The coolant of a vehicle is what is responsible for cooling your car. It prevents overheating of your car engine and the car itself. There is a coolant tank in which an antifreeze or a coolant is filled from time to time to a specific level. You have to replace it with time and make sure to replace it in recommended time intervals for the effective cooling of your car and the engine. However, there are some consequences you may have to face if the coolant is overfilled in the coolant tank. This article explains the potential consequences of too much antifreeze in overflow tank so read on!
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What Is Coolant Or Antifreeze?
Coolant, like mentioned above, is the fluid that is added to your engine which helps in preventing your car and the engine from overheating. If your engine gets too far above the recommended and normal temperature, some serious damage can happen to the car and in the worst-case scenario, the engine will seize and it would have to be replaced.
What Is The Main Purpose Of A Coolant Or An Antifreeze?
The main purpose of antifreeze is to lower the freezing point of water during the winter and raise the boiling point during the summer. For cars, this can be a necessary part of vehicle maintenance if you live in extreme climate conditions. After being placed in the car, the antifreeze circulates through the engine system. The coolant runs through the internal combustion system, preventing the different sections of the vehicle’s engine from becoming too hot.
How Can Low level Of Coolant In The Tank Get Dangerous?
The antifreeze or the coolant is filled in the coolant reservoir tank which is designed to hold it when the fluid heats up. When the coolant expands and has nowhere to go, it causes damage t hoses and the engine. The coolant bottle provides a place into which coolant can expand without causing damage. Coolant tanks have two marks on them indicating a minimum and maximum level. The minimum mark is the lowest amount of coolant your engine will need and going below this may cause overheating problems. In this case, you have to take steps to refill the coolant reservoir tank with antifreeze as soon as possible.
How Is Overfilling The Coolant Reservoir Tank Dangerous?
The maximum mark indicates the maximum level of coolant required and filling the coolant above it can also cause overheating. Overfilling the coolant tank on the overfill tank above maximum on the other hand especially when it is cold will mean that there is nowhere for the coolant to expand into once it heats up. If this is the case, any excess will need to be removed from the system. The overflow hose normally does this work and sometimes the hose even becomes damaged and even burst if this didn’t happen.
This is where the real dangers of overfilling your coolant lie. Serious wiring and damage to electrical components can happen if there is overheated coolant leaking throughout your engine bay. There is also the dangers of engine starved of coolant due to burst hose, which cause a more serious issue like overheating of your engine and car. A much lesser danger is the puddling up of coolant beneath your car. It may not be much of a problem to you other than some inconvenience. But this situation is not at all favourable for the environment and some animals.
What Happens When There Is Too Much Antifreeze In Overflow Tank?
Coolants are known to be the contents that cool one car when it is overheating. The coolant tank has two marks. One of the marks denotes when the coolant in the reservoir is too hot and the other one indicates when the coolant present in the tank is cold.
Generally, when the overflow tank detects too much coolant in it, the excess coolant is expelled through the overflow hose. However, sometimes the expelling may not happen and this can lead to a few potential consequences that may cause irreversible damage if it is not immediately dealt with. The several consequences of too much antifreeze in overflow tank are discussed below.
1. Pressure Build Up
When there is too much antifreeze in overflow tank, there won’t be much space left for the heated coolant to expand. This would lead to the gradual increase of pressure inside the overfill tank. This would lead to the opening of the cap of the tank. And the hot coolant will pop out like a puddle of lava.
Sometimes the cap may not be functional on its own because of corrosion or tightening. This might lead to the popping out of the pressure build-up through the freeze plug of the overfilled coolant reservoir.
2. Damage To The Stray Animals And The Environment
In general cases, the excess of coolant when the coolant reservoir tank is overfilled goes out through the overflow hose. This would protect your car of course, but the expelled coolant on the floor or the road could harm the environment and even some animals which might lick or sniff the liquid.
3. The Electric Damage
This is probably the worst consequences of too much antifreeze in overflow tank. However, the chances of electrical damage are rare. Sometimes the overflowing coolant may get into contact with the electrical wiring of the engine. When this happens there may be an electrical failure.
Electrical damage of your car can further lead to your car refusing to start, battery leakage, dimming of headlights while driving, or the malfunctioning of brake lights. None of these are desirable situations to be in and is a threat to your and others safety. It is better to consult a mechanic at the earliest in such a situation.
Wrapping Up
Looking at the damages that an overfilled coolant reservoir can result in, being cautious is all that is required. Always be careful when filling in the antifreeze or the coolant reservoir and fill it to the marked levels. Such a step of yours can help save your car, your money, the environment, and the animals. The potential consequences of an overfilled coolant reservoir tank are discussed in this article to help you have a better understanding of the issue. Hope you found the article helpful.