Coolant system questions

[Mr 5 0]

James:

A 20/80 mix is feasible.

The anti-freeze ('coolant') retards corrosion and you want some in the system. 30% is good but 20% will cut it. That would be my bare minimum mix for a daily driver.

Different mixes for different climates and seasons.

Obviously, some bitterly cold climates like Canada should probably go to a 50/50 mix when cold weather is imminent. A 30% mix in the warm weather (all 3 weeks of it) still works, but you have to perform two drain and refill's per year.

Water cools better than anti-freeze. Use more water in hot climates. Anti-freeze doesn't cool as well but it protects against system freezing in cold climates. Use more anti-freeze when it's very cold.

Just use common sense.