Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (April 2003, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 3 Apr 2003 16:13:04 -0800
Reply-To:     Chris Radcliffe <chrisr_vanagon@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Radcliffe <chrisr_vanagon@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Goofy Coolant Refresh Idea
In-Reply-To:  <3E8CC772.6010205@gull.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

OK, it's early Friday, near enough. Here's my "idea", take whatever pot shots you wish.

Background: Most of us change our coolant in our Vanagons on a regular basis, call it every N months. We drain and fill the system completely, using one of many variations on a fundamentally convoluted process, and for most of us it takes some prep, care and time that we might rather spend elsewise.

Idea: Every month, simply drain out 1/Nth of the coolant from one of the drainable spots. Replace it with a fresh 1/Nth of proper coolant/water mix. At any given time coolant in the vehicle still has an average "life" of N months. Of course, I'm assuming the coolant of different ages mixes perfectly. I have no reason to believe it wouldn't. It is never perfectly new, never completely spent. Actually, Nth interval can be multiple months, if so desired, as long as the "averaging" process is unaffected.

What you think, eh?

Chris Radcliffe chris_radcliffe@mindspring.com '90 Westy Auto "Blue Whale"

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf Of David Brodbeck Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 3:45 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: coolant IS a poison

Robert Steven Fish wrote: > I think the point has been made, and there is probably no reason to continue > this thread... recycle it. If you absolutely cannot locate a place that > will take (or are lazy and don't really care about expending the extra > energy to do the right thing) then go ahead and pour it all over Mount > Everest.

In some places it's tough to recycle anything that the government doesn't require places to take.

I used to live in a small town in northern Michigan. Motor oil and car batteries were no problem, because shops were required by law to take them. But one day I had some lead acid gel cell batteries from a UPS, and I couldn't find anywhere to take them. It wasn't a "car battery" so the law didn't require anyone to take it off my hands. Similarly, it was impossible to recycle paper there because no one could make money off doing it.


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.