Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 08:19:10 -0600
Reply-To: Joel Walker <jwalker@BAMA.UA.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joel Walker <jwalker@BAMA.UA.EDU>
Subject: Re: DM: Re: VW coolant
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> Here's a 'scientific' test for you to try: Take 3 new waterboxers, one with
> green ethylene, one with green propylene, and one with the $$$ 'special'
> dealer coolant. Drive each 100K miles, under identical conditions. At this
well, you can believe what you want to, but anybody who leaves
anti-freeze in a cooling system for 100,000 miles is definitely
gonna have problems!!! ALL FLUIDS in a vehicle should be replaced
regularly, and the coolant is no exception! when? about every two
years or 30,000 miles. why? cause the anti-corrosion additives
get depleted. gee, just like engine oil and transmission
oil/fluid ... coolant wears out. and when it does (after about
three years), you'll start having problems with corrosion. in ANY
car. don't believe me? check with the 18-wheelers ... see what
they do with their coolant every three months or so (they drive a
LOT more miles than you). you'll find they have a filter on their
cooling system, and they put new additive chemical sticks in new
filters ... same thing as replacing the coolant, but they can't
afford to have the truck sit and cool overnight to drain the
whole system.
check with Mercedes and find out why they replace the coolant
every 30,000 miles ...whether you like it or not. bring it in for
30,000 or 60,000 or 90,000 mile services, and guess what? you're
gonna get your coolant REPLACED. other auto makers do the same
... not very many bother to tell the customer that he/she NEEDS
to have it done. and vw and the vw dealers were very remiss (in
my humble opinion) in that regard: they should have TOLD us, but
the owner's manuals lead you to believe that antifreeze/coolant
is 'permanent'. it isn't. whenever you have WATER and HEAT,
you'll get corrosion. only the additives stand between you and
head gasket leaks ... keep the additives fresh and you shouldn't
have any problems.
my 88 bus, bought brand new and having the coolant replaced every
couple of years, has 143,000 miles on it with no head gaskets.
gee, that's MORE than 100,000 miles ... why haven't i had the
head gasket leaks? :)
but everybody can believe what you want ... it's poor design,
cheap parts, just a ploy by the anti-freeze producers to sell
more of their product, whatever. but think about it ... why would
you expect coolant to last forever? would you leave engine oil in
the motor for 100,000 miles? then why leave the coolant in there
that long?
unca joel
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