As you can see, it’s important to educate yourself to provide the best service for your customer. The vehicle manufacturers would beg to differ on this point and, as with other technology, you must choose which path to follow. So what do you do when you visit your local parts store and you’re faced with 10 different choices? Some would lead you to believe that you can use a coolant listed as universal in any vehicle, no matter if it matches the OEM chemical technology or not. Many colors are used, including green, blue, red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple, to name a few. While they do dye their coolants, the color really doesn’t guarantee you’re selecting the correct coolant, as the OEM determines the color and it doesn’t necessarily denote the additive package. It would seem logical that if there were major differences in the coolants, the manufacturers would simply add dye to change the color, making it simple for the customer to get the correct coolant. PHOAT (Phosphate Hybrid Organic Acid Technology).SiOAT (Silicone Organic Acid Technology).Several different coolant types and additive packages are used, including: Manufacturers have failed to agree on which is the best technology, so each has gone its own way, leading to major confusion in our industry.Īdditive packages will typically include silicates, phosphates (light duty and passenger cars), or nitrates, molybdates (heavy duty and diesel applications). Where the coolants really start to vary and where the problems arise is in their additive packages. Most automotive coolants are polyol based with ethylene, glycerol or propylene added to create the antifreeze effect. The American Society of Testing and Measurements (ASTM) establishes standards for coolants, while Europe has its own certification process and standards. Lubricate and protect cooling system seals and gaskets.Prevent corrosion, cavitation, and galvanic reactions.Both American and European original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) warn about using the wrong coolant as they have identified plastic cooling system component failure, gasket, and corrosion issues. Adding the wrong coolant can lead to component corrosion, failure, or gelling issues. Making a mistake with something as simple as your choice of coolant can lead to major cooling system issues. When it comes to coolant, the choices are numerous. Today, many applications use separate systems for the engine verses the transmission. The temperature of the transmission and engine were controlled by the same coolant and cooling system. Many of the changes have led to confusion at the repair shop level.įor decades, vehicles used ethylene glycol (green) coolant that simply circulated the coolant throughout the cooling system. As the vehicles we service continue to evolve, the coolants and systems designed to keep our transmissions and engines operating at the correct temperature are also changing. A recent study found that up to 40% of all engine failures were a direct result of cooling system issues.
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