If you’ve ever seen a car pulled over on the side of the road with white smoke billowing from under its hood, you’ve likely seen an overheating engine. This is a problem you should try your best to avoid; in addition to being frightening, overheating could completely destroy your engine. One of the best ways to keep your engine from overheating is to make sure it has enough coolant and that the coolant itself is in good condition. If your Honda needs a coolant change, don’t hesitate: head to Serra Honda of Champaign.
The combustion that powers internal combustion engines is incredibly hot. It’s such a hot process, in fact, that its heat can actually warp and melt the metal of the engine if it’s left unmitigated! That’s what the cooling system is for, and coolant is the heart of the system. The water pump sends the coolant through the engine, where it picks up excess heat. It moves through hoses to the radiator, where this heat is dissipated. Once the coolant has cooled down, it leaves the radiator and begins the whole process again.
In the old days, coolant was simply water (which is why the component that sends the coolant through the system is called the water pump). Of course, this has a few problems: water has a relatively high freezing point, and it’s also corrosive. To keep it from freezing in cooler climes, people would add alcohol or other compounds to lower the freezing point. But the coolant you’ll find nowadays is usually a near-50/50 blend of water and an antifreeze chemical like ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. We say that it’s nearly 50/50 because manufacturers also add anti-corrosion agents to protect the engine.
Even if your coolant isn’t leaking, it’s still best to have it exchanged at the recommended intervals. This is because coolant can begin to degrade and corrode over time. As it becomes less effective, it may not cool the engine as much. Degraded coolant can corrode metal components, and it can even cause the radiator or heater core to become clogged with debris. Fluid changes are a perfect way to avoid this.
Drivers from Urbana, Mahomet, and beyond know that a visit to Serra Honda of Champaign for service is worth the drive. Our state-of-the-art service center is staffed by technicians who know your Honda inside and out, and they’ll use only the OEM parts and fluids that are best for your Honda. Scheduling your next appointment is easy, so head to Serra Honda of Champaign!
