What Is the Impact of Adding the Wrong Antifreeze to Your Vehicle?

by | Apr 4, 2018 | Business

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Coolant plays a crucial role in ensuring that your Florida company’s fleet is operable. It protects against high heat, as well as freezing temperatures. It must be changed out periodically, as it breaks down over time and through usage. Of course, you need to work with the right antifreeze supplier to ensure that you have the right type of engine coolant on hand for all of your fleet vehicles, but because different vehicles may need completely different types of antifreeze, there’s the possibility that the wrong type may be added to an engine during regular maintenance. What might happen in this case?

First, the repercussions will depend on exactly what type of antifreeze was used, and whether or not the engine was operated.

The best defense in the case that the wrong coolant has been added to a fleet vehicle is to drain the radiator and coolant system, and then perform a power flush. This will involve connecting the coolant system to a special piece of equipment that will flush out the problem liquid. The issue here is that when you combine two types of incompatible coolant, they can form a gel, rather than remaining liquid. That gel then inhibits the flow of coolant around the engine, leading to overheating and significant heat-related damage. Heat damage can ultimately kill the engine, forcing you to pay for a replacement, or even requiring the replacement of the vehicle itself.

For Florida businesses with fleets that need to be properly maintained, it’s essential that the right coolant is used. Work with a reputable antifreeze supplier, and make sure that your maintenance crew is well aware of the coolant requirements for individual vehicles within your fleet.