Antifreeze – When was it last checked?


Tractor antifreeze checkAntifreeze Check

With the coldest of the winter weather still to come the condition of the antifreeze in your tractor is important

When supplied new all  Foton tractors  are filled with a blue glycol based antifreeze. Antifreeze has a finite life and needs checking periodically, the blue glycol based antifreeze  has a  life of about two years and then starts to degrade. Don’t worry it doesn’t suddenly become ineffective but it does drop off in performance and  need changing to make sure your engine is protected from extreme cold. Should the coolant freeze the pressure will almost certainly crack the block of the engine either internally or externally. If you want to do this yourself a hydrometer will be needed, they are widely available from most motor factors.

You might not need to flush and recharge your  tractor’s radiator with new coolant each year; however, seasonal evaluation of water-based coolants with a hydrometer is highly recommended. Wait until the tractor engine has cooled. Cover the radiator cap with a cloth, turn a half revolution to check for any remaining pressure, and remove.

Check inside the filler neck for debris of any kind, indicating a need to flush the system. If you find none, insert the hydrometer hose into the neck, squeeze the bulb and release to fill the column. The “freeze” scale on one side of the hydrometer indicates the freezing point of the solution. It should register less than negative zero degrees C. The reverse side displays the boiling point. Fully effective coolant should indicate a boiling point above 130 degrees C. If either freezing- or boiling-point requirements aren’t met, flush and replace the coolant.

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