If the coolant in your car freezes, it can break parts of the engine, which is very expensive to fix. It's important to check that your coolant is mixed correctly for the weather.
The cooling system helps keep the engine from getting too hot. It uses parts like the radiator and water pump to keep everything at the right temperature.
The Jeep Wrangler is a tough, off-road vehicle that can handle rough terrain, making it popular for outdoor adventures. The 1997 model is part of a series that many people love because it looks cool and can go almost anywhere. It's often talked about because of its fun driving experience and ability to customize it.
The freeze point is the temperature at which something turns into ice. In cars, it's important to know this for the liquid that keeps the engine cool, so it doesn't freeze and cause problems.
A cracked engine block means there's a break in the part of the engine that holds everything together. This can cause big problems, like leaks and overheating, and can be very expensive to fix.
Dexcool is a special kind of coolant used in some cars to help keep the engine cool. It's different from regular antifreeze and is designed to last longer.
The head gasket is a part that sits between the engine block and the top part of the engine. It keeps the oil and coolant from mixing together, which is really important for the engine to work properly.
The intake gasket is a seal that helps keep air and fuel in the right place in the engine. If it breaks, it can cause problems with how the engine runs.
A 500 liter barrel is a big container that holds a lot of liquid, like antifreeze. It's useful for buying in large amounts instead of many small bottles.
Distilled water is very clean water that has had all the dirt and chemicals removed. It's better for your car because it won't cause any problems in the engine.
A junkyard rescue is when someone takes a car that was thrown away or damaged and fixes it up. People do this to save old cars and make them usable again.
Upgrades are changes made to a car to make it better. This can mean improving how it drives or making it look nicer.
LIVE
Good morning, Niagara. You're tuned to car connection, where the coffee's hot, the tools are ready,
and the talk is always tuned up. I'm your host, Niall Motormouth Jenkins, coming to you straight
from the car connection workshop, where we mix a little humor, a little know-how, and
a whole lot of horsepower. Here, it's not just about fixing cars, it's about keeping
you rolling, saving you money, and giving you the confidence to understand what's
under that hood. From the classics to the commuters, the weird noises to what the heck
moments we've got you covered. So grab your cup of joe, sit back, and join the crew, because
this is car connection. Your daily morning pit stop for stories, smarts, and a few good laughs.
And I'm Niall Motormouth Jenkins, and we're shifting into drive right here
in the car connection workshop. So stay with us. We've got lots coming your way in this
segment. We are going to be talking about super silicone solicitate.
Yep, I think I heard it. What the heck is that?
Antifreeze, car antifreeze. We're going to break it down for you.
Going to talk about all the myths, not myths, myths when it comes to your vehicle's
cooling system and antifreeze. So today, in this episode, we're going to break down antifreeze.
What are we looking for? How do we test it? Is there lifetime antifreeze?
Pause. We're going to cover that. Now I'm going to pull over, put the four ways on and pull
the handbrake on that one. Let me tell you, that's going to be a two coffee breakdown.
So let's dive right into it. And remember, check your antifreeze mix before it checks you.
Frozen coolant means a cracked engine block, and that's a Christmas gift you don't want
to experience. Let me tell you, that happens a lot this time of year as we're on the seasonal,
the cusp of the seasonal change. Yep, we're going to cross the Rubicon. There's no going back.
Exactly. We got to get through the next several months together, together. Right on.
All right, so let's jump into antifreeze. Well, we have all these vehicles out there,
all different years, makes and models and whatnot and Hoot-ja-ding-ahs things,
and think of a bobs on wheels. They all have one thing in common, antifreeze.
And we need to understand that. And I'm going to break this out right from the very beginning.
Lifetime antifreeze, that's a joke. We had lifetime antifreeze come out in the early 90s,
91-92, and it was the most evilest cooling system antifreeze on the market. And I'll
share that with you today. It hasn't changed. That long-life antifreeze, it's good to a point,
and then it turns nasty. So it's not something you put into your vehicle's cooling system,
you put it in and forget it. Oh, no. You better make sure you're having it tested,
if you're going to try out that long-life antifreeze. And I would highly recommend,
right now, I'm going to put a shameless plug in for our YouTube channel, Nile MotorMouth Jenkins.
And in the first dozen YouTube videos that we did, I did a complete
YouTube video on antifreeze. You've got to go and watch that. I test a whole pile
of antifreeze, some new, some old, some long life, and you will be absolutely shocked
at what I discovered. In fact, there was one video we shot that we have not posted,
because I guarantee you, you would have to send me a hacksaw pie to get me out of the
who's gal. Yeah, I need something to get through the bars. I haven't lost that much weight yet,
but hey, I'd give it a shot. But we did not post that video for that reason that we were probably
going to get some hate mail, probably a visit from Frankie in the dark, because what we discovered was
not good, not good. But I will say this, antifreeze does have a date due, just like a loaf of
bread, just like meat, vegetables, all that stuff perishables. They have antifreeze has a date due.
And I got this antifreeze, Brands Bank and new, and I looked at the date due on it and it says
it's only good for two years. Okay, this is long life. Antifreeze said it was only good for two
years. It was two years old already. In the jug, Brands Bank and new from the date it was manufactured.
It was two years old already 2023. We're in 25. So am I going to put that in my car? I'm not
putting it in my car. Not me. It's already two years old. So be careful when you're purchasing
antifreeze on your own. Check the label, check the production date. Because it's lifespan is about
two years. In this 200 and that bottle on that jug, it stated that the antifreeze was good for
225,000 kilometers. And I'm going, you got to first of all, you got to be kidding me, right?
No way. I'm not leaving antifreeze in anything I drive for 225,000 kilometers. I mean, you can
choose to do that. But I'm not going to because here's what you got to know. And I'll follow up
this episode with another episode of our podcast on iHeart platforms, all the platforms, Spotify,
Instagram. What do you call it? Amazon Music. It's everywhere. I'll do the follow up episode
will be on the vehicles cooling system, the number one most neglected system on every single automobile
out there on the roadway, the cooling system. You neglect that. You'll have to go and watch
another video that we posted, a project vehicle that we're working on. So we do mechanical,
all kinds of mechanical videos, and we always teach you the five things. What the part is,
where it is, how it breaks, how you could have possibly, let me see, did I get that right?
Five things. You know, I never was good at math. How about you guys?
What it is, where it is, how it works, how it breaks, and what could you have done
better or learned to prevent a breakage from happening costing you time, money, and a few
bloody knuckles. That's what our YouTube video is about. So we've been working on a 1997 Jeep
TJ Wrangler that was gifted to us from the Wrecking Yard. And we've been putting this
baby back together. But you got to go way back in the video library to see what actually happened
to that 1997 Jeep TJ that put it in the Wrecking Yard. And I happened to find it in a Wrecking
Yard with all kinds of tractor trailers, tractor trailer boxes, trucks, buses, highway
coaches. And I was in there scavenging some parts for a trailer for a ministry team.
And I turn a corner, and I see this little red Jeep there, and I'm going, whoa, hello.
What are you doing here? And amongst all these behemoths. So anyway, long story short, I looked
it over, I laid in the mud, looked at the frame, and I said to my friend George, I go,
hey, George, any chance we can give that Jeep a good home and shoot some videos on it?
And that's how we got it. So you need to go back and find the video in our library where
I'm telling you what was the final blow to that 97 Jeep TJ Wrangler that put it in the Wrecking Yard.
And it has, I'll give you a clue, has everything to do with cooling, system, failure, and antifreeze.
You got to go watch that video. Our YouTube channel, you can find all our links to
all the places where you can find me at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com. That's
carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com. When you get to the homepage, you'll see logos for businesses
that I put my seal of approval on. By all means, give them your business and let them know that
I sent you wonderful, wonderful people. The top right hand corner of our homepage,
you'll see the icon for YouTube, Facebook, and our merch store. So you get some car
connection merch at a super discount right now, $5 above cost. And in our store, you can
pick the items you want, pick the color, pick the size, put it in the basket, and pay for it to get
shipped right to your door. So that's where you can also send me an email as well and connect with
me directly. You can also find me on Stevensvilleontheweb.ca. Click on the businesses tab. That
is another avenue for you to connect with me. You'll see videos there, bloopers and outtakes,
but most of all, you'll be able to send me an email through that website as well.
So go back to our YouTube channel, find that video in our library about antifreeze,
testing antifreeze, and watch it. It's not a War and Peace edition. We try to keep our videos
around 22 minutes. Once in a while, I go off the deep end, if you know what I mean. I go a
little way over, but not very often. We try to be very respectful of your time. So let's jump back
into, I digress a bit, but let me jump back into, oh, on our Facebook channel is Niall Motormouth
Jenkins as well. So that's how you can find us. But the link is on our homepage, carconnection
businessnetwork.com. For short, it's ccbus.com. All right, let's dive into what is the lifespan truly
of a vehicle's antifreeze? Well, if you want to make sure that your vehicle does not end up in
the wrecking yard because of lack of maintenance on the vehicle's cooling system, I don't care
who tells you it's lifetime antifreeze or it's good for 225,000 kilometers, you know what,
that engine is worth more than a bucket of antifreeze, any time of the night or day.
Flush and fill every two years. I do not use the long life antifreeze. I'm not a big fan of
Dex Cool. It came out in the early 90s. It was a fail back then. We had a lot of head gaskets
going down, a lot of cylinder head etching because that product, if you don't keep an eye on it and
test it on a regular basis, it looks good. But as soon as we test it, it's acidic. So what are we
looking for when we're checking your vehicle's antifreeze? Well, a couple of things. So I hope
you got your crayon, your brown paper bag so you can take some notes because that's what
we're all about. And if you, if I'll tell you right now, if you connect with our YouTube channel
and subscribe and ring the bell so you're notified when new videos go up every week,
we put three new videos up, two for Tuesday and a new one on Friday. Stay connected. You will
learn a lot through our YouTube channel. And that's what's important, especially ladies.
It's easy to get taken advantage of. And I can't even begin to tell you over the last
couple of months, the number of emails I've even taken some phone calls from women totally,
totally ripped off at the dealer level and at the mom and pop shop. So you've got to arm yourself
with knowledge. Here's what we're checking for. We're checking for the freeze point.
And that's not the only thing. We have to test your vehicle's antifreeze for more
than just how cold can my car go before it freezes up like a slint cinder block.
Just like what I was telling you a few minutes ago to check your antifreeze mix before it checks
you frozen coolant means a cracked engine block. And that is not something you want to have to
deal with. So when you go and watch that video on our 97 Jeep TJ Wrangler, what finally, what was
the final lethal blow that put that little Jeep in the wrecking yard? You'll be amazed at what
you learned in that particular video. Cooling system failures will cost you an engine big time.
It's not a matter of if it's a matter of when. So we're looking for freeze point. We're looking
for boiling point. We're looking for the pH balance alkalinity and acid corrosion level.
And in the YouTube video where I talk about and show you how I'm testing antifreeze and
in breaking it down for you, you can actually physically watch me testing different types
of antifreeze. And those are the four criteria I'm looking for. And there's no sort of maybe
kind of pass. It either passes or it does not pass the test, the sniff test. So boiling point,
freeze point, pH balance, alkalinity, and acid corrosion level. Here's what we discovered about
the Dexcool back in the early 90s. It was good till it wasn't. And you could physically look at
it and go, well, it looks good. But then when we tested it, the acid corrosion level was right off
the chart. So what are we dealing with there? We're dealing with antifreeze that has gone completely
acidic. And that's when we were dealing with head gaskets, failed intake gaskets, cylinder heads
being etched from the acid was actually eating the aluminum to the cylinder heads. And if you
don't know what any of those components are, I'll sum it up for you. Ready? Cha-ching, big money,
engine failure components, big money, lots of labor, lots of cash to fix the problem.
Trust me, you don't want to go there. Cooling system antifreeze is not maintenance free.
And I don't care who wants to challenge me, where, when, and how. You better bring
your science because I'm going to eat your lunch and take your milk money, period.
I tested perfectly good antifreeze right out of the jug and it failed. It failed one or more
of those four tests. Brand new antifreeze right off the store shelf, bought by my person,
captured on video, but we're holding that video back because I could probably get
it a lawsuit from somebody. And I don't need that headache. It's like, you know what, I'm aware of it.
I'm just going to stay clear of your product. The other thing is these colors.
I have a big problem with the orange, the yellow, the blue, the this, the that, the green.
You know what? That's a load of baloney. It's a marketing. It's a marketing ploy. That's all it is.
Except when you come to European cars. European cars have antifreeze specific. And I know because
I have some Volkswagen's. I have a Saab and I know and I have coolant set aside, which is
right from the factory for those particular vehicles. But the color is simply for this,
so that if your car has pink, you get the pink. If it has the yellow, you put the yellow in. If it
has the orange, you put the orange in. But here's the thing I don't like. The color actually
means nothing. It really doesn't. Antifreeze is antifreeze is antifreeze. And I could show
you just by using test strips that that is absolutely true. The color has nothing to do
with the performance of the antifreeze. But it's a great marketing ploy to take your money.
And I was in a store and I was pulling some antifreeze that I needed to finish off a video
that I was working on. I had the engine apart and I didn't have enough of the antifreeze
that I wanted. So I went to the store and I'm looking at all these fancy jugs with this color,
the orange, the yellow, the blue, the green, and I'm going, what the stink is this all about?
And then you better read the label because for $22, I picked up a jug of 50-50 antifreeze.
That's right. It's not even full concentrated antifreeze. So you're buying for $22, you're buying half
a jug of water. And I'm going to talk about that in a minute. Mixing antifreeze, a ratio. So stay
with me. So you're buying 50% of the jug is water. The other 50% is antifreeze. Scam,
alert. No, no. The guy comes and he says, can I help you, sir? I go, I don't know if you can or not.
I said, what a scam it is. I'm looking at all these jugs, different colors. I pull a jug
and I'm about to pay $22 for a gallon jug, not quite four liters. They can't give you four.
3.87. Come on, give me a break. In the automotive world, we always had four liter jugs. Actually,
I bought antifreeze in bulk. Anyways, because the jugs, they just hang around and they're terrible
to hang on to. So we used to buy it in 500 liter barrels. And guess what? It was only one color,
green. Yeah. There was another company out there that offered their antifreeze and it was blue.
So the fellow says, yeah, isn't that something? He says, I've been in the automotive trade for
quite a few years and I'm looking at this and going, wow, this is quite a marketing scam,
isn't it? And I looked up and I'm going, you're all over this, like white on rice,
like axle on a donut. Now that's a scary thought. Yeah, donut parts everywhere.
It's like cutting a pizza at a pizza party with a chainsaw. I saw that happen on a
dining room table. It was really nice before the chainsaw hit the pizza. So anyways,
I looked at the fellow and I go, what is with this? $22 for 3.87 liters of antifreeze
and a half of its water. He goes, well, I guess it's convenience if you don't know what you're doing.
I said, well, yeah, you're paying pretty good for that. You know, I could very easily take a jug
of concentrate, head for home, take half of it out, put it into another jug and then mix it
with 50% distilled water and then test it. And in my video, I do that and I show you
how to do that so you can save money. So you know what? I bought one jug and when I got back to the
shop, I turned it into two jugs. I premixed it myself. So instead of paying $22 for one jug
of 50-50, 50% water, 50% antifreeze, I got made myself two jugs and mixed it
50-50 right in my own shop. Now, if you're going to do that, here's what you have to know.
In today's automobiles with the technology that we have in our vehicles cooling systems,
you cannot mix the antifreeze or put tap water into your vehicle's cooling system. That is absolutely
no-no. You have to use distilled or filtered water or if you know for sure it's not coming
out of a municipal tap. You cannot use anything that has chemicals in it. So I have a filtered
system in the car connection workshop so anytime we're working with car batteries and topping
them up again, cannot use tap water. The chlorine plus the metals that are in the water will
destroy your vehicle's cooling system. How interesting is that, right? Yeah, we can put it
in our kidneys, but we can't put it in our automobiles cooling system. It will trash it.
Yeah, something you need to know. So if you buy that concentrated jug of antifreeze,
save yourself a windshield washer jug and mark it at the halfway point with a sharpie.
Put half of your antifreeze into that jug and then top it up, not quite to the top,
a couple of inches from the top will take you to about 3.87 liters. Now you have a premixed
jug of coolant. So at the end of the day, what we want to know is that we're good for at least
minus 40. And if it gets that cold, minus 40, this fella is not coming outside to play. I'm
putting another log on the fire and putting some more coffee on it. Speaking of coffee,
I got a nice fresh one here. You don't mind if I have a swiggy. We can have a swiggy together.
We'll have to work that out. Yep, that's my antifreeze. So again, just to recap the four
things we're looking for when we're testing antifreeze, boiling point, freeze point,
pH balance, alkalinity, and the fifth, did I say four? See, I never, I never passed math, okay?
I flubbed my way through it. So number five, the most important, they're all important, but the
critical, I should say critical point of measurement is the acid corrosion level.
So vehicles cooling system needs to be gushed and flushed. If you want to save your engine,
it's cheaper to replace the antifreeze, trust me, than to do a head gasket, cylinder head
replacement, or an engine replacement. 24 months is all I do in my own vehicles, and then I
gush and flush. Get it out of there, flush the system clean, and put a fresh fill.
And that's what you need to know. To keep it simple,
every 24 months, regardless of mileage, because remember, if you do very limited mileage on your
vehicle, your vehicle is classified as severe service vehicle. It needs more service than less
than the driver that's commuting an hour, hour and a half, one way to a job or is on the road,
doing on-road sales all day long. That's regular service and maintenance, but if you have a low
mileage vehicle, because you do lots of short trips, your vehicle needs more service, and the
category it fits in, again, is severe service. So remember I said at the very beginning of
this podcast, antifreeze has a due date, or a date due, depends on where you live,
yeah, or a best of date. However you want to say it, it has a shelf life. The shelf life is two
years, and that is written right on the bottles that I have downstairs, away from the studio,
into the shop studio where we shoot automotive videos. Right on the bottle, good for 225,000
kilometers, long life, antifreeze, shelf life, two years, and it's already the one jug.
The production date was 2023, and another jug, 2022, and the shelf life is 24 months.
So, and I purchased that antifreeze, brand spanking new, right off the shelf. So guess what?
It's already met, it's date too, the shelf life. Go figure. So that antifreeze will go into my
recycle can and go off to be recycled, because if it says its shelf life is two years,
and it's already three years old, 2022, are you going to put it in your car? I tested it,
and guess what? It failed two out of the five tests. It failed right out of the jug, and it
wasn't the only one. So you have to go watch that video on our YouTube channel. I believe it's
entitled checking antifreeze. Anyways, if you just do a search in our library, you'll find it.
It's all about antifreeze, that video. So till next time, we're going to talk about and break down
your vehicle's cooling system. What you need to know to avoid what happened to that 1997
Jeep TJ Wrangler Sport that put it in the junkyard. So we rescued it. It's what we call our
97 Jeep TJ Wrangler Rescue. And we're putting it back together and it's coming along real nice.
We're doing some upgrades to it right now. Every all the mechanicals are all done.
We're just moving through the inside. So stop by our YouTube channel anytime
at Nile Motormouth Jenkins. Visit our website carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com to connect
with local family owned and operated businesses that have my seal of approval. While you're
in our website, click on our store. Grab yourself from carconnectionmerch. Be part of the car connection
crew and visit us at Stevensvilleontheweb.ca. I love Stevensville. Some great family owned and
operated businesses there. That's where my pops has lived for 42 years. It's just a great
place to hang out. I love the people. I love the town. I love the businesses there.
And my favorite restaurant, Scuttle Butts in downtown Stevensville. You got to check it out sometime.
The food is fabulous. It's a great place to hang out and have a meal with friends.
Also, like and follow us on Facebook at Nile Motormouth Jenkins. And don't forget to like,
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and put that coffee on. We're going to come to your house.
About this episode
Dive into the essential truths about antifreeze and its role in vehicle maintenance. Niall Motormouth Jenkins debunks the myth of 'lifetime antifreeze' and emphasizes the importance of regular testing and replacement to prevent costly engine failures. He shares insights on testing methods, the significance of freeze and boiling points, and the dangers of using tap water in cooling systems. With humor and practical advice, this episode is a valuable resource for anyone looking to maintain their vehicle's cooling system effectively.
This week on The Car Connection Workshop, Motormouth Nile gets hands-on with antifreeze, super silicone, and a few slippery truths that'll save you serious money under the hood. Ever wonder what that neon stuff in your radiator really does- or why mixing the wrong kind could spell disaster? Nile breaks it down with his trademark humour, real -world wisdom and a few stories from the workshop that'll make you think twice before topping off that coolant.
Learn how to test antifreeze like a pro!
Find out what"super silicone solicitation" really means for your ride and more!
Discover the smart maintenance moves that keep your engine chill and your wallet full.
Join The Motormouth Crew; Like ,subscribe, and comment your thoughts -then ring that bell so you never miss an episode. Follow us on Facebook @ nile motormouth jenkins for behind -the -scenes reels and extras. Catch more fun and outtakes at StevensvilleOnTheWeb.ca under the Businesses tab. Grab your Car Connection Merch and show off your gearhead pride- https://shop.freedomexpressions.net/carconnection Tune In every Saturday on Joiyradio AM 1250-Car Connection at 7AM and Dashboard 2PM. and stay tuned for the next episode - we're diving deep into your vehicle's cooling system, the hidden trouble spots, and the "buggery things" that await if you don't maintain it right!
