Date:         Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:26:02 -0700
Reply-To:     Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
Subject:      Re: coolant change - 85 Vanagon
Comments: To: Jay Brown <jayb@coedsportswear.com>
In-Reply-To:  <000901c27157$10bcd760$082aa8c0@mystation.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

The spec is, non-phosphate ethylene glychol. Any brand name fluid that meet
the GM Dex-cool spec will do. These are what are typically labeled as
5yr/50,000 mile long life types. Just don't believe that rule of thumb
interval in regards to Wasserboxers. Coorosion will get started within 2
years for the Vanagons so I advise yearly to prevent deterioration from
getting started. This is what is necessary to get 200,000 miles without
leaks caused by coorosion.

Read the ingredients on the back. It should state e-glychol and no
phosphates. The correct fluid is always blue
(VW/Porsche/Audi/Autobahn/Jaguar) or yellow (Mercedes) or Orange (Havoline
or Zerex or Prestone Dex-Cool spec). Volvo and Saab use the same spec but I
have never seen their dealer labeled stuff, but suspect it comes from Basf
Germany. They make both the blue and yellow tint for all the Euro marks,
since the 50's when Mercedes first called for it on their post war engines
using alloy heads on iron blocks. It only took GM 40 years to catch up to
the Euro specs.

At 11:50 AM 10/11/2002, you wrote:

>Greetings Doktor,
>
>         I recently read your post in the vanagon.com archives about
> changing the
>coolant in the VW wasserboxer.  Do you insist on a certain brand of coolant,
>or would any phosphate free coolant be permissable as long as it is changed
>on a yearly basis?