Coolant Type and Life ?

[Rodge]

Ford recommend changing your coolant every 2 years regardless of mileage.
My M-benz has their own special formulation and its good for 15 years !!
The wife's shopping basket's coolant is good for 10 years according to Honda. So who's right and who's wrong and is there an obvious commercial reason to Ford's requirement or do they know something the other manufacturers don't ?

So what to do, (if anything) about the pesky requirement to change it in my GT-P every two years.

Stick with the standard life green stuff ? Buy long life coolant readily available at Supercheap, the 4-5 year product or try and get some of the special stuff M Benz use ? Are there issues with crystalization with long life coolant ?

What do you think and what's your favourite brand ?
Really like to hear your thoughts and brand / type preferences.

[PHANTMXR6]

I've always used the Tectaloy products in my cars.

So far so good.

[Silver Ghia]

I've been using Nulon Long Life green concentrate, 5 Lts in the 4.0 I6, the rest with distilled water.

[charles_wif_xf]

I'm dumping the coolant at the next service (45,000km). The Ford stuff seems decent and I'll only need three bottles of the concentrate.

[Rodge]

http://www.nulon.com.au/products/Lon...rated_Coolant/

Says this long life Green coloured Nulon coolant is approved for all Ford engines, 6 and 8 cylinder.

Any reason not to use this and extend the coolant change period to 4 years ?, heck of a lot more convienient than every 2 years.

[pottery beige]

when your green cordial loses its green... change it...

[Yellow_Festiva]

I use a good quality long life coolant (whatever is 'on special' at the time) that has a life of 50,000+ km.

Change it every 2 years / 40,000km. Prior to the change I run a cleaner through the system as well and give it a very, VERY good flush.

Did this for the Festiva at least. The Focus? I believe it has a very long coolant service interval (10 years?????)... Bugger that, I will prob do it every 3 years / 60,000km.

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

I've been using Nulon Long Life green concentrate, 5 Lts in the 4.0 I6, the rest with distilled water.

ditto

[ea90gl]

Always used Tectaloy 50/50 mix, couldn't care less what any label says I usually do it every year maximum two. Just like they tell us no need to change engine oil under 15,000km, I'd rather drive into a stationary bus then let the engine oil reach 15,000km

[GK]

Originally Posted by PHANTMXR6

I've always used the Tectaloy products in my cars.
So far so good.

The same here until last time, which was last weekend in the wagon. Never had a problem with it.

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

I've been using Nulon Long Life green concentrate, 5 Lts in the 4.0 I6, the rest with distilled water.

This is what I switched to.

GK

[roberts]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

I've been using Nulon Long Life green concentrate, 5 Lts in the 4.0 I6, the rest with distilled water.

I'm guessing your about 50 years old by that statement, no offense just an observation

[roberts]

every 2 years for the green stuff, every 5 for the red. Use ready mix.
Make sure when changing coolant you back flush it with the engine running and heater on.

[roberts]

what sort of orange juice do you drink, concentrate of ready mix

[InfernoSR]

Tectaloy Xtra Cool or Tectaloy Gold... changed every 12 months with a full flush... all my cars get the same treatment, as did every other car is worked on when i was in the industry...

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by roberts

I'm guessing your about 50 years old by that statement, no offense just an observation

Originally Posted by roberts

every 2 years for the green stuff, every 5 for the red. Use ready mix.
Make sure when changing coolant you back flush it with the engine running and heater on.

Well it does say 100% concentrated on the container.
With the BA's etc, there is around 3 lts of water remaining in the block and heater after flushing, so must use coolant that needs to be diluted.

BA's don't have a heater valve so the heater doesnt need to be turned on, best to disconnect a heater hose and flush, in addition to the engine/radiator flush where I remove the thermostat and temporarily replace the cover, to get a good reverse flush happening.

[FreddyDUZ747]

Tectaloy red concerntrate+demin water every 30-40thousand kms on our dailys.I like red because the coolant flows faster

Nulon flushing additive used.

[dags41v]

I use Tectaloy gold, claims 3 years life with regular tap water and 5 years with distilled water ......... but I still change it every couple of years.

[PHANTMXR6]

Originally Posted by GK

The same here until last time, which was last weekend in the wagon. Never had a problem with it.

What was the issue you had?

[gregaust]

Anyone ever test their coolant they are dumping? I've used both test strips and a spectrometer and usually as long as the coolant is still nice and green and looks ok passes the tests as ok???

[irish2]

Originally Posted by gregaust

Anyone ever test their coolant they are dumping? I've used both test strips and a spectrometer and usually as long as the coolant is still nice and green and looks ok passes the tests as ok???

A voltmeter can be a good test too. Put one side on a metal component in the engine bay (or negative battery terminal) and the other in the coolant. Should not read more than 0.2 of a volt.

[GK]

Originally Posted by PHANTMXR6

What was the issue you had?

No issue, just wanting to give the Aussie product a go.

GK

[Rodge]

Has anyone heard of this crystalization my local mechanic warned me about with long life coolant ?

[graham7773]

Mono Ethylene Glycol does not crystalize. This is what most long life coolants are. Nulon, for example 1028mg per litr which is the whole of the product. If you run no corrosion inhibitor, you will get some crystalising of aluminium oxide. I have not seen a motor that has used good corrosion inhibitor develop anything like crystalisation and I have been playing with cars and to a lesser extent trucks for about 50 years.

[mash again]

yep, i use the test strips, if its clean and the test is ok for acidity and glycol content i leave it alone. i do change my oil every 10000 because it does get dirty and the oil is cheaper than testing it.

[davids_gxl]

Every year.