Honda Parts 101: All About Coolant

Everyone knows how important oil is to their vehicles, but there are plenty of other fluids that help protect critical Honda parts from damage and keep your car running smoothly, such as coolant. Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about this liquid, courtesy of the experts at Pacific Honda.

What Is Coolant?

Coolant is a liquid that, as its name implies, helps cool down the engine. Your engine works hard to keep your vehicle going, but all that work creates a lot of heat. If left on its own, your engine would end up damaging itself and plenty of other crucial car parts.

The coolant found in your vehicle is usually a mixture of ethylene glycol and water. Pure ethylene glycol cools things down, but it’s not as effective as water is, so the mixture of these liquids is ideal.

Why Not Just Use Water?

If water is so good at cooling things down, why use ethylene glycol or mix these liquids together in the first place? Can’t you just use water?

Water is great at cooling down components, but it can cause rust to form on iron parts in your vehicle. This can lead to rust being carried elsewhere in your vehicle, where it can lead to a build-up of sediment and blockages that affect important Honda parts. Another problem is that water will freeze and expand, but coolant does not have this issue.

When Do I Need New Coolant?

Your routine maintenance schedule should tell you when you should have the coolant system flushed and changed. This milestone can vary from every 10,000 miles to every 50,000 miles. If you can see rust particles or other things floating in the coolant, that means it needs to be flushed.

Learn More About Honda Parts in San Diego, CA

If you think that you need new coolant or any other kind of maintenance, visit our Honda service center in San Diego. Our factory-trained mechanics are ready to assist you with all your automotive needs.