A sealed bottle of antifreeze has an indefinite shelf life. Once opened, it will keep for years if stored in the original container.
Antifreeze ? coolant that has not been mixed with water ? tends to last even longer than pre-mixed engine coolant, though both last for years.
Degraded Antifreeze
It is only when coolant is poured into a vehicle and reacts with other liquids that it begins to degrade.
If your coolant goes slushy in winter, it is either because there is too much water in the antifreeze/water ratio or because the coolant has degenerated. If you don?t drain degenerated coolant from the vehicle, corrosive deposits may form in the engine.
You can buy antifreeze testers to measure the level of coolant freeze protection. These will indicate the quality of your coolant.
Follow our easy steps to top up your antifreeze here.
Disposing of Antifreeze
If your old coolant has degraded, do not pour it onto the ground or down a drain. It could seep through soil and into groundwater supplies or eventually pollute a river.
Store your old antifreeze in a secure, clearly labelled container and drop it off at an official recycling centre. From here, it will be sent to a processing centre, where professionals will remove contaminants and recycle the chemicals for new products.
Find out how to recycle old antifreeze here.
Refilling Your Antifreeze
It?s best to check and refill your engine coolant once every two years so that you don?t risk your engine overheating or freezing, depending on the time of year. With enough coolant, your engine will need to reach -37C to freeze or 106C to boil.
If you have purchased antifreeze as a concentrate, rather than a pre-mixed coolant, it is safer to only mix the amount required for your top up with distilled water. Don?t mix the entire bottle and then store it in its mixed form. Mix it as you use it to sustain its quality.
Need to replace your antifreeze? Search your number plate in our car lookup tool to find all the coolants that are suitable for your vehicle.
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