coolant
- Thread starter mac mac
- Start date
STiBrian
Octane Boostaholics
I didn't know there was a difference but google says there is. I've pasted a copy of the article I found for you to read.
Basically their recommendation is to use whatever brand your car manufacturer recommends.
There are basically three types of antifreeze/coolant products today - ethylene glycol, extended life and propylene glycol.
Regular engine coolant is typically a 50/50 blend of water and ethylene glycol with corrosion protection chemicals. The major difference between the various brands are the corrosion inhibitors used. Because of the variety of metals found in cooling systems including cast iron, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, solder and lead, inhibitors are required to protect against rust and corrosion. This might be good reason to use the type recommended by the manufacturer since it is more than likely that their cooling systems were designed for and tested with this product. However, name brands of antifreeze are formulated with high-quality inhibitors to provide the needed level and types of protection. Thus, problems are rarely seldom encountered even if different brands are mixed, provided they meet the same ASTM specifications.
In contrast to traditional coolants, most extended life or long life coolants do not contain silicates, borate, phosphate, nitrates and amines additives. They substitute organic acid technology (OAT) for corrosion protection for a 5-year or 150,000-mile service life. While mixing a conventional coolant that contains silicates with an extended life, silicate-frees coolant is not recommended, it is not "life threatening." This mixing will change the extended service interval to the normal 2-year/30,000 mile interval. An engine originally filled with a conventional coolant should not be "upgraded" to an extended life coolant unless the cooling system is completely flushed and filled with water several times to remove all traces of the old coolant.
Traditional coolants, even in very small doses, can be poisonous to dogs, cats and children. Unfortunately, it is very attractive to animals who will readily drink it. Consider using a propylene glycol-based coolant such as Sierra® or Prestone LowTox® Antifreeze/Coolant. While no antifreeze product is completely harmless, using propylene glycol antifreeze does provide an added margin of safety in the event of accidental ingestion. To protect children, pets and wildlife motorists exercise caution when changing any type of antifreeze - tighten child-safe caps, store out of reach of children, clean up spills immediately and never leave a pan of drained coolant lying around. Low toxicity antifreeze can be mixed with conventional antifreeze, but then the safety benefit is lost. For maximum safety, completely flush and then refill the with a 50/50 mixture of propylene glycol antifreeze and water. Because of the different specific gravity for propylene glycol, use an antifreeze tester made specifically for its determining the protection level.
You might consider using recycled antifreeze, though you usually will not find it in stores since it is used mainly by fleets. Available for almost two decades, there is lots of experience and it can be even better than virgin antifreeze that has been blended with poor quality glycol stock. Recycling is done either by attaching a machine directly to vehicle's cooling or by processing the used coolant on site or at a recycling plant. Recycling methods include filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation, often in combination. Mere filtration is not really acceptable, but the other methods can produce coolant with excellent properties that meet ASTM coolant specifications without any performance compromise.
Basically their recommendation is to use whatever brand your car manufacturer recommends.
There are basically three types of antifreeze/coolant products today - ethylene glycol, extended life and propylene glycol.
Regular engine coolant is typically a 50/50 blend of water and ethylene glycol with corrosion protection chemicals. The major difference between the various brands are the corrosion inhibitors used. Because of the variety of metals found in cooling systems including cast iron, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, solder and lead, inhibitors are required to protect against rust and corrosion. This might be good reason to use the type recommended by the manufacturer since it is more than likely that their cooling systems were designed for and tested with this product. However, name brands of antifreeze are formulated with high-quality inhibitors to provide the needed level and types of protection. Thus, problems are rarely seldom encountered even if different brands are mixed, provided they meet the same ASTM specifications.
In contrast to traditional coolants, most extended life or long life coolants do not contain silicates, borate, phosphate, nitrates and amines additives. They substitute organic acid technology (OAT) for corrosion protection for a 5-year or 150,000-mile service life. While mixing a conventional coolant that contains silicates with an extended life, silicate-frees coolant is not recommended, it is not "life threatening." This mixing will change the extended service interval to the normal 2-year/30,000 mile interval. An engine originally filled with a conventional coolant should not be "upgraded" to an extended life coolant unless the cooling system is completely flushed and filled with water several times to remove all traces of the old coolant.
Traditional coolants, even in very small doses, can be poisonous to dogs, cats and children. Unfortunately, it is very attractive to animals who will readily drink it. Consider using a propylene glycol-based coolant such as Sierra® or Prestone LowTox® Antifreeze/Coolant. While no antifreeze product is completely harmless, using propylene glycol antifreeze does provide an added margin of safety in the event of accidental ingestion. To protect children, pets and wildlife motorists exercise caution when changing any type of antifreeze - tighten child-safe caps, store out of reach of children, clean up spills immediately and never leave a pan of drained coolant lying around. Low toxicity antifreeze can be mixed with conventional antifreeze, but then the safety benefit is lost. For maximum safety, completely flush and then refill the with a 50/50 mixture of propylene glycol antifreeze and water. Because of the different specific gravity for propylene glycol, use an antifreeze tester made specifically for its determining the protection level.
You might consider using recycled antifreeze, though you usually will not find it in stores since it is used mainly by fleets. Available for almost two decades, there is lots of experience and it can be even better than virgin antifreeze that has been blended with poor quality glycol stock. Recycling is done either by attaching a machine directly to vehicle's cooling or by processing the used coolant on site or at a recycling plant. Recycling methods include filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation, often in combination. Mere filtration is not really acceptable, but the other methods can produce coolant with excellent properties that meet ASTM coolant specifications without any performance compromise.
tractorman
Well-known member
MOTUL COOLANT ALL THE WAY 