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Antifreeze

L

lookingfora944

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I figured with this freezing weather I should check out the coolant situation of the car.
I understand that Phosphate free antifreeze is what I should be using, but does anyone have any specific recommendations?
Also, is it a case of just topping it up or is there more to it than that.
I figured I could create a 50/50 solution with distilled water and top it up?
Excuse my ignorance in these matters

Thanks
 
As long as it is suitable for aluminium engines it should be ok. You need at least 50% antifreeze so you need to check what you have in with a hydrometer and hope you have enough spare capacity to get enough antifreeze in. As you should change coolant every two years you may as well start a fresh. Personally I change mine every year before the cold spell. Mind you I do have 3000 litres of it at work [:D]
 
ORIGINAL: robwright As long as it is suitable for aluminium engines it should be ok.  You need at least 50% antifreeze so you need to check what you have in with a hydrometer and hope you have enough spare capacity to get enough antifreeze in.  As you should change coolant every two years you may as well start a fresh.  Personally I change mine every year before the cold spell.  Mind you I do have 3000 litres of it at work [:D]
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Rob could you clarify how to drain the old anti-freeze out, I too am a novice at this sort of thing? Do you then need to flush the old out, or can you just fill up with new?
 
OK this is my method and I stress mine. Jack the front end and remove the undertray for access. Identify the bottom radiator hose so you know what to remove. There is a drain point on the rad but it can be a bit hit and miss or you may not be able to remove it at all. The bottom hose works every time. Get the engine hot so that the thermostat is open then you need to move fast lol. By draining hot you can ensure you get it all and you don't have coolant left in the block. Then remove the bottom rad hose followed by the header tank cap. Be warned the coolant is hot so be careful and you will inevitably make some degree of mess. Once drained reattach and secure bottom hose. No need to flush unless you have a specific need to. Premix the antifreeze so you can ensure that every drop you put in is correct concentration. Don't guess how much coolant you think is going to go back in then half it and hope your calculations are correct [:D] Crack the 12mm bleed screw on the top of the block and turn the heater to full heat. Fill from the header tank till coolant runs from the bleed screw. Rather than me explain the whole bleeding debarkle, which can be a mission in itself there are some good guides on [link=http://www.clarks-garage.com]www.clarks-garage.com[/link] garage workshop manual section. Once bled reattach the undertray and lower the car. Be warned bleeding may take some time and can be quite tricky on our cars. My tip is to run the engine at revs 2500 rpm or there abouts to get the coolant flowing well round the system. I do this by hand at the throttle body whilst observing the bleed screw. When a good stream is coming out at revs I then close the bleed screw.
 
ORIGINAL: robwright OK this is my method and I stress mine. Jack the front end and remove the undertray for access. Identify the bottom radiator hose so you know what to remove. There is a drain point on the rad but it can be a bit hit and miss or you may not be able to remove it at all. The bottom hose works every time. Get the engine hot so that the thermostat is open then you need to move fast lol. By draining hot you can ensure you get it all and you don't have coolant left in the block. Then remove the bottom rad hose followed by the header tank cap. Be warned the coolant is hot so be careful and you will inevitably make some degree of mess. Once drained reattach and secure bottom hose. No need to flush unless you have a specific need to. Premix the antifreeze so you can ensure that every drop you put in is correct concentration. Don't guess how much coolant you think is going to go back in then half it and hope your calculations are correct [:D] Crack the 12mm bleed screw on the top of the block and turn the heater to full heat. Fill from the header tank till coolant runs from the bleed screw. Rather than me explain the whole bleeding debarkle, which can be a mission in itself there are some good guides on [link=http://www.clarks-garage.com]www.clarks-garage.com[/link] garage workshop manual section. Once bled reattach the undertray and lower the car. Be warned bleeding may take some time and can be quite tricky on our cars. My tip is to run the engine at revs 2500 rpm or there abouts to get the coolant flowing well round the system. I do this by hand at the throttle body whilst observing the bleed screw. When a good stream is coming out at revs I then close the bleed screw.
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Spot on instructions, as always. Personally... if you have the time and not needing the car for daily commutes or whatever - give it a go ...but it's an absolute pig to get rid of all the air pockets and I got assistance. I had to do it 3 or 4 times, and I still didn't get them all out. In the end, it had to go to my garage for sommat else and whilst there they had a pressure kit handy - took them a few mins to sort and they didn't ask for owt (but I slung them a tenner cause it's always nice to keep on the good side of your garage and not take too many liberties [;)]). So to save hassle, if you have a decent garage nearby who has a pressure kit worth driving quickly to them and ask them to do and save all the hassle - probably would only charge max £20.
 
Why the need to change the anti-freeze every 2 years? I've never heard that one before. Does it lose the capability to stop the water from freezing? Different anti-freezes have different temperature protections at different concentrations. You may not need as much as 50% conc. I flushed my system when I did the waterpump recently, and replaced it with some pink stuff (always used blue or green stuff before) which only needed 30% conc for protection down to -25degC or so. Bleeding the system isn't as hard as it's made out to be. Fill the header tank up, open the bleed screw, block the drain pipe from the header tank and (carefully) seal your mouth around the header tank fill hole. Blow in gently until water dribbles out of the bleed screw and do up the bleed screw while the water is dribbling out. Top up the header tank (if necessary) and you're done. Oli.
 
ORIGINAL: zcacogp Why the need to change the anti-freeze every 2 years? I've never heard that one before. Does it lose the capability to stop the water from freezing?
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Oli it's just something I have always practised and was always told. Antifreeze and brake fluid every two years. I am not sure it is hard engineering fact but more good practice IMHO. Besides as a 20 year old car could feasibly be more likely to suffer with leaks and coolant loss, which then is likely to be replenished with fresh water so I think it makes sense. Every new (well previously owned) car I have ever had I have done the antifreeze and beake fluid as a matter of due diligence.
 
Anti-freeze also acts as an anti-corrosion element. You have alot of dis-similar metals in contact with eachother within an engine so lots of corrosion. That corrosion finds its way into the water (in the form of small oxidised particles and gets circulated around the engine promoting more corrosion (all that sludge you get in the coolant if you don't change it frequently), therefore by frequently changing the coolant you are flushing out the corrosive elements in the water and refreshing the corrosion protection by adding new coolant.
 
This is true. My loco engines never used to have antifreeze just corrosion inhibitor called NALCO this being because they are American and they never turn them off in the States. We have just changed over to antifreeze and it took me ages to find a suitable product, which by chance also happens to be suitable for aluminium block engines on account of the enourmous aluminium finned oil cooler on the engine. Hence the 3000 litres of it work. Sometimes I love my job [:)] I don't suppose they will miss the 4 litres I nicked for my car as each engine has 1000 litres of coolant in it [:D]
 
Hi Rob Nalcool is phosphate based, you test the coolant every month by measuring the phosphate levels,Porsche reccomends phosphate free antifreeze,I would not use nalcool in my 944,free or not.
 
The stuff we used to use was called NALCO mate not NALCOOL. It was purely a corrosion inhibitor and had no antifreeze properties. Now we are using antifreeze. It took me a while to find an antifreeze product with the correct corrosion inhibitor properties but was also aluminium friendly.
 
Nalcool is the corrosion inhibitor made by the nalco company,nalco specialises in water treatment hence nalcool nalfleet etc,has been on the go for years,used on most ships due to the fact that you can keep water treatment logs as requires by lloyds and the mca etc, but phosphate based. all the best John.
 
ORIGINAL: sawood12 Anti-freeze also acts as an anti-corrosion element. You have alot of dis-similar metals in contact with eachother within an engine so lots of corrosion. That corrosion finds its way into the water (in the form of small oxidised particles and gets circulated around the engine promoting more corrosion (all that sludge you get in the coolant if you don't change it frequently), therefore by frequently changing the coolant you are flushing out the corrosive elements in the water and refreshing the corrosion protection by adding new coolant.
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Interesting, thanks. Every day is a school day - I've just learned something. Oli.
 
Why the need to change the anti-freeze every 2 years? I've never heard that one before. Does it lose the capability to stop the water from freezing?
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No it simply lowers the point at which it freezes.
 
Old coolant / antifreeze becomes acidic after a long time , hence attacking metal and other parts .Remember frost plugs leaking ? When you remove them you can clearly see where the metal has been eaten . I test ph level and ability to protect from freezing . Anti freeze and water is always cheap compared to replacing cylinder head because of a frozen water pump causing timing belt failure on start up or shortly after. [X(]
 
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