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Date:         Wed, 17 Feb 1999 20:03:44 -0700
Reply-To:     Kent Christensen <lkchris@USWEST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kent Christensen <lkchris@USWEST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Autobahn coolant...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Ron and others are correct that phospate-free coolant is widely and less expensively available. I believe most will be labeled DEX-COOL compliant, which refers to a new GM specification (they invented the DEXRON word too). I think that the specification itself calls for not mixing it with other types, and if a specific brand says is's compliant with the spec but doesn't mention the no-mix requirement, then that's for "marketing convenience." The no-mix requirement is for the extended life feature. You can read some about this orange stuff at ... http://www.texaco.com/tlc/products/havololant.htm or http://www.prestone.com/cooling/extended.html

Also, while it's clear the dealer is competing with other sources for most consumables, I'd be really surprised to find any dealer that feels it should compete with, say, Wal-Mart on price. Probably the senior citizen greeter won't be able to assure you a particular product is ok for a Vanagon either.

Finally, it makes no sense to think any automotive manufacturer would design a cooling system unlike any other. Can you see the big ho-hum that would greet the advertising campaign? Phosphate-free is a pretty standard Europen requirement--BMW and Volvo being others with this specification. With the Vanagon, VW may have designed a system that's unique in how often it fails, but that's another story oft told at this site.


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