Motoring tips and advice

The engine oil helps to carry the heat away from the hot point but needs a Coolant to carry away the heat from the engine. Many Kenyans are using regular water instead of coolant.

Coolant has special additives that help with the following:

• Because temperature inside the engine go up as high as 320°C, water evaporates very fast at 100°C and thus not a very effective medium of carrying heat away from the engine. Coolant additives increase the boiling point of water to effectively carry heat away from the engine combustion chamber.
• As water or coolant circulates around the engine, it is prone to contact with combustion deposits. When water mixes with these deposits, it makes a mild solution of carbonic acid or sulphuric acid in the case of diesel engine cars. The additives in coolant neutralize these acids and thus protect the water pump from corrosion.
• Plain water when in contact with metals will cause rusting. Coolant additives help to protect thermostat from rusting.
• Normal tap water contains various minerals. When this comes into contact with the combustion deposits in the hot conditions in the engine, it forms hard water lime scale that block the water jacket cooling system. Premium Coolant is partly made of distilled water that has been removed all minerals apart from H2O.