by Garrett McKinnon
VehicleMD Staff Writer
Originally published in Fall 2010 Issue

Remember the Fonz? An entire generation of kids in the 1970s and early ’80s (and, yep, that would include yours truly) watched Henry Winkler portray Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, aka “The Fonz,” on the hit TV show “Happy Days.” From his impeccably groomed hair to his black leather jacket to his confidence with girls, the Fonz was the epitome of cool.

It’s good to be cool. Everyone who survived high school knows that. But it’s also true for your car. After all, if your car loses its “cool,” it can mean big trouble.

The main function of a car’s cooling system is, not surprisingly, to remove heat from the engine. If this heat is not removed, the engine will be damaged, potentially even destroyed. The cooling system accomplishes its protective duties by circulating coolant—which is a specially formulated liquid, usually a type of alcohol, mixed in equal parts with water—throughout the engine and then back through the radiator, which transfers heat from the coolant into the air that passes through the radiator.

However, any time you mix liquid and metal, you tend to get corrosion, so coolant has to be able to treat the cooling system to inhibit corrosion. In addition, when water freezes, it expands. If the coolant mixture inside a vehicle were to freeze, it could expand and rupture vital engine components like the radiator or even the engine block. Once again, coolant has to be able to resist freezing (which is why it is sometimes referred to as “antifreeze”).

Industry experts estimate that about 40 percent of engine downtime is caused by cooling system problems, so it’s critically important for both your schedule and your wallet that the cooling system be maintained, which can be done in a couple of different ways.

“First, a coolant flush takes place when old fluid is flushed from the system, cleaning deposits while ridding the system of corrosion and contaminants. Once a flush is complete, new fluid is placed back in the clean system,” said Sarkis Aroyan, a senior engineer with Penray. “Second, a simple solution is to introduce coolant additives to the system. A quality product will prevent corrosion, scale, rust and overheating while maintaining pH levels in the system.”

Not all coolants are created equal, something usually denoted by color. “Green coolant, a phosphate and silicate formula, is typically considered the traditional fluid present in most vehicles. It is usually recommended to drain, flush and replace green coolant every two years or 30,000 miles,” Aroyan said. “Orange coolant, a phosphate- and silicate-free formula often referred to as Dex-Cool or organic acid coolant, is considered an extended-life coolant and is found in most GM vhielces. There are an abundance of other colors, like fuchsia, red, blue and yellow, that are variations of different formulas and often designed for specific applications. With all the different colors and chemistries available, it is more important than ever to maintain the cooling system.”

Experts recommend that drivers ask their auto service technician to check the color, clarity, freeze point and chemical protection of their coolant at every maintenance interval. These few simple tests can indicate whether the coolant is providing adequate levels of protection. If it is not, the cooling system can either be flushed and new coolant added, or additives can be mixed with the existing coolant to restore its effectiveness.

“Because the coolant affects so many parts of a vehicle, a properly maintained cooling system significantly decreases the possibility of vehicle downtime,” Aroyan said.

Which is a good thing. After all, what could be more “un-cool” than having a car that’s stuck on the side of the road with a cooling system problem?