Car engine coolant is a liquid that circulates in the car engine to keep it cool. It is also called antifreeze. The coolant helps to keep the temperature of the engine below its boiling point. Check our blog below, on how to find your engine’s coolant expansion tank, so you can add more coolant without any issues.

What is Engine Coolant?

Engine Coolant is a liquid mixture used for engines, this liquid is used to reduce the temperature of your engine to ensure it doesn’t overheat and cause damage to the vehicle.

The coolant is circulated by a water pump and then goes through an expansion tank before it enters the engine. The expansion tank increases in volume as the pressure increases, which prevents overfilling of the cooling system and reduces stress on other components.

Check your Cars Manual to find the Right Coolant to Buy

Different cars require different types of coolant, most brands on the market can be used on most engines, but it’s always wise to double-check to make sure you don’t cause any issues to your engine not using the most suitable coolant for your vehicle.

how to top up engine coolant

Find your Coolant Expansion Tank

Make sure you find the right tank, you don’t want to put coolant in the wrong place because that may damage your car. The coolant tank is a white almost see-through container that may have colored coolant if there is any left from a car service in the past. The coolant tank looks very similar to a jug of juice you may see in a supermarket. 

Check the Coolant Level

The coolant tank has lines marked on it that display the minimum and max level to fill it. If you underfill it, your engine may overheat but if you overfill it, the coolant may leak out and cause big issues with the engine. So it is always worthwhile to fill the coolant just below the max mark on the coolant tank.

What to do if my Coolant Tank is leaking?

If your water coolant is leaking this could be for many reasons such as a head gasket issue, issues with the radiator, or damage to the expansion tank. If the engine is cold, I would check to make sure the radiator cap is tight and the cap on the expansion tank is tight. If you are still noticing a coolant leak, this is an emergency and you need to get your car to a mechanic straight away.

For more great information on car maintenance, check out Insure My Cars, one of Ireland’s best providers of Car Insurance or you can just request a 1-minute car insurance quote now.