How Much Coolant to Add?
2 Answers
Add 5 to 6 liters of coolant. The method for adding coolant is: 1. Open the front hood and tighten the radiator drain switch; 2. Pour coolant into the radiator until it overflows; 3. Tighten the radiator filler cap; 4. Pour engine coolant into the reservoir tank. The functions of coolant are: 1. Prevent corrosion of metal parts and aging of rubber components; 2. Prevent the coolant from freezing and cracking the radiator or damaging the engine cylinder block when parking in cold seasons; 3. Prevent the engine water temperature from getting too high, ensuring the engine operates at normal working temperature; 4. Reduce scale formation to avoid clogging the circulation pipes and affecting the cooling system's heat dissipation function; 5. Provide lubrication for the water pump thermostat and other components.
I've been working with cars for decades, and there are some tricks to adding coolant. Open the hood and locate the expansion tank, usually a transparent plastic bottle marked with MAX and MIN. Just fill it between these two marks—don’t exceed MAX, or it might spray out when the engine heats up and expands. The manual might say the total capacity is, say, 4 to 8 liters, but for daily top-ups, ignore that and just watch the fluid level. When I was young and lazy, I once hit the road without adding enough, and the temperature gauge shot up on the highway—scared me to death, nearly wrecked the engine. Since then, I’ve made it a habit to check regularly: antifreeze in winter, anti-boil in summer, and always use the right color to avoid mixing (green and red can react). The correct method is to wait until the engine is off and cooled before opening the cap, pour slowly to avoid spills, and top it up to the MAX line if it’s below MIN.
