The coolant is a vital part of the cooling system and it needs to be inspected and tested during routine maintenance procedures and inspections. The items that need to be checked and tested with the coolant include the freeze protection and the acidity level.
Testing the Freeze The freeze protection of the engine coolant can be tested in multiple ways. A hydrometer can be used to test the freeze protection. This tool is simply dipped into the coolant reservoir or radiator and suction pulls a small amount of coolant into the tool. The coolant is basically weighed, and the hydrometer provides the level of freeze protection based on the amount of coolant that is mixed with the water.
A hydrometer can be used to test the freeze point of the coolant. This model has a suction bulb that is used to pull coolant into the
A coolant and battery refractometer can be used to test the freeze
protection of the coolant. This very accurate tool provides reliable results
and is recommended by many
A refractometer can also be used to test the freeze protection. This tool is used by placing one drop of the coolant onto the test surface and then closing the lid. The refractometer is more accurate than the hydrometer, but both tools are using the weight of the coolant to provide a test result.
Chemical strips are also available to test freeze protection on engine coolant. These strips are just dipped into the coolant and then interpreted by comparing the color with scale on the bottle.
Testing for Acidity of the Chemical strips can also be used for testing the acidity level of the coolant. Another method of measuring the acidity level is using a voltmeter. The meter should be set to the DC volts setting on the dial with the ground lead connected to the battery ground position and the red lead dipped into the engine coolant. A reading of 0.2 volts or more indicates an acidity problem and the coolant should be replaced with the correct mixture of new coolant.
Coolant test strips provide reliable feedback on freeze point, nitrite level, and pH
A small drop of coolant is placed onto the surface and then the lid is closed. The tool is then held upright in a well-lit area and the user looks into the view hole to find out the freeze protection
The coolant test strip is dipped into the coolant and then it is set beside the scale on the side of the container to interpret the results for each
The coolant voltage is tested by connecting the ground lead of the meter to a good ground and then placing the red lead tip into the coolant. The meter should be set to DC volts or DC millivolts. A reading of more than 0.2 volts DC or 200 millivolts DC is considered excessive and would be cause for replacing the coolant with the correct blend and mixture level. This test can also be run with the engine running with all of the electrical loads turned on. A high reading under these conditions indicates that a faulty ground is present for one of the
