Antifreeze isn’t just for winter—it’s essential for protecting your engine year-round. From freezing Wisconsin winters to sweltering summer heat, maintaining the proper coolant level prevents overheating, freezing, and costly engine damage. But how do you know if your cooling system needs service? Keep reading to learn why antifreeze is critical for engine protection and how Next Level Auto Services on the border of Menomonee Falls, Mequon, and North Milwaukee, can help maintain your cooling system and keep your vehicle running at its best.
What Does Antifreeze Do for Your Engine?
Antifreeze, also called coolant, is a specially formulated liquid designed to:
- Regulate engine temperature to prevent overheating in summer and freezing in winter
- Protect metal components from rust, corrosion, and buildup
- Lubricate essential moving parts of the cooling system, like the water pump
- Enhance overall engine performance and fuel efficiency
Without the proper coolant level, quality, and chemistry, your engine is at risk of overheating, freezing, or suffering from internal corrosion, leading to costly repairs and damages.
How Antifreeze Provides Year-Round Engine Protection
1. Prevents Freezing in Winter
In Menomonee Falls, Mequon, North Milwaukee, and surrounding areas, winter temperatures can drop below freezing. The proper ratio of antifreeze to water is 50/50.
Having a higher percentage of water in your antifreeze mixture will lead to freezing causing cracked engine blocks, broken radiators, and other costly repairs.
Having a higher percentage of antifreeze over water will lead to loss of cooling system performance and in extreme cases can cause the antifreeze to turn into a gel like substance causing blockages in vital cooling system passages. This can lead to overheating, reduced interior heater output, and damaged cooling system components.
A proper antifreeze blend ensures your engine stays protected during Wisconsin’s harsh winters, allowing efficient operation and reliable protection.
2. Prevents Overheating in the Summer
While many drivers associate coolant with winter protection, overheating is a serious issue in hot weather as well. If your engine runs too hot, it can lead to:
- Warped cylinder heads
- Blown head gaskets
- Total engine failure
To avoid overheating, it’s important to have your coolant level checked and ensure all the cooling system components are in good condition. If you’re experiencing temperature fluctuations or overheating, our ASE-Certified master technicians are well versed on the complex cooling system in today’s automobiles and can perform a thorough inspection to diagnose and repair any cooling system issues.
3. Prevents Rust and Corrosion
Over time, coolant degrades (and in extreme cases can actually become acidic). Generally coolant begins losing its protective properties after about 5 years or 60k miles. When this happens, your radiator, heater core, engine, and all cooling passages and components become susceptible to:
- Scale and rust build up that reduces coolant flow and efficiency
- Deposits and contaminants settling in crucial components such as the radiator and the heater core
- Excessive wear on moving components such as the water pump
- Swelling and damage to rubber hoses and seals – leading to leaks
Next Level Auto Services highly recommends changing out your engine coolant every 5 years or 60k miles with the specific coolant that the manufacturer designed for your vehicle, helping to keep your engine cooling system functioning properly and reduce costly and otherwise unnecessary repairs.
4. Improves Fuel Efficiency and Performance
A well-maintained cooling system allows your engine to operate at optimal temperatures, which:
- Reduces fuel consumption
- Prevents unnecessary wear and tear
- Enhances overall vehicle longevity
Signs You Need Cooling System Service
Routine maintenance prevents serious problems, but certain warning signs indicate your vehicle’s cooling system needs attention. Look out for:
- Engine overheating or fluctuating temperature gauge
- Visible coolant leaks (coolant comes in all colors of the rainbow these days, and each vehicle manufacturer has specific coolant chemistry and colors to help differentiate many types available). If you have any questions regarding what type of coolant your vehicle uses, feel free to reach out to us anytime – we are happy to educate.
- Low coolant levels that require frequent refills
- A sweet, syrup-like odor near the engine compartment or inside the vehicle
- Rusty or sludgy coolant in the reservoir
If you notice any of these symptoms, scheduling a cooling system inspection can help catch issues before they lead to costly repairs.
How Often Should You Replace Your Antifreeze?
We recommend most vehicles have their coolant changed out once every 5 years or 60k miles. This all varies based on driving habits, but our experience has shown that coolant will begin to breakdown right around that timeframe. Changing your coolant is a preventative maintenance item and like all preventative maintenance, it will help avoid costly repairs and untimely breakdowns.
Every modern vehicle from the last 20 or more years requires specific coolant chemistry based on the way the cooling system was engineered and the types of metals and other components used in the cooling system. Using a ‘universal’ coolant in any modern vehicle is a recipe for disaster. It may not show any immediate damage or issues, but over time it will end up causing costly and irreversible damage to the cooling system. Next Level Auto Services only uses the manufacturer-specific antifreeze diluted to the proper 50/50 mixture using de-ionized water, so you are getting the same coolant type and quality that the vehicle was filled with from the factory. We ensure that you are getting proper fluids at the proper times to allow your vehicle to be as trouble free as possible.
Trusted Cooling System Service in North Milwaukee, WI
As a locally trusted repair shop, we take a customer-first approach by helping drivers make informed maintenance and repair decisions. We offer:
- Expert service for all makes and models, including European and electric vehicles (such as Tesla)
- Fast turnaround times, with same-day and next-day appointments available
- A three-year, 36,000-mile warranty
- Transparent recommendations—no surprises or unnecessary repairs
Serving Menomonee Falls, Mequon, North Milwaukee, and other surrounding areas, we ensure our customers receive reliable service and care to protect their vehicles year-round.
Schedule Your Cooling System Service Today
Antifreeze is your engine’s first line of defense against extreme temperatures. Don’t wait for overheating or leaks to cause major damage—schedule your cooling system service today with Next Level Auto Services.
Call us now at 414-206-0100 for expert cooling system maintenance. Visit us at 9334 N 107th Street, Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53224.
Book your appointment online and drive with confidence in every season. Stay ahead of engine issues—trust Milwaukee’s cooling system experts at Next Level Auto Services!
