I finally stopped eyeballing coolant mixes

I used to guess the blend every time I filled a radiator. Last week, a car came back with engine damage from overheating. Do you use a tester or follow the manual strictly?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith_singh2mo ago

Hate seeing engines get hurt from simple mistakes. I bought a cheap coolant tester from the auto parts store last year. It has a little float that shows the mix ratio, and I check it every time. Have you tried one of those, or do you stick to the manual?

faithb742mo ago

Keith's float tester seems like a smart fix for avoiding guesses. I worry about cheap tools giving false readings after a while. How do you make sure yours stays accurate season to season?

viola_cooper622mo ago

Ever clean the tester? @faithb74. I rinse mine with distilled water after each use. Let it dry out before putting it away. Seems to keep the float from sticking or getting gunky.