Why engine coolant is crucial

Developed on the world’s racetracks, Motul’s lubricants are designed to protect your car in extremes of temperature. When it comes to the liquids we put into our cars, we probably don’t give much thought beyond fuel, a bit of windscreen washer fluid and an oil change come service time. But there’s one more fluid that’s vital for the slick operation of your car’s engine. Coolant.

Not only is coolant essential to the longevity of your engine, but it’s a wonder fluid that goes beyond its literal meaning. Because not only does coolant protect your engine in cold temperatures, but it also protects it in hot temperatures, too.

“As far as road cars go, coolant has anti-freeze capabilities, allowing your car to perform better in cold situations” explains Luke Sedzikowski, one of the co-founders of Tegiwa Imports.

Luke’s company specialises in high-performance parts for Japanese cars, but he’s also forged a successful racing career on the side. He currently races a Honda NSX and a BMW M4 GT in the UK Time Attack Championship. So, if anyone knows the importance of coolant, it’s him.

“But as well as protecting your car in cold weather, coolant has a really high boiling point, so it helps your car when it’s on track and the engine’s getting hot.”

It is this dual aspect of coolant that’s so special: the ability to protect your car at both ends of the temperature spectrum. But not all coolants are created equally, and that’s why Luke chose to run Motul in his race cars as well as stock it in his shop.

“Motul has a great reputation. It’s a premium brand. Our most popular coolant, Motul Inugel, is pre-mixed. So, it’s ready to use. It’s a great coolant that works really well and has been proven time and time again,” adds Luke. “In more performance applications Mocool is an even better product because it actually helps lower the engine temperature. You don’t get that from any other coolant on the market. That’s an exclusive advantage Motul has managed to develop.”

Motul’s products are created under its “living laboratory” conditions. From the high-speed straights of Le Mans to the challenging dunes of Dakar, Motul’s coolants are put through some of the toughest motorsport tests on the planet. Its engineers and scientists are present at the racetrack constantly analysing and evaluating to ensure its fluids do what they are designed to do – getting cars over the finish line. After all, you can’t win if you can’t make it to the end.

As well as offering protection to your engine in hot and cold temperatures, coolant lubricates the moving parts in your engine. It is housed in a radiator and is drawn into the engine via the water pump, where it absorbs the excess heat and helps to control the engine’s temperature.

“As people ask more and more from their cars, like track days or tuning, coolant becomes more and more important,” says Luke: “Coolant’s far better than water because of the corrosion properties. When you use coolant you essentially avoid getting a rusty engine. That’s a vital reason for using it.”

If you’re looking for a high-performance coolant that’s been proven on the world’s racetracks, Witham Motorsport stocks the full Motul range. As the UK’s official supplier of Motul products in the UK, we provide stockists, distributors, direct customers and the motorsport industry with high quality products designed with performance and reliability in mind.