What are the disadvantages of adding too much antifreeze?
2 Answers
Adding too much antifreeze can increase the pressure after the antifreeze expands, which may cause the antifreeze to overflow. It is recommended that car owners do not add excessive antifreeze. The full name of antifreeze should be antifreeze coolant, meaning a coolant with antifreeze function. Antifreeze can prevent the coolant from freezing and cracking the radiator or damaging the engine cylinder block or head when the car is parked in cold winter. The engines used in cars are water-cooled engines, which rely on the continuous circulation of coolant inside the engine to dissipate heat. Generally, the antifreeze reservoir will have a max high-level mark and a min low-level mark. The antifreeze should be added to a level between max and min. Antifreeze should be added when the car is stationary, as adding it at high temperatures may result in inaccurate water level readings.
Adding too much antifreeze is indeed not good. I encountered this situation when servicing my car before. If the antifreeze in the radiator is overfilled, it can easily expand and overflow when the car heats up. That liquid is quite corrosive and may damage the metal components around the radiator. Moreover, overfilling the antifreeze increases the burden on the water pump, and over time, the water pump oil seal can fail, leading to leaks, which would be troublesome. Another issue is that the overflow tube on the radiator cap may spray liquid everywhere, creating a mess and emitting a strong, unpleasant odor. If the spilled liquid gets on the car paint, it can corrode the paint surface over time. I recommend filling it to the middle between the upper and lower level marks for safety. If you've added too much, use a thin tube to siphon some out—don't cut corners.
