Mini cooper coolant symbol how to#
Mini cooper coolant symbol manual#

prevent rust and corrosion of metal parts.

prevent engine water from boiling in summer.

prevent engine coolant from freezing in winter.

A reputable antifreeze that has been changed based on the retailers recommended guide and has the correct mixture should provide year-round protection to: 100% antifreeze actually has a much higher freezing point at around -20° C or -5° F, compared to a 50/50 mix with water.Īnother benefit is that a good quality antifreeze, or engine coolant that has been regularly changed prevents rust corrosion. A 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water will begin to boil between 240° C and 270° C (464° F and 518° F), although the exact boiling point depends on the pressure of the mixture in the engine.Īn obvious question might be, can you use 100% antifreeze? water is in fact the catalyst that makes antifreeze work. A mixture of 50% water and 50% antifreeze will freeze at around -37° C or -35° F.Īntifreeze also raises the boiling point, water boils at around 100° C, or 212° F, increasing this temperature will benefit a hot engine as boiling water can damage an engine.

In case you’re asking ‘what temperature does antifreeze freeze, water freezes at 0° C, or 32° F. As the name suggests, antifreeze prevents the coolant inside your engine from freezing under normal winter conditions. The chemicals in antifreeze have huge benefits, and not only in winter. Antifreeze has many benefits to the engine cooling system. Ethylene glycol, or a more recent, less hazardous additive, but far more expensive propylene glycol can also be used. Typical colour of engine coolant / antifreezeĪntifreeze is a combination of distilled water and a type of alcohol. The colour of the engine coolant does not necessarily indicate a specific type. Engine coolant or antifreeze does in fact come in a variety of colours from green, yellow, pink, red, or orange. Commonly seen as a green colour as the bottle to the right suggests, engine coolant is a mixture of water and antifreeze. To ensure the engine is kept at an optimal running temperature, engine coolant is used. Veins in the radiator contain the hot coolant which air cools as the vehicle moves forward.Īirflow through the veins is maintained by a fan if the vehicle becomes hot due to being stationary for long periods.Ī significant number of engine failures are attributed in some way to engine cooling problems. The engine coolant becomes hot itself and so is transferred to a radiator located at the front of the car. Around half of this heat goes out of the exhaust, whilst the remaining heat remains inside the engine block.Ĭar engines need a way of cooling down else they will continue to increase in temperature until the working metal components inside will begin to literally melt, fuse together and the engine will seize. Engine coolant is a water based liquid that absorbs the heat from the engine. Some of this energy is used to move the vehicle forward (around one third), the other two thirds of the energy produced is converted to heat. Animals love its sweet taste, so even a spilling a small amount on your garage floor can end up in the dog's stomach pretty quickly.Car engines create a great deal of energy by burning petrol or diesel. Promptly wipe up any spilled fluid as it is highly toxic. Always wear safety goggles when working on your Cooper. Removing the coolant reservoir cap on a warm engine could cause the cap to fly off at a high rate of speed and fluid to spray out of the reservoir. These coolants will typically say 50/50 or pre-mixed on the front of the coolant bottle.

Some coolants will come premixed-that is, you don't need to add any water. Mix the coolant / antifreeze with distilled water so that you have a combination of 50% coolant and 50% water.

Mini cooper coolant symbol manual#

Be sure to check your owners manual to determine the correct type of fluid to add - for Minis, it will typically be in a section titled Fluid Capacities in the back of your manual.

Mini cooper coolant symbol how to#

The video above shows you where the coolant reservoir in your Cooper is located and how to add coolant / antifreeze. Make sure to check your engine when it is cold for an accurate reading. Engine coolant / antifreeze circulates through your engine to keep it cool in the summer but won't freeze in the winter. Adding engine coolant (also known as antifreeze) to your 2003 Mini Cooper is pretty easy.