Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 12:20:07 CST
Reply-To: Joel Walker <JWALKER@UA1VM.UA.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From: Joel Walker <JWALKER@UA1VM.UA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Coolant - What color?
In-Reply-To: <19971208.083245.3630.1.turinsky@juno.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Mon, 8 Dec 1997 08:32:44 Kevin Turinsky said:
>... Now, Darrell Boehler wrote saying that maybe my coolant shouldn't
>be GREEN!!! What color is it supposed to be? Man, I don't know if the PO
yeah, yeah ... ok, IF you/he had been doing it right, and using ONLY the
vw antifreeze, it should be kinda blue. more blue than green. however,
most folks do NOT pay the $15/gallon for it, and instead use Prestone or
Zerex or some such, which is usually green.
now, will that cause problems?? only if you let the coolant stay in the
system toooo long ... like four or five years. ANY coolant is ok, IF you
replace it often enough. like motor oil, coolant is pretty much coolant.
so why all the "phosphate-free" stuff? well, cause in an aluminum engine,
or an engine with aluminum heads (like ours), the phosphates cause a problem
AFTER the coolant gets kinda old (like three years). what happens is that
fresh new coolant has some anti-corrosion additives, and in time, these
additives wear out. now, IF you have phosphates in the coolant, THEN (after
the additives are worn out) is when the problem starts: the phosphates can
react with the aluminum and create some acid sludge-stuff that can clog
radiator passages and actually erode the aluminum.
putting in Fresh New anti-freeze solves that problem, cause you now have
Fresh New Anti-Corrosion Additives. :) but it doesn't HAVE to be the
expensive vw stuff. as long as it is fresh and new. that's the gotcha.
and it's NOT just vw. mercedes is adamant about it: every 30,000 miles, you
WILL replace all the fluids in your MB. period. fanatic about it. in fact,
they don't even ASK you ... they just DO it, and charge you for it as part
of the "service". volvo, audi, porsche, toyota and some others also
"recommend" the replacement of the anti-freeze at two-year intervals. i know
a fellow who lost a toyota truck engine because he drives about 50,000 miles
a year (paints billboards) and he did NOT replace his coolant that first
year!! clogged his radiator, and overheated and warped his aluminum head,
and leaked coolant into the cylinders. :( he wasn't told or advised about
replacing the anti-freeze either.
point being, these new-fangled engines are NOT the old cast iron engines of
the past, when you NEVER changed the antifreeze. today, you'd better do it
if you want to keep the engine!
so green, blue, yellow, orange (the new stuff) ... it doesn't really matter.
as long as you replace it regularly.
hope it helps.
joel
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