Make Sure Your Cooling System Is Ready for Winter

There are a variety of steps you must take to winterize a diesel vehicle, among which is making sure the cooling system is good to go during the colder months.

Here is a quick overview of the steps you must take to protect your diesel truck’s cooling system during the winter in Memphis, TN.

What to know

For the cooling system to work properly, you must maintain a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze. This will ensure not only that you keep the engine cool, but also that you protect the engine against potential freezing of the fluids. It will also provide some extra protection to some components and passages within the engine that could be damaged by freezing and thawing cycles without the antifreeze.

If the fluids in your engine were to freeze, it could result in serious damage. The engine of your vehicle has a series of press-fit freeze plugs designed to break if the fluid in the engine freezes. If the plug breaks, then you’ll have a leaking coolant system at best, and severe engine damage as a major possibility. If the plug doesn’t function properly, the freezing water will result in the engine block and cylinder liners getting damaged instead, which will necessitate engine replacement.

The good news is that keeping your coolant at the proper levels is easy, and will go a long way toward keeping the entire cooling system in good condition.

Most manufacturers of engine coolants add a freeze protection chart on the back of the container, which you can look at to determine the coolant-to-water ratio. Most coolants require a 50/50 mixture, and will offer protection down to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. You may be able to increase that ratio, depending on the coolant, to get protection at even significantly lower temperatures than that, but for most people in the United States that additional level of protection will be unnecessary.

Check the coolant

Even if you have enough engine coolant, though, it’s still important to inspect it occasionally, especially if it’s been a while since you last changed it. Over time, it can take on debris and sediments, which will reduce its efficiency for cooling. If the coolant has started to look at all murky, or if you can spot debris sitting in the coolant or in the radiator, then it’s a good idea to completely flush out the coolant and replace it, rather than continuing to top it off with new coolant.

While checking the condition of the coolant, you should also inspect the end tanks and core of the radiator to see if there are any leaks, as these can occur over time after years of repeated temperature variations. Look also for any seepage along the tanks, or the presence of tiny cracks or damage that could turn into larger leak spots over time.

For more information about the steps you can take to prepare your diesel truck’s cooling system for winter in Memphis, TN, we encourage you to contact United Diesel Power or visit our diesel repair shop today.

Categorised in: Semi Truck Maintenance

This post was written by Writer