Keep Your Cool By Maintaining Your Vehicle (NAPSA)—It’s an all too familiar scene for millions of motorists: You’re running late for an appointment, cruising down the highway, when steam suddenly starts billowing from your vehicle’s hood. In an instant you’re stranded roadside, wishing you’d taken a minute to check your antifreeze levels before settingoff. To avoid this nuisance, Richard Courtney, director of Prestone Products R&D and Technical Services, offers some simple rules on proper cooling system maintenance: 1. Feel the need to read. Dust off the owner’s manual before shopping for an antifreeze/ coolant. There are conventional and extended-life formulas with varying change intervals, and using the correct formula for your car is highly recommended. 2. Go color blind. Color has nothing to do with the type of coolant you should use. Most conventional American antifreeze is green. Prestone antifreeze/coolant is yellow with a green tint. The majority of American extended-life coolants are orange, including Prestone Extended Life 5/150 antifreeze/coolant. Many automobile manufacturers use their own special colors that are totally unrelated to antifreeze formulas. 3. Don’t forget to flush. Special chemical additives called corrosion inhibitors are what help prevent serious rust and corrosion damage to cooling systems. Over time, these additives wear out, making the coolant unable to prevent corrosion of cooling system metals. That’s often when the trouble starts, so be mindful—schedule regular flush and fills and top off in between. ig Proper cooling system maintenance can help keep your car on the roadall year long. 4, Split it down the middle. Evenif you’re just toppingoff, use 50 percent antifreeze concentrate for temperature and corrosion protection, and 50 percent de-mineralized water for vital heat transfer. “This is the precise factory-fill blend used by most major auto manufacturers,” says Courtney. To avoid dealing with measuring or adding water, pre-mixed formulas are available, like Prestone Quick Fill” antifreeze/coolant. 5. Keep it clean. It is vital to use, store and dispose of antifreeze properly. Keep it tightly capped in the original bottle or clearly labeled container, and locked in childproof cabinets. Clean any spills immediately. The Prestone EZ Pourbottle helps prevent accidental spills by reducing glugging and dripping. Be sure to check under your car for leaks every few months, andif detected, have them inspected. Flush any puddles of antifreeze with plenty of water, or use cat litter to soak it up. Antifreeze will biodegrade in the environment, but removing the spill is essential to avoid any form of accidental ingestion. For more on protecting your cooling system, visit www.prestone.com.
