Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 22:42:55 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Cooling strategies, color coded, etc.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
My Dad operated an 83 Cadillac with an aluminum block engine and heads for
18 years without damage from using standard old glycol based antifreeze.
It's apparent that Vanagon WB owners perceive that they need something
special.
I must agree with VW in specifying their own special formula in the hopes of
selling lots of it.
There are certain areas of the US where the tap water has lots of minerals
including, lead, iron, calcium so I see that the mineral deposits problem is
more regional than national.
Just on a seasonal schedule in Dallas TX I can see various bacteria and
minerals are present in the water from watching the toilet bowl and the
mineral scale in the coffee maker.
I think it's more just the age of the vehicle that makes it appear that
there is excessive mineral scale when in reality that scale would be present
under any condition regardless of the water used.
I've never seen a radiator in a five year old or older car that didn't have
some minor scale in the radiator. The antifreeze dissipates the minerals out
through a combination of heat and chemical actions.
Stan Wilder
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Brodbeck" <gull@GULL.US>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: Cooling strategies, color coded, etc.
> On Thu, 29 Apr 2004, Daniel L. Katz wrote:
>
> > maybe we can get a chemist to comment; but, it seems logical that
> > distilled water would actually be more corrosive than average tap water.
> > there may be some advantage in terms of reducing mineral deposits, but
> > distilled water should really be more corrosive because it is farther
from
> > chemical equilibrium with respect to cooling system materials.
>
> In fact, tap water's pH is usually adjusted at the treatment plant to make
> sure it isn't corrosive to the water mains. (This isn't true if you have
> your own well, of course.)
>
> The concern with tap water is that the minerals in it could react with
> chemicals in the coolant and cause them to settle out, forming deposits
> that can clog the system. This is supposedly why VW specified
> phosphate-free coolant.
>
>
> David Brodbeck, N8SRE
> '86 Volvo 240DL wagon
> '82 VW Vanagon Westfalia Diesel
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