What Types of Radiator Coolant Should I Use for My Truck?

If you want your truck's engine to run normally and smoothly, then choosing the right truck radiator is especially important. In order to effectively prevent the engine from overheating and prolong the service life of the engine, we must choose the correct radiator coolant. Moreover, different types of radiator coolants also have different properties. For example, ethylene glycol-based coolants have better antifreeze performance than propylene glycol-based coolants. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right radiator coolant for your truck. How to choose? Then read this article, and let Hongdao take you to understand it.

• The role of truck radiator coolant

The role of the truck radiator coolant is to flow between the engine water channel and the radiator through the pressure of the water pump, thereby taking away excess heat and achieving cooling effect. The coolant also has the functions of anti-corrosion, anti-scaling and anti-freezing. Radiator coolant is not only to reduce the temperature of the engine, but more importantly, it undertakes the key task of protecting the engine. It circulates, absorbs and rejects heat to ensure the engine remains within the optimum temperature range, preventing overheating and damage.

• Common Truck Radiator Coolant Types

Since there are many types of truck radiator coolant, we need to understand the most common types so that we can better distinguish them. We typically come across the main types of conventional green coolants (mineral coolants), organic acid coolants (OAT) and hybrid organic acid coolants (HOAT). Each type has its characteristics and advantages.

1. Traditional green coolant is a kind of aqueous coolant, and the mixture composed of water, antifreeze and preservative is also the most common type. Traditional green coolants are cheap and have good heat dissipation and corrosion resistance. It fits many truck makes and models and performs well in a wide range of working conditions. But it has a short lifespan and needs to be replaced every two years.

2. Organic acid coolant (OAT) is a kind of anhydrous coolant or non-aqueous coolant. It is a mixture of organic compounds, inorganic salts and additives. It is an advanced type of coolant. OAT has a longer service life and better corrosion resistance. It excels at high temperatures and protects radiators and other engine parts better. Moreover, it has good environmental protection performance and does not contain substances harmful to the environment such as nitrates and borates.

3. Hybrid organic acid coolant (HOAT), which is a mixture of traditional green coolant and organic acid coolant, combining the advantages of both. It has good anti-oxidation performance and can effectively prevent oxidation reactions inside the engine. It provides long-lasting protection and performs well in a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions.

• Choosing the Right Truck Radiator Coolant for Your Truck

In addition to considering the type of coolant for your truck's radiator, the manufacturer's recommendations and specifications also need to be considered. Because different truck manufacturers may have specific requirements for coolant selection, we should follow the manufacturer's recommendations to ensure optimum performance and protection. If the radiator coolant used is not recommended by the manufacturer, it is likely to cause some damage to the radiator and even the engine.

In addition, we should also consider the operating environment and application of the truck. If we are in a cold winter or at high altitude, we need to choose a coolant that can withstand low temperatures and prevent the coolant from freezing. This coolant should have excellent low-temperature characteristics and be able to maintain a liquid state in extremely cold conditions to ensure the normal operation of the engine and avoid damage to the cooling system. If we are in a high temperature summer or desert area, we need to choose a coolant that can effectively reduce the engine temperature and has good high temperature resistance. Such a coolant maintains stable performance at high temperatures, prevents the engine from overheating and reduces the load on the radiator.

Finally, we also have to consider the durability and protection of the radiator coolant. We should choose those coolants with long service life, anti-corrosion and anti-deposition properties to reduce maintenance frequency and protect radiator and engine.

• Considerations when choosing truck radiator coolant

1. Regularly check the level and quality of the coolant. We should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for regular checks to make sure the coolant level is within the proper range. Low levels of coolant can cause the engine to overheat, while too high a level can lead to overpressure and damage the cooling system. In addition, we should also check the quality of the coolant to ensure that it is free of impurities, dirt or corrosive substances.

2. Fill the coolant correctly. We should follow the manufacturer's recommendations and use the correct ratio and procedure for the coolant charge. Too little or too much coolant can negatively affect engine performance and protection.

3. Deal with the problem of coolant leakage in time. If a coolant leak is found, we cannot ignore it, but should take timely measures to repair it. Coolant leaks can be caused by damaged cooling system parts, poor seals, or wear. Leaks should be checked and repaired to prevent loss of coolant and overheating of the engine.

4. Additional precautions and recommendations to ensure effective use of coolant. This includes avoiding mixing different types of coolant, as different types of coolant may react chemically, reducing their performance and protection. In addition, we should also pay attention to avoid adding coolant directly to the hot engine, so as not to cause sudden temperature changes and damage the cooling system.

When choosing a truck radiator coolant, we need to consider the manufacturer's recommendations, operating environment and application, durability and protection performance and other factors. Choosing the right radiator coolant not only protects the engine, but also provides reliable performance and long-lasting protection. Let's choose the right radiator coolant to bring better cooling and reliability to our trucks.

FAQs

Q1: Can truck radiator coolants be mixed?

Do not mix different brands and different types of coolant. If you want to change to another coolant, it is best to drain the old coolant first, and clean all the cooling lines before adding.

Q2: How often does the truck radiator coolant need to be replaced?

Generally, the radiator coolant needs to be changed every two years or every 40,000 kilometers. If the radiator coolant is discolored or cloudy, or there are abnormalities such as foam, it needs to be replaced in time.

Q3: How to add truck radiator coolant?

The engine needs to be parked and shut off before adding radiator coolant. Then open the radiator cap and drain the old coolant from the radiator. Then add new radiator coolant to the designated location.