The cooling system maintains the temperature of the engine, making sure that it does not become too hot. It is very important for the coolant to flow properly in the water jackets around the engine to keep the operating temperature optimum.
But due to the weather conditions, sometimes the coolant cannot flow properly and may get frozen in the water jackets. The antifreeze solutions are used in these situations to keep the flow of coolant smooth and optimum.
There are many popular antifreeze items available in market, some of which will be discussed in this Best Antifreeze review depending on their benefits and lacking.
What is Antifreeze Solution?
An antifreeze solution is a type of additive which is used in the cooling system of automobiles by mixing it with water normally. The function of antifreeze is to lower the freezing point of the coolant in cold weather regions. This prevents the coolant from freezing before reaching extremely low temperature and the flow remains smooth even in minus degree Celsius weather conditions.
Antifreezes also elevates the boiling point of coolants in case of extreme hot weathers, so that the coolant does not get boiled or evaporated easily in the ambient temperature soon after the vehicle starts running.
Best Antifreeze Review
From many of the products available in the market of Antifreeze category, some of the items are most appreciated and recommended for their performance by the users. In this section, some of the popular items will be discussed.
1. Zerex G-05 Antifreeze
This item comes from the brand Valvoline. The model number of this item is ZXG051. It comes in a container having 9.85 pounds of the liquid.
Features and benefits
The product is made from precision European technology which gives it a longer performance life. The antifreeze solution is suitable for both gasoline and Diesel engines, which gives it a long range of vehicles to be used in. The product can be used in passenger cars, light trucks and even heavy transport machines.
This product is a universal solution for all vehicles. The item contains nitrite and has a lower value of pH as well as reduced silicate, which prevent it from corroding with any metal parts of the car. This efficiently phosphate-free solution can be used in any metallic cooling system of all the vehicles.
In addition to that, the additives contained in this product help in preventing the formation of scaling inside the engine and also prevent the hard water deposit in the cooling system. The high quality de-foaming system is also safe for hoses, car finishes and other car plastics.
A 50 percent dilution using water makes the product give best performance against the weather effects of boiling in summer and freezing in winter. Moreover, this product is approved by reputed brand Ford for many of its car models.
Cons of the product
The product needs a great deal of dilution for its best performance, which may be an extra hassle for the user. Also it comes in a large liquid quantity, which can take a long time by the user to finish the entire product after once the container has been opened.
2. Audi Antifreeze and Summer Coolant
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This product comes from Audi and is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The item is preferred by many users who own the vehicle from the brand Audi.
Features and benefits
This product will perform smoothly in Audi and Volkswagen cars once it has been diluted properly. The solution needs a mixing with water in 50:50 ratios before it can be used. The product has been officially tested with alloys used in Volkswagen engines, radiator and other parts.
The results of the test guarantee that the product just performs smoothly with Volkswagen engines. Moreover the product being a genuine OEM, the manufacturer claims that it will serve a lifetime of 2 years. This decreases the coolant addition cost for the user, as it lasts longer than many other products.
Cons of the product
The dilution process of this product needs distilled or de-mineralized water, which may raise some cost. The product has not been tasted fully to be used with North American generic vehicles, so the compatibility of this item with those vehicles cannot be guaranteed.
3. Prestone AF2100-6pk Extended life antifreeze
This product is from one of the most popular brands Prestone having modeled number AF2100. The package of 6 bottles of this product comes with a weight of 56.9 pounds
Features and benefits
The ethylene glycol based product is ready to use, which means no prior preparation is required before using the product. It saves time of the user, as no additional dilution will be required. The item is a universal item, which means it can be used in any car irrespective of the brand or model of the vehicle.
The added inhibitors of this product ensures the extended lifetime and increased protection for the radiator and other parts of the cooling system of the car by making sure there will be no rusting, scaling or corrosion in the cooling system of the vehicle. The product does not contain any silicates, phosphates or nitrites, which makes it the cleanest of the peer products.
It is able to give improved performance, quality and durability with higher degree of weather protection. The product will serve the user all along the year. The product has a premixing of 50 percent demineralized water with it, to make the user free of the hassle.
The product is capable of serving all the passenger cars, trucks or even heavy duty vehicles. This makes the product a universal antifreeze item.
Cons of the product
The products biggest demerit is that it is not easily available locally and it needs to be collected in the package of six bottles. This can be a problem for a user who does not need a large amount of antifreeze and live in small towns where this product is unavailable.
4. Pentosin Coolant Antifreeze SF
This product from the brand Pentosin has a model number 8114107. It comes in a plastic container, and weight of the liquid is 3.9 pounds.
Features and benefits
This pink colored clear antifreeze has the minimalist ethylene glycol formula containing only 30-50 ppm of Denatonium Benzoate. This product is a perfect fit for old cars even if the cooling system of the vehicle is already outdated.
The product is suitable for most of the German car models and the compatibility of it with the new model vehicles is quite good as it is with the old ones. The price of this product is also noticeably less comparative to its peer products, which attracts a good amount of car owners to use it.
Cons of the product
This product is quite hazardous for both adults and children. Care should be taken before using it in the cooling system of your vehicle.
5. Star Brite Star-cool Premium Synthetic PG engine Coolant
This item is manufactured by Star Brite and the model number is 033200. 9.18 pounds of liquid antifreeze comes in the container of this product.
Features and benefits
This product provides active protection against engine overheating problems comparative to the other peer products available. It comprises of a non-toxic and biodegradable formula, which makes it the most environment friendly product of this category.
The product is devoid of any silicate, phosphate, borate, nitrate and amine which make it a clog preventive product for your car. The effectiveness of this product gives the car maximum performance and quality of operation.
The PCT additives of this product ensure that the perfect temperature of engine is maintained. It helps to reduce the temperature of the engine at a faster rate comparative to other coolants.
The product is premixed and does not need any additional dilution, which saves the time of the user. It is a safe product for Aluminium, Iron or Copper engines as well as for the gaskets and sealing, which makes it available for use in most of the vehicles.
Cons of the product
This item is not suitable for heavy duty engines.
6. Zerex Original Green Antifreeze
This is another product from the brand Zerex and the model number is ZXRU1. The package contains 9 pounds of liquid antifreeze.
Features and benefits
The item is a ready to go product and does not make the user waste some time on preparation of the solution or diluting the product. The pricing of this item is also pretty less which makes it an affordable option for most of the users. The item is capable of providing the basic protection for cooling system of the vehicles.
The patented formula of this product provides impeccable temperature and corrosion protection to prevent unwanted dirty deposits within the cooling system of the car. The product can maintain engine performance of the car even at a low temperature like 34 degree Celsius.
Cons of the product
The item is really cheap and affordable but the quality of the product is not as good and reliable to be used in high performance and heavy duty vehicles.
7. Valvoline Maxlife Universal Antifreeze
This item comes from brand Maxlife with model number 719005. The weight of this item is 9 pounds.
Features and benefits
This is a universal antifreeze product which works great with all models of passenger cars and light trucks. It is one of the products that have the most numbers of positive reviews by the users. It is the only product having Alugard Plus, which is a unique additive that prevents corrosion and rust formation in the engine parts effectively.
The product also lubricates seals, gaskets and other parts of engine for the sake of greater efficiency with increased lifetime. The parts being lubricated do not damage soon and can serve for longer times. This coolant can provide good support to the cooling system of the car in both the summer and winter seasons effectively.
Cons of the product
The product is not a good fit for heavy duty vehicles.
What to Consider before Buying Antifreeze?
Before someone buys antifreeze for the cooling system of his vehicle, he needs to select the one item that will be most appropriate to be used in his car. The user needs to know the parameters based on which he can judge the suitability of the product with his vehicle.
We will discuss some of the parameters found in best antifreeze products in this section.
The technology of the vehicle
- American automobiles generally use antifreeze with silicates and phosphate corrosion inhibitors
- Japanese automobiles use antifreeze which do not have silicates in it
- European automobiles use antifreeze having no phosphates
These are the common and generalized criteria for antifreeze selection based on the country of origin of the vehicle. The owner should keep it in mind first.
The formula of antifreeze
The formula that is used to produce antifreeze has a great impact on its usability with the various metallic parts of the car. The vehicles having an engine made of Aluminium use antifreeze produced
There are also many vehicles having radiators made of Brass or Copper. For those vehicles antifreeze made of IAT (Inorganic Additive Technology) formula can be used only.
The environmental laws
The geographic area where the vehicle is supposed to run has a lot to do with choosing the proper antifreeze. There are countries which consider environmental impact of the vehicle seriously and have different environmental standards which must be met.
Those regions might make the user go for organic antifreeze solutions which can be biodegraded. For developed countries like USA, Canada and many others, this is a serious criterion to consider before buying your product.
Weather protection
The main reason for using antifreeze is to ensure that the flow of the coolant will be proper and effective in both cold and hot weathers. It should always be made sure that the antifreeze reduces the freezing point and raises the boiling point of the coolant sufficiently, according to the weather of the region where the vehicle will be used.
Mixing issues
Some antifreeze solutions need the mixing of the antifreeze with the coolant (normally water) in different proportions (generally in 50:50 ratios) before the product can be used. The user must determine whether he can carry out this mixing process properly or not. If the user is unable to execute the mixing, he must only choose the premixed solutions.
Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Are Antifreeze and coolant the same thing?
Ans: both terms have been used for similar purposes overtimes, but they actually are not the same. Antifreeze is mixed with water to produce the coolant mixture. It is actually a component of the coolant mixture.
Q. Do I need to dilute antifreeze before use?
Ans: There are different antifreeze solutions available in the market, some of which are premixed. For premixed items, the user need not do any further dilution. In the case of other samples, the user has to dilute the solution as per instructed by the manufacturer.
Q. How much dilution might antifreeze need if it is not premixed?
Ans: This verily depends on the instructions from the manufacturer. The ratio of dilution will not be the same for all the products.
Q. How long does antifreeze solution serve?
Ans: This depends on the particular product. Some items may serve for a period of about two years or even more than that.
Q. Can antifreeze solutions cause corrosion or damage to the cooling system?
Ans: Most of the antifreeze solutions in modern days have additives which are corrosion inhibitors. Some of the solutions are made of OAT (Organic Additive Technology), which also can get biodegraded. These solutions will not harm the cooling system by any means.
If the antifreeze solution contains added silicates or phosphates in it, then in that case only some damages may be made to the cooling system. Such antifreeze should be avoided by the user.
Conclusion
Antifreeze solutions can help to get the best performance of the engine if they are chosen properly. The user should check all the important parameters before opting for a particular product. The wrong choice may cause some damages to the seals and gaskets of the cooling system by wear and corrosion.
Antifreeze should not only keep the coolant from being frozen, but it also should assure smooth flow of it by not forming any sludge inside the cooling system. A user should always care about this fact.
One particular antifreeze item may not always be able to serve cooling system of all type of vehicles properly. So choosing one of the popular items for your car without considering its compatibility with your vehicle would not be wise.
This Best Antifreeze review article should guide the user to select the perfect antifreeze solution for his vehicle thoroughly.
Hi, it’s Bucky Balls
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