Bluecol Anti-freeze Tester

Price: £5.99
Contact: 0161 764 5981, www.bluecol.co.uk

How well is your engine protected against the cold weather this winter? Bluecol’s new antifreeze tester claims to reveal all.

It’s easy to use, as it’s similar to a thermometer. You dip the tube into the coolant (when the engine
is cold), then squeeze the rubber bulb and draw some coolant into the glass body.

The discs inside then start to move – just how many rise will indicate what temperature the coolant is suitable for.

It was a few degrees out in our accurately mixed test sample, although it was close enough to alert you to a dangerously high freezing point. The scale is easy to read, although it’s only accurate to the nearest eight degrees. Usefully, the scale is printed on the tube, so there’s no need to refer to the pack to interpret the result.

Although it doesn’t measure concentration, you can get a rough idea based on the freeze protection. Overall, this offers a cheap early warning.

Verdict

Rating: ★★★
What is it?
Coolant tester to help you check how well-protected your engine is this winter.
Problems?
Only indicates freeze protection and not concentration of coolant, scale only accurate to nearest eight degrees.
Why buy?
Cheap, good guide to coolant problems, explanation of scale printed on glass tube.