Does My Car Need Antifreeze in Vancouver?

As a professional scrap car removal company in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, we get asked a lot of questions. Not just your typical, “how much is my car worth?”, but many other vehicle related questions. Regardless, we are always happy to answer any questions from the general public. And one that usually pops up this time of year is “does my car need antifreeze if I live in the Lower Mainland?”.

Whether you’re driving something brand new, something that’s aging, or something that probably shouldn’t be on the road at this point, your vehicle will more than likely need antifreeze. However, if you get your vehicle routinely serviced, your mechanic should be checking all your fluid levels before sending you on your way.

But now that you know that your vehicle needs antifreeze, you might also be wondering what exactly is antifreeze used for? And what happens if your vehicle doesn’t have any or is running low? We’ll answer all that and more in today’s blog post.

What Does Antifreeze Do?

Antifreeze, also known as coolant, is an additive that is quite critical for any vehicle. Just as vital as engine oil and transmission fluid, antifreeze has a specific function that prevents your car from enduring a catastrophic engine failure.

As we enter the start of November, Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley residents are already being hit with colder than usual temperatures. This is where older vehicles will definitely feel the strain of our winter season. Which is why antifreeze, or coolant, is so important.

However, technically, coolant is a premade mixture of antifreeze and water. Whereas antifreeze is simply a solution that you add to water to prevent freezing and boiling. Throughout this blog post, we’ll refer to antifreeze as both coolant and antifreeze, as with most newer vehicles, this is how it is referenced.

Regardless of whether or not you buy a premade mixture of antifreeze or coolant, or simply straight antifreeze, they both serve the same purpose, to protect your vehicle’s engine. You can find either fluid at any vehicle supply store such as Canadian Tire, Princess Auto, KMS Tools, and even big box stores throughout the Lower Mainland like Walmart, Superstore, and No Frills.

Why Do I Need to Put Antifreeze in My Car?

Water, as we know, freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. So, adding antifreeze to your vehicle will prevent freezing, which will also help promote proper movement of your vehicle’s complex parts.

It also prevents any water in your vehicle from excessive boiling, which prevents your engine from overheating. So, essentially, coolant and antifreeze regulate your vehicle’s overall temperatures, along with the cooling system itself.

The primary functions of antifreeze are:

• Prevents water from freezing during winter temperatures
• Raises the boiling point of coolant to prevent your engine from overheating
• Helps protect the engine and many of its vital components from corrosion due to water and various fluid exposure
• Prevents scale buildup throughout various engine components

As you can see from the list above, antifreeze/coolant is a very important part of how your vehicle operates smoothly. Moreover, without it, your vehicle could potentially not even be operable.

In fact, many of the older vehicles that we see in the scrap car removal industry have failed engines due to not only age, but a lack of fluids like oil or antifreeze. If you know this all too well, give us a call and see what your scrap car is worth. We LOVE buying vehicles with dead engines!

What Types of Vehicles Need Antifreeze?

The fact of the matter is, that no matter what you drive, your vehicle will ultimately need coolant. However, the type of antifreeze that your car needs is mostly dependent on its age. There are various brands and types of antifreeze, which means that there is no universal antifreeze that can be used on all vehicles.

For vehicles from 1998 – present, they typically require a silicate-free organic acid technology comprised antifreeze. This is because newer vehicles get better protection from this type of antifreeze, and require it to prevent corrosion and excessive wear and tire on newly engineered components.

For vehicles older than 1998, they use the exact opposite of the newer antifreeze. Vehicles that are much older work best with antifreeze made with silicates and do not require organic acid technology.

How Do I Know What Type of Antifreeze My Vehicle Needs?

A quick and easy way to discern what type of antifreeze you need is by looking at the coolant that is currently in your vehicle. However, if this is your first time changing or topping up your antifreeze, be sure to consult your owner’s manual. Or you can have your local mechanic do the first change and advise you on what type is required for your car.

The Colours Are as Follows:

• Green: Inorganic Acid Technology
• Orange: Organic Acid Technology
• Yellow: Hybrid Acid Technology
• Red: Extended Life Coolant Using Organic Acid Technology

Remember that this is a general guideline. Always, always, always, read the label, consult your user manual, and follow the directions that are specific to your vehicle. Especially if you purchased your vehicle used. You don’t know if the previous owner put the correct antifreeze in!

What Happens If I Don’t Put Antifreeze in My Car?

Failing to put antifreeze in your vehicle is similar in consequences to when you fail to put oil in your car. Without proper levels of antifreeze, your car is susceptible to catastrophic engine failure.

Coolant is a vital substance that is mostly made up of ethylene glycol. It is responsible for regulating how the fluids in your vehicle react to different temperatures. If you don’t have antifreeze, not enough of it, or an improper ratio of it, your engine can either over heat or essentially freeze (well, the fluids can freeze. Thus, leading to engine seizure).

Some people simply poor water into the coolant reservoir when they are travelling and unable to top up their coolant levels with actual antifreeze. However, this may work momentarily, but it will only lead to further problems within the engine. Water freezes and boils much easily than water with antifreeze, so it’s critical you use coolant all the time.

Some people even try to mix different types of antifreeze because, in a pinch, you use whatever you have access to. If that’s the case, you need to have your antifreeze completely swapped out to what should be in your vehicle. Failure to do so can really damage your engine and leave you with a bigger problem than just overheating.

How Do You Know If You Need Antifreeze?

Because coolant is so crucial in your vehicle, you’ll definitely know when you don’t have it and whether or not you need it. Additionally, you’ll be able to tell if the ratio of coolant to water is correct, depending on the climate you live in and what time of year it is there.

When you live in Metro Vancouver or the Fraser Valley, you know that our weather is unpredictable. We can have both snow and t-shirt weather all on the same day. And just like the recent storm we had on November 4th, 2024 that really shook the Lower Mainland, we can get hit unexpectedly with some really extreme weather conditions. When you don’t have enough coolant, your vehicle will tell you.

1. Your temperature gauge is hotter than usual
2. You have coloured fluid or puddles underneath your vehicle, indicating a leak
3. A grinding noise coming from the engine when idling or driving your car
4. Darker coolant colour than usual. Green is a darker green, orange is almost brown, etc
5. A distinct burning smell during or after driving (especially longer trips)
6. Various and increasing engine troubles

You can buy tester kits to check the ratio of coolant to water in your vehicle. However, the most foolproof way to ensure that you’ve got enough antifreeze in your vehicle’s system is to have a professional check it out at every oil change, like the good people at Valvoline Express Care in Maple Ridge.

How Do I Know If I Need to Replace My Engine?

Much like any sort of mechanical failure on a vehicle, there will be signs and symptoms when your engine is on its way out. Knowing what signs and symptoms to look, listen, and even smell for can be critical in early diagnosis. This will help you make a quick and informed decision about potentially scrapping your car or if you should repair it.

Signs Your Engine Needs Replacing Include:

• Check engine light is on
• Knocking, thumping, or clunking coming from the engine
• Hesitation
• Poor performance
• Worsening gas mileage
• Odd smells coming from under the hood
• Discoloured smoke coming from your tailpipe(s)
• Metal shavings in your oil
• Leaking or burning oil
• Frequent or intermittent stalling
• Overheating

Knowing what to look for is so important when deciding whether or not it’s time to scrap your car. However, some of these symptoms can also be indicators of other problems. So, your best bet is to have your vehicle checked out by a professional mechanic.

Cash for Scrap Cars with Dead Engines

A dead engine on any vehicle is typically the be-all, end-all. Why? Because the cost to replace an engine typically starts in the several thousand-dollar range. Whether your vehicle is much older, or even fairly new, the cost to replace the heart of any vehicle, the engine, can easily break the bank.

That’s why More Cash For Scrap offers MORE cash for scrap cars with dead engines. But we don’t stop there. We also pay the most cash for cars with failed transmissions, failed timing belts, and blown head gaskets. In fact, no matter what catastrophic event your vehicle has had, you’ll get MORE cash for it when you choose the scrap car removal services of More Cash For Scrap.

Give our team a quick call and provide us with the make, model, year, condition, mileage, and location of your vehicle. Then, we’ll make you an instant cash offer on it right over the phone. If you accept, we’ll pick up your car that very day (and always provide free towing), then pay you cash in hand before leaving. You can get MORE cash for scrap cars in as little as 10 minutes!

Contact Our Scrap Car Removal Specialists Today!

If you own a late model sedan, SUV, minivan, or truck that needs a new engine, a new transmission, or any other major repair, give us a call. Our scrap car removal specialists are always happy to answer any questions you might have about our scrap car removal process.

Many of our team members live and work in the areas we service. Which is why we are able to provide such prompt and reliable scrap car removal services throughout Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. From Hope to Squamish, we’ve got the Lower Mainland covered with the quickest and easiest scrap car removal services around.

A simple call is all it takes to get an instant cash offer on your junk vehicle. You can even send us a text if you prefer a quote that way! So, if you want a simple way to scrap your unwanted vehicle for the most cash, scrap it with More Cash For Scrap. We offer MORE customer service, MORE flexible scrap car pick-up times, and pay MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys!