Seasonal replacement of technical fluids
Winter has arrived, and with it – the need to replace technical fluids with winter, non-freezing ones. You should take this issue seriously, otherwise car maintenance will cost a lot of money. Read the recommendations below.
Selection considerations and replacement process
- Washer tank fluid
The result of untimely replacement is: pump failure, clogged hoses, burst connection fittings or nozzles. All of these problems – result from the high pressure of frozen water inside the windscreen washer system.
How to choose. Trust certified products recommended by your car brand dealer or a reputable shop.
Liquid of poor quality will give off a pungent moonshine odour that can provoke dizziness, weakness and even poisoning. Not only that, but cheap counterfeit will corrode the paintwork on your car body.
A bad quality liquid will give off a pungent odour that can cause dizziness, weakness and even poisoning.
How to replace. When pouring new fluid into the washer tank, you should pump it through the entire system, in which there should be no water left. You will need approximately 1.5 litres of non-freezing windscreen washer fluid and several runs for this purpose.
Cooling system fluid
Frozen water in the radiator – a sure way to destroy the cylinder block, so do not forget to fill the engine cooling system with tosol or antifreeze. These allow the liquid to thicken rather than freeze at low ambient temperatures.
Freezing water in the radiator – a sure way to destroy the cylinder block.
How to choose. When buying antifreeze, pay attention to the country of manufacture. Trust products from Russia, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
Besides cooling the engine, antifreeze should have other useful characteristics: do not boil, do not foam, have a high heat capacity and thermal conductivity. These properties are provided by special additives (additives), which are neglected by unscrupulous underground companies.
How to replace. Antifreezes are sold in concentrated form. They are diluted with distilled, desalinated water before filling.
When changing antifreeze, you should also consider the possibility of air locks. To avoid these, fill by gravity and remember to open the heater to run the antifreeze into the heat exchanger.
- Brake fluid
Poor quality or used brake fluid can cause brake system malfunction and cause an accident.
How to choose. Don't skimp on your safety and neglect buying brake fluids from vendors in the nearest market. It is better to visit authorised outlets and consult experienced car mechanics.
The universal brake system protectant is DOT-5.1/ABS. This fluid contains a number of glycol ethers and silicone, giving it a high boiling point and good lubrication properties.
Brake system protection.
How to replace. Contact a car service centre. Changing the brake fluid yourself – quite a troublesome process, because you need to remove air from the brake system, and this requires certain skills and workshop equipment.
As you can see, the replacement of technical fluids, – one of their priority tasks of the car owner when preparing the car for winter. And the sooner you do it, the longer your car will last.
