Coolants are not just coolants!

[bigdaddycain]

I've heard of main dealers using the wrong oil because the one they used was "what is in the drum - it's all we ever use".

That's quite correct... rarely is the "bulk" drum in the service bay, the same oil as the manufacturer's "top up's" sold by the bottle on the shelves in the parts reception.

[bigdaddycain]

it seems the red stuff is not only better in terms of corrosion prevention, but also has improved thermal properties that may help the engine run cooler.

Yes, look at the coolant in any modern turbocharged car, or V8/V12...you'll see nowt but red in that there expansion bottle.

[Aethelric]

I've bought some of the Halfords advance OAT red stuff & plan to change it when I next do a full flush. I did some research & it seems the red stuff is not only better in terms of corrosion prevention, but also has improved thermal properties that may help the engine run cooler. The point about not mixing can't be stressed too highly - you must get every drop of the old stuff out.

One point to bear in mind is the availablity of the older green/blue stuff is probably still better than the pnk/red OAT. So, if you spring a leak in the middle of nowhere, the local service station will probably has the green stuff on the shelf. However, as more manufacturers change over, the situation will reverse. Moral of the story: carry a spare bottle of which ever type you are currently using.

If you spring a leak and the proper stuff isn't available, would it not be best to just use water till you get home, and take it easy?

Dave

[bigdaddycain]

Yes Dave. on a VERY short term basis. Better still to have some correct grade coolant in the vehicle at all times (just in case)

[missfixit70]

I suppose that would be a good point to advocate the use of a slightly higher than recommended concentration, then if you do have top up with water, it's not going to reduce the anti freeze/anticorrosion qualities, but then you have to weigh that up with a possible decrease in the cooling properties if you are running with a higher concentration I guess.

[bigdaddycain]

I think i have an approximate mix of 50/50 coolant in my "emergency coolant" bottle stashed in my bongo kirsty, I probably have a ratio of around 35/40 percent coolant to water mix in the cooling system. I guess i have used maybe a litre of the bottle in top ups over the past 18 months or so

[scanner]

Can you get an aircooled engine for the Bongo?

[bigdaddycain]

Can you get an aircooled engine for the Bongo?

Yes i know... it's a pressurized system and isn't supposed to lose a drop of coolant.. but the reality is i DO have to pop a cupfull of coolant in mine every three or four months or so. In fact, i haven't owned a car yet that i haven't had to add some coolant at some stage... Guess i'm unlucky with coolant sytems?

[The Great Pretender]

Scanner in his first post provided some intresting info from the company regarding percentage of mix.
Any company will want you to use as much of their product as possible. So this response should make you think.

Q - Can engine coolant concentrates be used undiluted?
A - NO. All engine coolant concentrates on the market must be diluted with water to ensure they provide the required protection. An undiluted coolant product would not remove enough heat from the engine, resulting in overheating of the engine. Undiluted concentrates can also freeze in the winter.

The more coolant you add the less heat is removed from the engine so why would you need more than 30% in our climate?

[scanner]

Quite

BASF being a German company are going to quote the concentration needed for the worst conditions (presumably in Germany and immediate environs).

The UK must be at least on average 10degrees warmer than the worst (Alpine) conditions in Europe so I reckon a 25-30% concentration should be adequate here.

Strangely that is almost exactly what BASF say on the container.

-20 = 1 part Coolant to 2 parts water (33.3%)
-27 = 1 part Coolant to 1.5 parts water (40%)
-30 = 1 part coolant to 1 part water (50%)

So on that basis a 25% mix should cover down to -10 or even -15 degrees.

[missfixit70]

But does the lower concentration affect the anti corrosive properties?

[The Great Pretender]

But does the lower concentration affect the anti corrosive properties?

Nope

[scanner]

Previous post has been added to after consulting product packaging.

[scanner]

I contacted BASF asking if Glysantin G30, which appears to be the "Red" coolant most suited ti use in a Bongo, is available in the UK.

I have just received this reply.

re finding G30 Alu Protect in the UK, we have a co-branding deal
in the UK with Comma Oil,

http://www.commaoil.com/

Check out the coolants, you will find G30 there, it is called Xstream Red.
It is available as a concentrate (add your own water) or as a ready mix.
Use the Where to Buy button on the front page to find a dealer near you.
Regards
Colin Irwin

I hope that is useful information.

[Ron Miel]

I contacted BASF asking if Glysantin G30, which appears to be the "Red" coolant most suited ti use in a Bongo, is available in the UK.

I have just received this reply.

re finding G30 Alu Protect in the UK, we have a co-branding deal
in the UK with Comma Oil,

http://www.commaoil.com/

Check out the coolants, you will find G30 there, it is called Xstream Red.
It is available as a concentrate (add your own water) or as a ready mix.
Use the Where to Buy button on the front page to find a dealer near you.
Regards
Colin Irwin

I hope that is useful information.

Certainly is, although should we still beware marketing speak as I suggested earlier in the thread - on this occasion, by Comma Oil?

It's strange that BASF, at http://www.performancechemicals.basf.co ... iscibility, apparently suggests 3-4 years life for ALL of its coolant products, G05, G30, G33, G34, G40 and G48, whereas Comma seems to conservatively express the life at 3 years flat for their product "containing" G48, while apparently stretching the declared life of their G30 based product to a full 5 years. Seems to me like like product marketing differentiation by just playing around with the specs to suit.

Reason to do that? Well, as we've seen here, it helps to convince existing, and otherwise satisfied, users of blue and green coolants to flush out their systems and replace them with 'must have' red, perhaps prematurely.

Have never trusted product labelling since hearing the, possibly apocryphal, story of the marketiing man who made a very large sum of money by offering Procter and Gamble a guaranteed way to dramatically increase hair shampoo sales - in exchange for a percentage, if successful. When they said OK, he told them to change the instructions from "rub in well, rinse with clean water, and then dry", to "rub in well, rinse with clean water, repeat and then dry".

Stick to good old blue or green coolant until you HAVE to change, and even then don't pay a significant premium to switch to red - after all, BASF who make the stuff, say 3-4 years for all of their long life products!