank for the radiator fluid to expand into when it gets hot. You lot should normally find little fluid in hither, if whatsoever. If your coolant level is low in the radiator and almost full in the overflow tank long subsequently the car has been driven, take the car in for servicing at once.
7

Cheque the freezing and boiling betoken of your coolant. Over time, the ability of your radiator fluid to absorb and dissipate heat declines. Yous test the freezing and boiling points with an antifreeze hydrometer. See the directions under "Checking the Coolant Protection Level."
8
Add coolant as needed. Add together the fluid to the overflow tank if your car has i; otherwise, add it to the radiator. (You may want to use a funnel to prevent spillage.) Nether most driving conditions, antifreeze should exist mixed with distilled water at a one to i ratio, or half antifreeze and half distilled water. In more astringent climates, you tin get every bit high as lxx percent antifreeze to 30 pct h2o, but no college.
- Do not add fluid while the engine is still warm.

1

Clasp the hydrometer bulb. This forces air out of the hydrometer.^[4]
2

Insert the hydrometer's safe tube into the coolant.
3

Release the bulb. This draws coolant into the hydrometer, so it floats either the needle or the plastic balls inside the hydrometer.^[5]
4

Remove the hydrometer from the coolant.
5
Read the freezing or boiling point level on the hydrometer. If your hydrometer uses a needle, the needle should betoken to either a specific temperature or temperature range. If it uses a series of plastic balls, the number of assurance that can float indicates how well your antifreeze protects the engine from freeze-up or boil over. If the level is insufficient, you will demand either to add coolant or replace it.^[half-dozen]
- You should exam the coolant protection level in the spring and fall, and more often if you drive the automobile under extreme atmospheric condition.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

While the terms "antifreeze" and "coolant" are used interchangeably, properly "antifreeze" refers to the product mixed with h2o, and coolant refers to the mixture.^[7]
It is important to the health of your automobile to change your coolant at regular intervals. Cheque your owners manual to meet how frequently yous should change your coolant.^[8] A proficient rule of thumb is to change the radiator fluid every thirty,000 miles.^[nine]

If yous notice fluid underneath your machine matching the color of its antifreeze, or observe a sulfurous smell, hear a whistling audio or the temperature gauge goes upwardly and stays up when you drive, take your machine in for servicing immediately.
Most antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which is toxic to humans and animals. Old antifreeze should exist disposed of properly. Ask your local auto trunk shop where you can safely dispose of antifreeze. Never pour it on your backyard or in a tempest bleed.^[10]

Advert

Things You'll Need

Antifreeze/coolant
Distilled h2o
Antifreeze hydrometer/tester
Rag
Funnel (optional)

About This Article

Article Summary X

To bank check or add radiator fluid, start past parking your car on a level surface and turning it off before raising the hood. And then, use a rag to open the radiator cap and check if the fluid is near the meridian, which means you take plenty coolant around your radiator. If the fluid is not at the top of the opening, fill up the empty infinite with ane part antifreeze and one role distilled water. For cars with an overflow tank next to the radiator, add the coolant through the cap in the overflow tank, instead of directly into the radiator. To learn how to test the coolant protection level using a hydrometer, read on!

Did this summary aid you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 816,821 times.