Date:         Fri, 31 May 2002 09:55:39 -0700
Reply-To:     Brent Christensen <sbsyncro@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Brent Christensen <sbsyncro@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: was To buy or not to buy: 87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
Comments: To: sstones@IDIRECT.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

You can also just ask for "Autobahn" coolant.  It is spec'd for all aluminum
engined VW and Audi cars, AFAIK.  Any VW dealer should carry it.  (Even my
mechanic stocks it).  IIRC it is about $15 a gallon or something like that.
(not pre-mixed)

I also firmly believe (based on personal observations of mine and other
people's WBX's) that there are three critical things to prolonging the life
of your heads:

1. Proper coolant
2. Maintain engine ground straps
3. Change coolant regularly (I do it every Spring)

My original motor had 168,000 before needing to have the heads done
(actually the entire engine was replaced).  It was always serviced (by the
PO) at the original dealership where it was purchased, and the coolant was
changed annually (with Autobahn).

Most of the other Vanagon owners who report high mileage without head leaks
follow a similar program.  (Perhaps this is faulty cause and effect
reasoning, but I believe it is common sense maintenance at any rate)

Brent Christensen
'89 GL Syncro Westy
Santa Barbara, CA



>From: Stones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
>Reply-To: Stones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: was To buy or not to buy:  87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
>Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 11:44:25 -0400
>
>At 11:14 AM 5/31/02 -0400, Eric wrote:
>>  OK, this whole proper coolant for Vanagon issue seems somewhat baffling
>>to
>>  me.  Someone in a recent posting offering advice on whether to buy a
>>Westy
>>  said they were concerned about the green coolant.  My coolant is green
>>  straight out of the container.  It is Prestone brand.  It says safe for
>>all
>>  aluminum parts on the label, but it doesn't say phosphate free.  So is
>>  Prestone safe?  If not, what brands are safe?  What do phosphates damage
>>in
>>  the engine?
>
>The "blue goo", the coolant specifically designed to prevent head
>gasket-itis (PN: G 011V8BA1,   Mat No. G 011 V8B JB) is almost a green
>color.
>At it's price I don't know if it's worth it, about $20-$25 for 1.5L, but I
>haven't had head-gasket-itis in 7 years accumulating about 200,000 km. The
>dealership morons tell me that that part number doesn't exist until I speak
>really slowly reading it off of the clearly VW bottle, then they say that
>it's never been available in North America which makes me wonder which
>continent I drove to to buy it.
>Now I know this is going to bring the spammers out of the woodwork to flame
>me for paying too much for coolant, I know I did, but it has lasted a
>while, you needn't educate me on shopping.
>Basically, I suppose I'm just saying it doesn't matter what color they make
>it, what matters is whether it will help to pit your aluminum heads and
>de-grade your gasket. Phosphates can certainly cause problems with the
>gaskets of aluminum headed engines.






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