Date:         Fri, 7 Dec 2007 20:03:46 -0600
Reply-To:     Ben Cichowski <aquasheck@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ben Cichowski <aquasheck@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Recommended coolant
In-Reply-To:  <742093.70331.qm@web33610.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

David,

flip the jug over and take a look at the ingredients
list. Many that do not specifically say "phosphate free" are indeed
free of phosphates. Prestone "Extended Life" for instance does not
contain any phosphates...but it also does not say that on the front
label.

More than anything; however, it boils down to the type of
water you are mixing it with. If you mix phosphate containing
antifreeze with hard water (waters high, for the most part, in
dissolved Calcium and or Magnesium) phosphates will destabilize at high
temperatures and actually precipitate out these minerals leaving
deposits in your system. This is just a function of phosphates at high
temps.

It is actually sort of an odd reaction - at lower temps,
phosphates are used in the water industry (not only for corrosion
protection as it is here) but also to sequester dissolved iron and
manganese, i.e. keep these minerals in solution so they do not
precipitate out on your nice white bathtubs and the like.

The
short version of this long-winded email is that our Euro cars call for
phosphate free because the water in Europe is higher in hard water
minerals like Calcium and Magnesium, and metals like Iron and Manganese
as well. I'd still certainly go with phosphate free, but I think labels
have changed in recent years because it is not much of an issue for us
over on this side of the pond.

-Ben

> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 13:13:46 -0800
> From: covrambles@YAHOO.COM
> Subject: Recommended coolant
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> 
> What is the recommended coolant now? All I see in the
> stores is Prestone or Peak and neither say
> "phosphate-free".
> The last time I changed it (5 years ago) I put in some
> long-life orange stuff (I forget the brand name) but
> now I can't seem to find it.
> 
> - David ('87 Wolfsburg)
> 
> 
> 
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