[sickzuk1]

As the title suggests.
Is there actually any benefit of running a coolant instead of water?

[royce]

Alloy engine, what do you reckon

[Ben_Sierra]

The major reason for running coolant not water is nothing to do with the antifreeze or antiboil properties...

The main reason is the corrosion inhibitors that will stop your engine, radiator and everything else from corrosing to shit...

[sickzuk1]

Ok sweet. Just checking. Because I am running low on coolant and don't really know if it was worth getting another bottle.
Cheers for the advice Royce.. Just trying to learn a few things..

[Bruce]

Don't mix coolants as well if you did not know. If you are unsure what coolant you have don't just get some green stuff and add it in.

[steak_knife]

Bruce wrote:

Don't mix coolants as well if you did not know. If you are unsure what coolant you have don't just get some green stuff and add it in.

Or you will end up with a blocked radiator..

[sickzuk1]

Yeah that is all good..
I emptied it out and ran water through it a few times to clean it out.. I don't think it has ever been cleaned in its life. The coolant was dirty as!! So I ran water through it a few times and filled it with a coolant. Will get another container of it from Supercrap tomoro morning...

[whincup]

sickzuk1 wrote:

Yeah that is all good..
I emptied it out and ran water through it a few times to clean it out.. I don't think it has ever been cleaned in its life. The coolant was dirty as!! So I ran water through it a few times and filled it with a coolant. Will get another container of it from Supercrap tomoro morning...

amazing how dirty a fully sealed fluid system can get isnt it...

just another question while on the topic (sorry to hijack), when it comes to coolant/water % is it better to have higher percentage coolant, water or 50/50?

[Ben_Sierra]

Whatever it says on the coolant bottle, some are concentrate, some are premix, just follow the instructions...

[Reubs]

whincup wrote:

just another question while on the topic (sorry to hijack), when it comes to coolant/water % is it better to have higher percentage coolant, water or 50/50?

Apparently (ethylene glycol) coolant doesn't actually do the cooling. The heat transfer is done by the water, the coolant just inhibits corrosion and changes the boil/freeze point of the water.

On the Castrol bottle I have it claims best antifreeze at 50% coolant, best anti-boil at 30%. I don't go driving in -18 degrees so 30% it is...

[want33s]

WATER IS the coolant....
Anything you add to it is corrosion inhibitor or anti-freeze.

[LAY80N]

want33s wrote:

WATER IS the coolant....
Anything you add to it is corrosion inhibitor or anti-freeze.

Winner. Water is a much more effective heat exchange medium than Glycol or whatever additives you put in. The purpose of the "coolant" is to prevent corrosion/freezing. Water boils at ~101.4 degrees celcius. To prevent it boiling and to allow for hotter engine temps the cooling system is presurised by the waters expansion as it heats up. Most modern cars run at 90 degrees or more, and the fans dont cut in till over 100 degrees e.g. V6 Commoodore VT and onwards fan cut in at 105, cut out round 96. Depending on the radiator cap pressure. .9 bar (round 13psi) is fairly standard. I run a 1.1bar (17psi approx) cap on my Subaru to give it that extra bit of room before it boils. People having trouble with engines boiling over but not acutally showing as overheating usually find the radiator cap has shit itself.


Layto....

[Ben_Sierra]

There's a pretty good discussion on coolant here:

http://auszookers.com/index.php?name=Fo ... ht=coolant