Juan José, a mechanic, warns of a potentially costly mistake when checking a car: "I already burned my face once..."

You can check most car components at any time, but Juan José Ebenezer is very clear on this one: "You can't open it when the car is still hot!" The mechanic from @talleresebenezer, who has a negative experience with this practice, shares a video on TikTok angrily warning of the risks of opening the coolant canister when the car is still hot because, as he points out, "I'm sick of hearing about it and seeing videos of people who have that happen to them."

According to the expert, the trick to knowing it's safe to check the tank is to touch a coolant tube and be able to sink your fingers into it. If it's hard, you'll have to wait. When it's soft, you can slowly uncover the canister. This way, you'll be able to hear the air pressure , if there is any.

Why can't I open the coolant tank?

Ebenezer emphasizes that it's not opened hot for two reasons: First, he uses a culinary simile to explain that water boils at 100 degrees when cooking, while in a car it's at a higher temperature , so, just like in a pressure cooker, pressure is added to prevent the coolant from evaporating. Therefore, as Juan José points out: "If you open it and decompress it, it automatically goes from about 1.5 bars to atmospheric pressure," which will cause the tank to expel boiling water at high pressure onto your face or hands, causing burns.

Secondly, the mechanic points out that : "if you manage to avoid it affecting you, you will be left stranded with the car" , since if you manage to protect yourself from this reaction of water , you will be left stranded because the tank will empty enough so that you will not be able to drive that vehicle.

So, whenever you want to check the coolant level in your car, check a coolant line and wait until it's cold .

Why are there different colors in coolant?

The color of coolant varies depending on its chemical composition , specifically the proportion of distilled water and antifreeze in the mixture. Therefore, it's important to check the product label to verify its compatibility with your vehicle before using it.

According to the RACE (Royal Automobile Club of Spain), pink coolant contains a balanced ratio of distilled water and antifreeze. Green coolant combines approximately 60% distilled water and 40% antifreeze ; blue coolant combines 70% water and 30% antifreeze ; and yellow coolant combines 80% water and 20% antifreeze .