POWERTRAIN
As winter descends upon the U.S. with
brutal temperatures fast approaching, the
importance of preparing a heavy duty engine
becomes critical to vehicle uptime. Th is is especially
42 Fleet Maintenance | November/December 2018
important for cooling system maintenance.
When it comes to freezing – and also
summer boilover – the mixture of water and
antifreeze/coolant (AF/C) needs to be just right.
Find the right balance
It is essential to stick to a recommended
maintenance schedule and practices as
winter weather puts strains on the vehicle’s
engine. Th e functions of AF/C are far more
complex than just freeze and overheating
protection. Th e latest technologies in
today’s AF/C provide a layered approach to
controlling engine temperatures, as well as
protecting engine components from premature
damage and corrosion.
If the cooling system is unable to satisfy
the essential requirements put on it by the
engine, the vehicle’s horsepower, fuel effi -
ciency, emissions and overall durability will
be compromised.
Selecting the highest quality AF/C products
and replenishing at recommended intervals
will ensure operating efficiency and
optimal performance. Controlling as many
variables as possible and keeping trucks on
the road will directly impact the bottom line
of any operation.
The challenge
While the threat of winter freezing may
appear, on the surface, to be the primary
concern, corrosion mitigation is also a primary
function of coolant. Testing the coolant
concentration (mixture of glycol, water and
inhibitors) is an important part of winter
engine management.
Water and a water-glycol mixture alone
are naturally corrosive. Coolant manufacturers
add chemicals, known as corrosion
inhibitors, to the glycol/water mixture in
order to prevent the cooling system components
from corroding.
The very best coolants will not only
protect a heavy duty engine from freezing
Tips for cold weather
coolant maintenance
in heavy duty vehicles
Selecting the right antifreeze/coolant ensures effi cient
operation and optimal performance of the vehicle’s engine.
By Collin Dilley
VP TECHNOLOGY, PRESTONE PRODUCTS CORPORATION
Prestone (prestone.com) manufactures and markets antifreeze/coolant, brake and power steering fluid,
windshield washer fluid and other leading vehicle maintenance products. Dilley was appointed the vice
president of technology at Prestone Products Corporation in 2014. He has been directly responsible
for developing and launching several propriety Prestone products, including Prestone’s Cor-Guard
corrosion inhibitor technology in the company’s coolant. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Management and
Decision Science from Walden University.
» Fleets running in extremely cold
conditions might decide to push the
glycol levels to the upper limits for
optimum freeze point protection.
Photo courtesy of Prestone Products Corp.
Proactively testing
engine coolant is
essential to making
the right decisions
for maintaining
the correct
levels of coolant
concentrations.
/prestone.com