Can Car Antifreeze Prevent Rust?
2 Answers
Car antifreeze can prevent rust. The components of antifreeze are: 1. Calcium chloride in inorganic substances; 2. Methanol in organic substances; 3. Ethanol; 4. Ethylene glycol; 5. Glycerol; 6. Lubricating oil; 7. Pure soft water. The full name of antifreeze is antifreeze coolant, which is a coolant with antifreeze function. It can prevent the coolant from freezing and cracking the radiator or freezing the engine cylinder block when parking in cold winter. The method of replacing car antifreeze is: 1. Open the car hood after the engine cools down; 2. Open the antifreeze tank cap; 3. Lift the vehicle and open the radiator drain plug, drain the old antifreeze and reinstall the drain plug; 4. Lower the car and pour antifreeze into the antifreeze tank.
I've observed that car antifreeze indeed prevents rust, which is quite important because I've seen a friend's car whose engine waterways got rusted and clogged due to untimely antifreeze replacement. Antifreeze doesn't just prevent freezing in winter or overheating in summer; its core components like ethylene glycol also include rust inhibitors such as borates or organic acids, which form a protective layer on metal surfaces to prevent corrosion from water and oxygen on aluminum alloy or iron components. If the wrong brand is used or different colored antifreezes are mixed, the rust prevention effect diminishes, easily leading to leaks and poor heat dissipation. Therefore, it's crucial to read the instructions when selecting a product. Typically, it should be replaced every two to three years or every 40,000 to 50,000 kilometers to avoid letting old antifreeze compromise the car's health.