Info: Antifreeze - Useful Information

[mcgyver ky]

a few things you should know when you change antifreeze you need to drain and flush the system
so you dont end up with with a mix of old and new ,mixing the two will decrease the life of the new

there are three types of antifreeze

1 conventional [with ethylene glycol base with inhibitors added}
this protects from freezing,overheating,rust and corrosion for the modern engine

2 extended life antifreeze {ethylene glycol base with carboxylate additives}
the only thing that is diferent are the additives for a longer life becouse of
the breake down process are slower and extend the life of the antifreeze
{note both 1 and 2 are harmful or fatal if swallowed or inhaled.

3 and a non-toxic antifreeze that doesnt containe propylene glycol and additives
for controling ph and corrosion

Antifreeze additives do several things:
They can act as buffers to control the PH of the coolant.
Corrosion inhibitors protect the metals in the cooling system.
Some additives reduce foaming.
There are also certain additives that prevent cavitation and tiny bubbles.

These Additives Have Some Drawbacks:

The antifreeze it self does not break down but its additives do. All of these additives have been in use for many years but they do have some drawbacks.
The additives are unstable and deplete fairly quickly:
The Ph buffers and corrosion inhibitors are depleted sometimes in a matter of months.
Some additives break down and come out of solution. The silicates can polymerize and form gels.
Insoluble Salts from the phosphate and silicates are formed and attach to the interior surfaces of the cooling system.
As these deposits grow thicker they act as insulation, which decreases the heat transfer efficiency of the cooling system.
Silicates in solution can become abrasive to water pump seals.

Conventional AntiFreeze
Conventional antifreeze has an ethylene glycol base. It uses some combination of the above additives and their drawbacks. It is harmful or fatal if swallowed or inhaled. Also animals seem to like it and have been known to drink it if left out. Some of the problems of the additives can be addressed by using different formulas (combinations of the old additives). I use antifreeze that is labeled as a low silicate formula. There are also antifreezes that are non-silicate formulas.

Extended Life Antifreeze is completely free of Silicates, Borates, Nitrates, Nitrites, Phosphates or amines.

There may be some problems with Extended Life Antifreeze in old vehicles!
When you change to extended life antifreeze there is some evidence that you could do more harm than good. They say that residue silicates and phosphates still in the system could coat the inside of the cooling system and act as insulation which decreases the heat transfer efficiency of the cooling system. Probably the best approach is to use a traditional antifreeze, the type the system was designed to use.

what ever you deside to go with is up to you just remember to look and see if the color is right if it has lost its color well it's time to change it
thought you would like to know this and I would like to thank "Richard Bahnke at Texaco Products" for help on this info

hope this helps some of you and sorry so long winded

 

[Gregg Van]

Keep It Up!

I for one happen to love these tips. Some things people think might be simple or that everyone should know just isn't the case. One man's ceiling is another man's floor.

If there is not a folder for the tips of the day there certainly should be. Tune ups...oil changes...antifreeze, the "little" things.

Know what I mean Vern

 

[Fhantazm]

Thank you for that well worded post. Its posts like these that make this board wonderful!

 

[Ray Lobato]

Great Tip!
I would like to put a sticky on it for awhile, so others can check it out.

 

[IAmTodd]

Where do you get all of this info? Or don't you want to reveal your sources?

 

[mcgyver ky]

where do i get it

i get it all over and i mean all over ,i search the web and books

some things like the oil additives are very hard to find because the manufacture dose not want you to see this so it takes a lot of hunting to find it

i am glad you like it and will try to inform you on more thank you

 

[FiveLiter]

AHHH, two days after getting my coolant changed at the service station. And what did they use, of course, extended life coolant. I thought that was a good thing, now I know. Thanks for the tip.

 

[murdach]

additives

Is it bad that I just used Royal Purple Ice
when I changed my antifreeze.
My brother-in-law swares by Redline Water Wetter
in his 99 5.0 AWD

 

[PunkChild]

You forgot to say that if you mix the two different coolants it can form a brown goo that clogs your cooling system.

 

[ld50]

Now he will come back with the chemical make-up of that goo!

Thanks for the info!

When I change mine, I inevitably forget how much coolant I needed for a mix of 50/50

To keep it close I grab my handy 500ml container and fill it twice with antifreeze while adding it to the rad, and follow with two of water. Then I do one of antifreeze and one of water. Then one of water and one of antifreeze until it tops up. I try to shoot for a mix that errs on the side of water. It is best to have a little less antifreeze than water. My crazy method makes sure I keep it right because I can`t even remember how much I put in when I did it last month!

(if y`all don`t know what a ml is, it is a modern way of measuring things based on multiples of ten! )

 

[scott.475]

I would also add that it is a good idea to use distilled water for this, it will help cut down on the speed of corrosion build-up.

 

[DB_1]

Ive seen the pre mixed antifreeze in the auto parts store and thought why would anyone buy this, but then i was reading one of the off road mags and they were saying its very good to use because they use deionized water which helps prevent electrolysis and they say that promotes corrosion. Anyone else heard good or bad about pre mixed coolant?

 

[jerry989]

you forgot to say , use de mineralized water . . i forget what they call it but it is cheap , distilled water i think it's called .

 

[Bwana Bob]

Cooling flush

Should we flush the system with just plain water or a chemical flush? Also how do I dispose of the old coolant and the flush out byproducts? Can't let it just run down the driveway into the sewer.

Bob

 

[DB_1]

I've flushed my system twice now just using the garden hose and put the heater on high until it was pure clear water going through. As for the coolant, I got a five gallon bucket and let it drain in there. Where I live there is a city sponsored program to recycle coolant, batteries, paint...etc. Of course, not every city in the U.S. does this so it leaves you between a rock and a hard place.

 

[pballernyc]

Can the Extended life antifreeze be used on 2002 Ford Explorers, or do i have to use the conventional green colored coolant???


also, this is a stupid question, but where to get distilled and/or deionized water?? Do i have to buy them in the store, or can i just get it from the garden hose or somewhere from within my home??



thanks

 

[DB_1]

Distilled water you can buy at any grocery store but as far as I know, no one sells bottled deionized water. They do however have pre mixed coolants at auto parts stores and they use deionized water.

 

[terestron]

Wal-Mart Distilled Water .58/Gallon

 

[elkhunter]

Now he will come back with the chemical make-up of that goo!

Thanks for the info!

When I change mine, I inevitably forget how much coolant I needed for a mix of 50/50

To keep it close I grab my handy 500ml container and fill it twice with antifreeze while adding it to the rad, and follow with two of water. Then I do one of antifreeze and one of water. Then one of water and one of antifreeze until it tops up. I try to shoot for a mix that errs on the side of water. It is best to have a little less antifreeze than water. My crazy method makes sure I keep it right because I can`t even remember how much I put in when I did it last month!

I save one empty jug at each refill. I mix a 60/40 blend in the empty jug, mark on it 'mixed', and use it for top-offs. I also use this method for refills so I know the mix is what I want.

 

[msmith65]

I've been told you can dispose of old coolant in the sanitary sewer system. Apparently the glycol is easily broken down at the sewage-treatment plant. Stuff like rust is no problem; it gets there through cast-iron pipes, anyway.

I don't know how reliable this information is, but it seems like a better idea than dumping the stuff into the storm-sewer system, where it can poison creatures.

Leaving it out also invites cats and other animals to drink it, which kills them.