I've been using Havoline DexCool in my 1993 Ford since the first coolant change, and I've always mixed antifreeze with distilled water, never tap. No leaks yet.
I didn't know that any antifreeze contained sulfates. ;) OTOH Toyota antifreeze contains no silicates and seems to work fine.
How about if the pump used aluminum oxide bearings, as Grunfos solar water heater pumps do? Those things have no seals but are watertight anyway, and they run off puny electric motors.
My understanding is that DexCool? is *zero* silicates - and that is part of the problem with it. Traditional green antifreeze is relatively high in silicates. DexCool went too far in the other direction. G-05 has some silicates - it is found to have some benefits in low concentrations.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
I've got a theory that, in self defense, the entire auto industry is converging on a certain selection of materials for the base metals, solders, and flexible seals, along with the coolant chemistry. For the last few years, the auto manufacturers and coolant manufacturers have been chasing their tails. Because of the neglect and ignorance of the consumer, it's not good enough for an auto manufacturer to have their own unique combination of materials to be used in their product and require a unique coolant chemistry. Even if a failure is the "fault" of the consumer for not following the coolant type and change requirements, the consumer will take their revenge on their next car purchase. So it's to the benefit of the manufacturers to come up with a standardized system of metals, rubber, and liquid chemistries with little variation - for example - every successful coolant in the future will have some - not zero, not a lot of - silicates. That's just *one* of the many variables. And again, I suspect that G-05 and the All Makes and Models are much more alike (as much as allowable by the propriatary constraints) than they are different when compared to other coolants past and present.
Just a theory.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
Got me there! :)
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
I know who you're thinking of, we had their service department running profitably and customer -friendly when I left the district. Maybe follow-up DSM's haven't figured out which buttons to push to get them to do the right thing.
Reminds me of the Zerex-stop leak antifreeze I tried in my '68 Mustang - ended up replacing the radiator and flushing the cooling system.
Yup, doing the job over for free doesn't help the bottom line!
Toyota's Long Life and Super Long Life coolant are also silicate-free, so the lack of silicates is not DexCool's problem, if there actually is a problem.
Dimmies are so, so naive. They just do NOT get it.
Hmmmm...if I were comparing him with a grocer, I'd say he had his finger on the scale...
WRT GM vehicles, there are no systemic problems associated with the problems silicates are meant to address.
GO-5 is also known for jelling issues.
You haven't experienced the crusty crap accumulating on the water box where the upper radiator hose attaches to the engine on any of your 2.7s?
It is possible to satisfy coolant needs with 3 or 4 different coolants, but an ESO can't necessarily cover his ass that way...
When one considers what the individual manufactures do and don't want in their coolant chemistry, it defies basic logic that there is such a thing as an "all makes, all models" coolant.
The consumer is just going to have to learn; either learn the coolant requirements on their own or learn to engage someone who has learned the coolant requirements. (same applies to motor oil, transmission fluids and gear oil) If they decide that laziness is preferable, then they have no one to blame when their cooling system fails and the $$$ fly out of their wallets. It's not 1970 anymore, you can't service every vehicle from one 55 gallon drum.
Not just doing the job over, having to replace an entire cooling system or an engine because the proper fluids weren't used.
I have one 2.7 and one 3.2. But the crusty accumulation in the outlet housing (around the bleeder valve) of the 2.7 is due to a bad design of the bleeder valve - it is a metal seat molded into the plastic housing. The repeated heating and cooling (and possible overly-aggressive tightening of the bleeder valve by certain people) breaks the bond between the metal seat and the plastic causing it to weep coolant, and in some cases to come completely out of the housing. Has nothing to do with what brand or type of coolant is used.
I haven't experienced the jelling issues with G-05 and wasn't aware that there were any. Are there some?
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
It sounds like you run an honest shop!
If you look at the ingredients on the Preston All-Makes, it looks like Dexcool (including the problematic fast-acting rust inhibitors 2EHA acid that ruined plastic gaskets on some GM cars). Japanese manufacturers don't seem to want 2EHA in their coolants. That's why I don't think it's really "All-Makes".
However, Peak Global at local NAPA may be a better alternative in case people don't want OEM. I'd say go with Toyota Red with distilled water every 2 years instead of the Toyota Pink every 5, which showed a higher corrosion rate than the Red.
Where are these ingredients listed?
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
Back of the bottle, listed under "Active ingredients". Or you can search the MSDS sheets available from all antifreeze manufacturers. See that 2EHA acid? Yuck!
So besides Toyota Red (I wouldn't use Toyota Pink), Peak Global looks like a good alternative:
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