Water alone, without engine coolant, can
cause engine damage from corrosion,
overheating or freezing.
Do not use the following as a coolant
substitute, as they can cause engine
damage from overheating or freezing:
•
Alcohol.
•
Methanol.
•
Brine.
•
Any coolant mixed with alcohol or
methanol antifreeze.
Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to
the coolant. These can be harmful and
compromise the corrosion protection of
the coolant.
Severe Climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates, you
may need to increase the coolant
concentration above 50%.
Note:
A coolant concentration of 60%
provides improved freeze point protection.
Coolant concentrations above 60%
decrease the overheat protection
characteristics of the coolant and could
cause engine damage.
If you drive in extremely hot climates, you
may need to decrease the coolant
concentration to 40%.
Note:
A coolant concentration of 40%
provides improved overheat protection.
Coolant concentrations below 40%
decrease the overheat and corrosion
protection characteristics of the coolant and
could cause engine damage.
Coolant Change
WARNING:
Do not dispose of
coolant in the household refuse or the
public sewage system. Use an authorized
waste disposal facility.
Change the coolant at specific mileage
intervals. Refer to the scheduled
maintenance information. See
Normal
Scheduled Maintenance
(page 485).
Note:
Dispose of used coolant in the
appropriate manner.
Follow your community's regulations and
standards for recycling and disposing of
automotive fluids.
Fail-Safe Cooling
Fail-safe cooling allows you to temporarily
drive your vehicle before any incremental
component damage occurs. The fail-safe
distance depends on ambient
temperature, vehicle load and terrain.
How Fail-Safe Cooling Works
If the engine begins to overheat,
the coolant temperature gauge
moves toward the red zone:
A warning lamp illuminates and
a message may appear in the
information display.
If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine
automatically switches to alternating
cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder
acts as an air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs, your vehicle still
operates, however:
•
Engine power is limited.
•
The air conditioning system turns off.
Continued operation increases the engine
temperature, causing the engine to
completely shut down. Your steering and
braking effort increases in this situation.
When the engine temperature cools, you
can re-start the engine. Have your vehicle
checked as soon as possible to minimize
engine damage.
336
Maintenance