If you go to automotive retail stores, you will see that there are several coolant additives on the store shelves that promise to fight against corrosion, cavitation, engine heat, and overheating, fasten engine warm-up time, and improve the overall engine cooling system’s performance.
But do coolant additives work, or are they just unnecessary additives that cost you money?
Below, I’ll discuss the effectiveness of coolant additives and their functions and examine whether they are needed for every vehicle. By the end of this article, you will know whether you need them for your vehicle.
Do Coolant Additives Really Work?
Yes, a good cooling system additive works by helping reduce the surface tension of water and allows the coolant to more efficiently absorb and dissipate heat from the engine.
Cooling system additives are designed for several purposes. They are formulated to prevent rust and corrosion within the cooling system, reduce cavitation, and enhance heat transfer in the cooling system.
By enhancing heat transfer in the cooling system, they helps prevent your engine from overheating, which could lead to catastrophic damage. They also form protective layers on metal cooling system components, which helps them prevent rust and corrosion.
How Do Coolant Additives Work?
Coolant additives work by absorbing engine heat and transferring it through the car’s radiator. You can use them with a 50/50 antifreeze and water or with distilled water alone.
They transfer engine heat effectively by reducing the surface tension of the engine coolant and by being able to penetrate heat-prone metal components better. Also, coolant additives are formulated with anti-foaming agents and corrosion inhibitors, which allows you to run your engine with just straight water and coolant additives.
With coolant additives, you don’t have to worry about electrolysis, rust, or other deposits that can occur with a straight water mixture.
Why Use a Coolant Additive?
First of all, why should you use a cooling system additive in the first place?
Water is the best coolant out there. It absorbs and dissipates heat better than any other liquid on the store shelves. So you may wonder, why not pour straight water into the radiator and forget engine coolant?
The answer is simple; we live in different regions with different temperatures. For those who live in snow six months a year and those in extremely hot regions, straight water will not do the trick.
Water boils at 100 degrees Centigrade or 212 degrees Fahrenheit and freezes at 0 degrees Centigrade or 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clearly, water is not suitable for areas with extreme temperatures as it could overheat or freeze the engine. So, Coolant producers must add something to protect the engine in case you live in areas where the temperature is not perfect all year round. If not, your engine will overheat in summer and freeze in winter.
With this in mind, here are other reasons you need coolant additives.
Rust and corrosion control
Not only will water freeze your engine in extremely cold weather and overheat it in very hot temperatures, but it will also corrode metal.
Driving your vehicle with straight water in the cooling system will, over time, cause scale build-up, which will corrode the metal components in the cooling system.
One of the key reasons you should use coolant additives is because they are formulated to prevent rust and corrosion in the cooling system components.
Even in areas with the perfect temperature, at the very least, you still have to add coolant inhibitors to prevent rust and corrosion in the cooling system.
But a good engine coolant fights corrosion.
A good engine coolant has the chemistry that fights against freezing, overheating, rust, and corrosion.
If a good coolant or antifreeze is pretty good, why do you need a coolant additive that promises the same thing?
Every car user needs a way to improve their engine performance and extend its longevity. Coolant additive offers that added advantage.
Reduced engine temperature
Vehicle engines have an optimal temperature range where they work at their best. Extremely hot temperatures reduce engine efficiency and can also cause engine parts to expand and run against each other.
With coolant additives in the cooling system, the engine will stay within the optimal temperature range and not get extremely hot while running. It gives you the chance to win by keeping your engine at the “sweet spot” it needs to work at its best.
Faster engine warm-up
Coolant additives help warm up the engine faster by 54% by efficiently absorbing and transferring engine heat.
Car racers and other spirited drivers appreciate this since they can start their engines with less fuel and time. It offers road comfort to other day-to-day car users in cold mornings since they have nothing to worry about when starting their car in cold mornings.
Reduced cavitation
Good-quality coolant additives have anti-cavitation agents. Cavitation happens when the coolant in the cooling system forms bubbles, which could damage the water pump and other essential parts of the cooling system. Coolant additives prevent the bubbles from forming in the first place, invariably reducing the risk of water pump damage.
Extends the life of the cooling system
By preventing cavitation, rust and corrosion and keeping the engine temperature at the “sweet spot” it needs to work at its best, it prolongs the life of the cooling system. Also, by keeping the cooling system components running the way it prevents issues that could hamper the effective engine operation.
Best Coolant Additives
There are several types of coolant additives on the market. However, they are not formulated by the same manufacturer or material. Each is formulated to extend the lifespan of your engine cooling system. However, not all coolant additives are created equal. Some work better than others.
If you are asking, what is the best additive for coolant, here are the best ones that do what they say they do.
Water wetter
Water wetter reduces water surface tension, enhances heat absorption and transfer, and provides film coatings on the metal cooling system components that prevent rust and corrosion. It is the best coolant additive for hot weather and one of the coolant additives that keep their word.
Pros
- It enhances heat transfer, making the engine run within the ideal temperature range.
- Provides a protective film on metal cooling system components to protect them against rust and corrosion.
Redline water wetter
Does the same job with water wetter. However, it is formulated with more corrosion inhibitors.
Pros
- It contains superior corrosion inhibitors that offer more robust protection against corrosion.
- It improves heat transfer but with more efficiency
- Engineered to provide long-term protection to the cooling system components
Bars leak, HDC radiator stop leak tablet
While used mainly as a radiator stop leak solution, Bars HDC radiator stop leak tablet is one of the best radiator coolant additives that has made a name for itself. It seals cracks and leaks in the cooling system components, especially on the radiator. This invariably prevents coolant leaks and engine overheating.
Pros
- Serves as a sealant for leaks within the cooling system components, especially in the radiator.
- Has a solid Gold reputation for its effectiveness.
However, you should understand that some factors like the coolant used in the car, the age and condition of the cooling can affect how well the coolant additive will work in your car.
Final words
While your regular coolant contains additives, it only accounts for 2-5% of the coolant in cars. But you can think of adding coolant additives as the secret sauce of a great coolant. Because water is corrosive in nature, adding these corrosion inhibitors to the coolant offers a protective layer on the metal components of the cooling system, which protects against scale and dropouts, cavitation, and corrosion.
Clearly, coolant additives work, and they are important because they protect and extend the life of the engine cooling system and the engine itself.
