What happens if my car runs out of antifreeze

The antifreeze or coolant fluid is a vital engine fluid its good and correct operation, and is that losing its anticorrosive properties or depletion can end up endangering the integrity of the engine. That is why it is so important to keep your levels controlled, change it with some regularity and keep informed about its maintenance. In the following article you can solve all the doubts and answer the question of what happens if your car runs out of antifreeze. Keep reading and pay attention!

What is antifreeze?

The antifreeze or coolant fluid is an essential fluid for the motor of a vehicle to work properly and avoid possible mechanical problems. It receives the name of both antifreeze and refrigerant because it contains a component called ethylene glycol that gives it the ability to change its properties according to the ambient temperature.

That is, on the one hand, against low temperatures acts as an antifreeze avoiding the freezing of the engine and, on the other, at high temperatures increases its boiling point and allows to combat excess heat or heating in the engine.

Consequences of the lack or loss of antifreeze

There are many important functions exercised by antifreeze in a vehicle and, among them, we find that it serves to protect the engine, make it work properly at very low temperatures, protect all elements of the circuit from corrosion and prevent calcareous formations .

When this liquid is insufficient or not renewed when required, it loses all its anticorrosive properties, endangering the operation of the engine and its efficiency, as well as severe wear of its moving parts, plugging of the radiators, among other problems. That is why it is so important to check your levels regularly and replace it every certain time so that driving is safe and you can keep your vehicle in perfect condition.

When to change the antifreeze liquid?

In general, the change of antifreeze fluid is usually carried out every two years or between 40, 000 and 60, 000 km, although this can obviously vary depending on the conditions in which the vehicle is located.

In addition, it is essential to select and use the most suitable antifreeze for the engine of your vehicle, something that you can verify in the manual of your car, since it is always advisable to follow the instructions indicated by the manufacturer.

It is best that you replace the antifreeze fluid in your usual garage, but in the event that this is not possible and you need to do it yourself, we recommend you consult the article How to change the antifreeze fluid of the car to do it correctly and not cause engine problems.