Is Antifreeze Now Coolant Too?

[threepiece]

Back in the day “coolant” was what the auto manufacturer specified as a cooling agent for liquid cooled engines. Typically, this was a mixture of ethylene glycol and distilled water. The ethylene glycol was called antifreeze. One would mix antifreeze and water to create coolant.
These days package labeling uses the words coolant and antifreeze as being synonymous. So what are the manufacturers calling the liquid cooling agent in their engines these days? I have no idea, My newest vehicle is a 1983 model.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

It’s been called antifreeze-coolant for the 50+ years I’ve been working on cars. It lowers they freezing point of the mixture and raises the boiling point.

 

[OneEyedMan]

I was talking to a local butcher who also made sausages and ran a food truck. He had a Polish sausage that was awesome with sauerkraut. On the east side of our state, he sold them as German sausage. Some markets recognize different names.

In the summer you ad coolant, in the winter you check the antifreeze level.

 

[ALinCarolina]

I never made a distinction between coolant vs. antifreeze and used both terms interchangeably. I am an old guy though. I guess if you lived where it never gets below 32 and you didn't care about the other properties in the solution you could just use water and call it coolant.

 

[larry4406]

Just don't drink it.

They have added this warning to the car/vehicle manuals I understand now to coincide with peoples decline of knowledge...

 

[logical]

It's all coolant, anti-freeze type coolant is used if there is risk of freezing.

 

[cgrutt]

Antifreeze is concentrated and must be mixed with water to become coolant according to interwebz.

 

[threepiece]

Antifreeze is concentrated and must be mixed with water to become coolant according to interwebz.

It’s been called antifreeze-coolant for the 50+ years I’ve been working on cars. It lowers they freezing point of the mixture and raises the boiling point.

I remember back 40+ years ago the packaging was labeled differently than it is now. Only what was called Antifreeze was available. I don’t recall being able to buy a product labeled “coolant“ back then. You bought antifreeze and mixed with water to create coolant. I also remember in my college automotive classes back in 1981-82 I was taught the difference.

Manufactures must specify a specific cooling liquid for use in their engines. What are they now calling it? If they are still calling that liquid “coolant” then antifreeze is not coolant. No manufacturer I have ever known of has recommended using straight ethylene glycol to cool their engines.

 

[whateg01]

Antifreeze goes in the skid steer. Coolant goes in a track loader

 

[PCustoms]

Antifreeze goes in the skid steer. Coolant goes in a track loader

What goes in the Bobcat?

 

[whateg01]

What goes in the Bobcat?

I guess whatever is in the jug in the post pole lean to

 

[NUTTSGT]

We're done here and not going to start these ridiculous posts like the last guy that was just perma-banned.