Coolant Change POLL

mr wilks · Post by **mr wilks** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:00 pm

Its so cheap why would you not do it every 2/3 years ?
Always something ive added to be done at service time & will be having it changed when my ZM goes in for Ins1

This extract from the web explains better than i can why its worth the spend

Most vehicles use long-life engine coolant (usually a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water) that for several years will provide protection against boiling in hot weather and freezing in cold weather, with little or no maintenance. Modern vehicles also have longer intervals between fluid changes of all types partly because environmental regulators have pressured automakers to reduce the amount of waste fluids that have to be disposed of or recycled.
Coolant can deteriorate over time and should be tested to see if it's still good, as it can be hard to tell just by appearances. Even if testing shows the cooling and antifreeze protection are still adequate, antifreeze can become more acidic over time and lose its rust-inhibiting properties, causing corrosion.
Corrosion can damage the radiator, water pump, thermostat and other parts of the cooling system, so the coolant in a vehicle with more than about 50,000 miles should be tested periodically. That's to look for signs of rust and to make sure it has sufficient cooling and boiling protection, even if the cooling system seems to be working properly. It can be checked with test strips that measure acidity, and with a hydrometer that measures freezing and boiling protection.
If the corrosion inhibitors have deteriorated, the coolant should be changed. The cooling system might also need to be flushed to remove contaminants no matter what the maintenance schedule calls for or how many miles are on the odometer. On the other hand, if testing shows the coolant is still doing its job and not allowing corrosion, changing it more often than what the manufacturer recommends could be a waste of money.

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:10 pm

Never had mine done. Can't say I use it either. The car has no roof.

Took me a while to find the switch for the rear window heater last weekend, when I actually drove home with the roof up

mr wilks · Post by **mr wilks** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:25 pm

buzyg wrote:Never had mine done. Can't say I use it either. The car has no roof. Took me a while to find the switch for the rear window heater last weekend, when I actually drove home with the roof up

Its not just about not freezing in winter or keeping cool in summer , its also about not deteriorating & rusting up the components that it inhabits such as waterpump , radiator etc

buzyg · Post by **buzyg** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:34 pm

mr wilks wrote:
buzyg wrote:Never had mine done. Can't say I use it either. The car has no roof. Took me a while to find the switch for the rear window heater last weekend, when I actually drove home with the roof up
Its not just about not freezing in winter or keeping cool in summer , its also about not deteriorating & rusting up the components that it inhabits such as waterpump , radiator etc

I'm being a dumb A.

Was thinking of the air con. I have had the coolant changed at Ins 2.

mr wilks · Post by **mr wilks** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:38 pm

buzyg wrote:
mr wilks wrote:
buzyg wrote:Never had mine done. Can't say I use it either. The car has no roof. Took me a while to find the switch for the rear window heater last weekend, when I actually drove home with the roof up
Its not just about not freezing in winter or keeping cool in summer , its also about not deteriorating & rusting up the components that it inhabits such as waterpump , radiator etc

I'm being a dumb A. Was thinking of the air con. I have had the coolant changed at Ins 2.

Haha , makes sense now

stupot67 · Post by **stupot67** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:15 pm

D4dawg wrote:I've always changed every 2/3 years in my cars

As coolant breaks done

Exactly, and as far as the manufacturer is concerned "Lifetime" is the length of the warranty period.

flimper · Post by **flimper** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:40 pm

I have had it changed once in 2010, and have done 30,000 miles since then.

Back to the drawing board

Doddsy · Post by **Doddsy** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 11:25 pm

Changed it while it had its Inspection 2 last year.

ZAR4MC · Post by **ZAR4MC** » Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:03 am

maybe its just me but Coolant is cheap so i tend to change it every 2 years. along with Brake and Power steering fluid while i'm at it.

D4dawg · Post by **D4dawg** » Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:42 pm

ZAR4MC wrote:maybe its just me but Coolant is cheap so i tend to change it every 2 years. along with Brake and Power steering fluid while i'm at it.

Good call
Things break down and brakes absorb moisture

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