@CDW6212R "Paying $12 a quart or $25 a quart, is stupid, for a fluid you do not need, is stupid........"
As is also paying $9.00 for a gallon of 50-50 Prestone/Water mix, when a gallon of 100% Prestone is $11.00 or so, thus paying $4.50 for a half-gallon of WATER! Another shining example of hoodwinking the unknowing and unsuspecting public. imp
@TechGuru Gotta be careful with that distilled ****, though! I think most branded anti-freeze coolant now has ingredients to keep Ph from going acid. Acid "eats" metals, don'tcha know! imp
@TechGuruMyth: Distilled water is very acidic
Fact: Pure distilled water is actually at a neutral pH of 7.0, and has no solids dissolved in it to act as a buffer. Therefore, adding even a slight amount of an acid (carbon dioxide from the air) or base (alkalizing substances such as baking soda) will easily change the pH of distilled water. In comparison, the pH of non-distilled water, which contains dissolved solids, is much harder to budge.
Just be sure to use a fresh sealed bottle and make your mix right away, once mixed it should be stable...
I usually take a old antifreeze bottle and pour half my new bottle into it then put half a gallon of distilled water into each.
@TechGuru
Actually, I had hoped to "flush you out" with this discussion! Glad you came back. Here's what actually happens: all my Chem textbooks state that distilled water is "pure" water, having Ph=7.0. That much is so. Unfortunately, that fact is ONLY TRUE if the distillation is carried out IN A VACUUM, excluding ALL AIR (which contains CO2, which loves to dissolve in water). The only distilled water thus obtainable is only made by a laboratory, and careful controls are exercised to keep the product totally isolated from air.
In the everyday world, if we use distilled water and add it by pouring openly, it will check acidic. Even more meaningful, if we buy a jug of distilled water at Kroger, let's say, open it, and stick a Ph indicator in it, Ph < 7.0 ALWAYS is present. Because the steam distillation commercial process is NOT carried out in a vacuum. AND, we permitted CO2 to enter. So what?
If you use that water in let's say, a boiler, it's Ph by the time of use will likely be 5.0. Not good for the boiler. So, Ph adjustment is a good idea. Buffering? Sure, another good idea. Let's not let the cost go skyrocketing trying to maintain water at 7.0, or higher..
"Just be sure to use a fresh sealed bottle and make your mix right away, once mixed it should be stable... "
By "stable", you mean Ph =7.0? Try it. Buy a jug of distilled water, open it, pour it into whatever vessel you wish to mix it with whatever, check Ph before adding the other constituent. Let me know the Ph.
This realization took me years to figure out, many questions of knowledgeable technical people, and inquiry into steam boiler theory. The bottom line is: Yes, Pure Water has Ph = 7.0. Pure Water must be protected completely from the air. I distilled lots of our well water preparing to run my model steam locomotive. Invariably, Ph tested at 5.0-5.5. Not good. I added Sodium Carbonate (not BiCarbonate), to obtain ~ Ph=7.8.
Few technical people, "book learners", that I've encountered understand how vulnerable water is to CO2 solution. The one guy who knew, but didn't have technical savvy, had built a beautiful 1/8-scale steam locomotive and maintained that distilled was "acid". I could not believe his flat-out statement that "distilled water has Ph = 5.2". I shouldn't drag this issue into the depths as I have, I know, but the question continues to vex me. WTH constitutes "pure" solution, anyway? imp
@TechGuruI always figured you were some kind of engineer, so chemical engineer? (Retired from DOW maybe?) Why are you driving a Explorer when you should be able to afford a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon or Land Rover LR4 or even a Mercedes G550, lol.
This brings into question, use Distilled or use "Drinking" water.... I've always used distilled in my vehicles to avoid minerals that would cause scale buildup in the engine and radiator. Never ever tap water, most of TX has hard water.
This brings into question, use Distilled or use "Drinking" water.... I've always used distilled in my vehicles to avoid minerals that would cause scale buildup in the engine and radiator. Never ever tap water, most of TX has hard water.
No one told them to use Mercon V, you mentioned the Mercon V.
I don't care what you do, I told people to use Mercon, which is the recommended fluid. You told them to use the newest "special" TC fluid, which is way too expensive, and only for the newest models.
... to use the proper Ford recommended fluid.
. Learn to trust the experience of others, over any book etc. Regards,
Nope. Your long justification is a classic example of uneducated opinion backed by your singular experience.
...
Having 4x4 problems with my 2002 Explorer XLS 4.0 GAS.
During the winter got stuck in the snow and notice that when the wheels spin the light on the dash 4WD-HI lights up, but the wheels don't turn, only driver side rear wheel was spinning ?
My only point is that Mercon V is absolutely the wrong fluid.
Nobody is going to walk into a parts store and find a bottle of "Mercon", and if they ask the parts guy they'll end up with Mercon V (and nobody reads the back label which says not use it in TCs). I did a quick search on this board and found cases of confused people being given bad advice about this and one guy complaining how his 4wd binds on cold mornings after he used Mercon V.
And that "newest models" statement is pure BS - this TC fluid issue goes back to the Control Trac.
So part of the reason for posting on this board is to give people good, solid advice. I'm not arguing against dex/merc fluids for the knowledgeable, but it is a whole lot easier to tell a noob to use the proper Ford recommended fluid.
Does your 4wd light blink? When you use low does the truck actually go into low gear (clunk and rev up MUCH higher when driving slow?