# Coolant freeze temperature

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** coolant, engines\
**Created:** [December 5, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974 "2008-12-05T04:12:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bunnrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@bunnrock](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bunnrock)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/1 "2008-12-05T04:12:16Z")

</div>

What is the best way to check the freeze temperature of engine coolant, at the surge tank or at the radiator cap? And what if there’s no radiator cap?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 5:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/2 "2008-12-05T05:47:10Z")

</div>

Either location is fine. If there is no radiator cap, well that kind of narrows it down for you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 10:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/3 "2008-12-05T10:30:15Z")

</div>

Why would you need to check it? It does not change unless someone has been adding water or straight coolant.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/4 "2008-12-05T12:39:34Z")

</div>

It’s all the same coolant, so where you check it doesn’t matter. I prefer to remove the radiator cap, if there is one, and check the coolant in the radiator, but that’s just because it’s easier to reach than the coolant in the reservoir.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/5 "2008-12-05T14:20:23Z")

</div>

It looks like you have gotten your answer. I would like to add that if you get your coolant/antifreeze changed as often as you should, this should not be necessary. Unless you have some kind of long life coolant, I would change it every two years.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/6 "2008-12-05T15:00:12Z")

</div>

> Unless you have some kind of long life coolant, I would change it every two years.

I don’t trust that long-life coolant. It’s so easy and cheap to change very 2 years…I’d do it no matter what coolant was in there.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bunnrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@bunnrock](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bunnrock)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coolant-freeze-temperature/22974/7 "2008-12-06T01:05:14Z")

</div>

I bought a 97 Saturn with 120,000 miles on it and this is the first winter for it. It uses the pink stuff and I want to be sure it’s good to 35 below. It has also not been flushed…yet.