How To Perform a Vehicle Coolant Check? A Step-by-Step Guide

A cooling system is essential in an engine to keep it from overheating and collapsing. Here's how to perform a vehicle coolant check.

Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by Ossian Muscad

Given how much heat an engine produces, it’s essential to have a cooling system that keeps it from overheating and collapsing. That cooling system uses vehicle coolant, similar to how your engine uses oil. The system might break down and cause engine damage if vehicle coolant levels are off. Fortunately, maintaining the proper vehicle coolant levels is a relatively easy task. Read on and learn how to gauge your engine’s coolant level, conduct vehicle coolant check-ups, and how to make a vehicle coolant inspection checklist.

 

What is a Vehicle Coolant?

A special fluid called a coolant, often known as antifreeze, circulates through your engine to maintain an optimal temperature range. Its ingredients include water, propylene, ethylene glycol, and some protection chemicals. Its typical color is blue, green, or even pink.

 

The Importance of Conducting Regular Coolant Inspections

Maintaining the safety of your car involves regular inspections of the coolant levels. If the coolant level is insufficient, your automobile could overheat and risk significant engine damage.

Here are some benefits of regularly conducting coolant inspections:

  • Coolant flushes remove rust and scale particles, which develop over time. 
  •  The new antifreeze has components that lubricate the vehicle’s water pump, which can help the water pump last longer.
  • It prevents corrosion from developing in the water pump, enhancing the cooling system’s effectiveness.
  • It prevents the old coolant from becoming acidic—it decreases and grows acidic, destroying the water pump’s bearing, rubber hoses, and aluminum engine parts.

 

Regular coolant-level inspections keep your vehicle operating efficiently and give you peace of mind wherever you go behind the wheel.

 

4 Steps in Conducting Vehicle Coolant Level Check-Ups

Checking your coolant level regularly is essential in keeping the coolant system working effectively. 

Here are some tips to effectively conduct coolant level check-ups.

Ensure Your Vehicle Qualifies for Inspection

Ensuring the engine has cooled down before inspecting your car is essential. A hot engine could indicate cooling system pressure. If the cooling system was opened, the hot liquid could spray out and severely harm someone. By raising the hood, heat may escape, and the cooling down process can go more quickly.

Identifying the Cooling System in Your Car

You must identify the coolant reservoir before safely inspecting your car. It is best to check the vehicle’s manual, which will describe where the reservoir is if you’re having difficulties locating it. Some cars might not have reservoirs. In this case, you must identify a cap on top of the radiator.

Check the Volume of the Coolant

You can see markings that indicate a “low” or “full” on the reservoir’s edge. As it is translucent, it is easier to identify the level inside. You must add more coolant if the coolant level is close to or below the low mark. If your car lacks a reservoir, you must first check the coolant level before adding more by removing the radiator cover.

Coolant is Typically Green, Red, Blue, or Yellow

Flush your cooling system, then add new coolant if it appears colorless, rusty, or has particles floating.

 

How to Create a Vehicle Coolant Inspection Checklist?

The following steps will help you with the process of creating your coolant inspection checklist.

  1. Conduct a visual inspection: Take a standard coolant sample, and check the coolant’s quality and tint visually. The coolant must be clean, clear, and bright, free of dust, debris, rust, and other particles, and it must match the required coolant color for the vehicle. 
  2. Identify Coolant Type: There are a number of ways to identify the type of coolant being used in a vehicle, including stickers or markings on the vehicle, customer and truck service histories, and manufacturers’ recommendations.
  3. Check the level of the corrosion inhibitor: ELC (Extended Life Coolant) coolant corrosion inhibitor levels are typically kept at a safe level by preventing contamination from other coolants while ensuring sufficient freeze protection. 
  4. Top-Off Cooling System: Add the advised coolant to the cooling system. The original corrosion inhibitor will be diluted by mixing several coolant chemistries, lowering the level of corrosion protection. 
  5. Create a coolant inspection checklist with DATAMYTE: low-code solutions like DATAMYTE provides downloadable mobile checklists that are accurate and easy to use.

 

Digitize Your Vehicle Coolant Inspection Checklist with DATAMYTE!

Make your vehicle coolant inspection checklists accurate and convenient with a low-code solution. DATAMYTE is a low-code platform specializing in quick and easy customized checklists, allowing you to conduct vehicle coolant inspections quickly and straightforwardly.

The DataMyte Digital Clipboard, in particular, is a workflow automation software that features a checklist and smart form builder. This tool lets you create customizable vehicle coolant inspection checklists through its intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

To create a checklist or form template using DATAMYTE, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the DATAMYTE software platform and select the “Checklist” tab.
  2. Click or tap on “Create Checklist” to create a new template.
  3. Determine the title of the template and the category in which it belongs.
  4. Use DATAMYTE’s low-code capabilities by adding items to the template; click or tap “Add Item.” You can define the description of the item, the type of answer required, and any other specifications, such as reference documents, acceptance criteria, or limits.
  5. Assign inspecting teams responsible for completing the template and any required approvals, such as supervisors or quality assurance personnel.
  6. Save the template, and it will be available for use.

 

DATAMYTE also lets you conduct layered process audits, a systematic and regular review of critical process steps, focusing on the areas with the highest risk of failure or non-compliance. By conducting LPA with DATAMYTE, you can effectively identify and correct coolant refills before they become major engine issues.

With DATAMYTE, you have an all-in-one solution for creating and implementing vehicle coolant inspection checklists. Book a demo with our team today to learn how DATAMYTE can help!

 

Conclusion

Aside from protecting the engine from overheating, Vehicle coolant checks also help maintain maximum fuel efficiency and minimize the need for maintenance and potential engine failure.

 

 

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