Anti-freeze/coolant recommendations

[Terry Kay]

It must be another Miracle happenening here.

Running 5/30 water thin oil in that engine when the the suggested oil during the summer months is minimum 15/40, just plainly is insane.
It's not suggested in your owner's manual, it's not suggested in the Bently, it's not suggest by any competant VW dealer.
How you came upon this wacky Eurika on your own--and then braodcasting it live, is beyond me.


FYI--there is some sort of combustion by products found in every internal combustion engines coolant.
Not on day one.
Maybe not on day two.
But on day 679 the coolant wil have some sort of combustion related contamination.
The coolant will be suspending some sort of garbage in it.
It's DCA level will be down--regardless of how much & how often you add that subaru jello & allow to float around in the system--how mch sealer can a system hold in suspesion without screwing something up?

If you had hung a water filter set up on the engine that would grab most of the crap outa the system, this would ave been the right way to go--no problem.
You'd have to eliminate the Subaru seal a meal garbage --it would plug the filter up right away,and deem it worthless.
Plus--to never change that coolant is a fools wish for longevity.

Tell me you have a spin on water filter with a conditioer pill in it only on that engine, & I'll believe you don't ever change the coolant.

Until than--I'd keep this one to yourself--I sure wouldn't be announcing the haphazzard methods you are practicing to screw up your cooling system.
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T.K.

[randywebb]

what is DCA ?

does the Subaru product not also contain conditioners and other additives, besides having a stop leak function?

My goal is not to keep the same coolant in there for decades, just a few years, and it is not clear to me why a long-life coolant with ot w/o additional additive packages can last 10, 20 or more years in other alloy motor cars, but not in a Vanagon(?)
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[Wildthings]

[randywebb]

Understood - my question is about a longer than 2 year change interval with testing (using test strips) & periodic replenishment of the additive package.
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[Merian]

anybody use BMW coolant?

is it just a re-branded German coolant? or does BMW require a certain spec. ...??

[tjet]

Why not VW G13?

I use it in all my VW's

[0to60in6min]

I use Pentosin NF - flush and replace every 1.5 to 2 years....

http://www.pentosin.net/f_antifreeze.asp

[hans j]

Yes, we use the blue bmw coolant to replace g11
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1986 Canadian Syncro Westy TDI - 1989 Syncro Single Cab - 2001 Audi S4 - 1981 VW Caddy ABA - 1980 VW Caddy EV - 1973 VW T-181

[tjet]

[IdahoDoug]

I use the cheapest green undiluted coolant I can get at NAPA. It's their $12.49/gallon house brand. Works great. I save the exotic $30/gallon Euro brand for my Audi. Mainly because I like having a bottle of that stuff on the shelf next to the other exotic oils and lotions and potions - heh.

The Vanagon WBX is a pretty low stressed, low tech engine and I'm not sure it needs to be fed pricey coolants. If I ever switch, it will be to a nontoxic simply because of how much these girls leak onto the street!!
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[JudoJeff]

My understanding of why you should change your antifreeze every two years is because it becomes an electrolyte, like in a battery. Your test strips are most likely just checking to see how acidic it is. As it becomes acidic, the Noble metals start shedding themselves, moving to the next lower metal on the range.
(zinc and aluminum are the sissies....)

Boats parked next to each other at an ocean dock, with an electrical leak into the water by one, can dissolve the entire motor in a short period of time. (Swimmers can also get lethally shocked!) The same thing happens inside your VW engine.

The azeotrope mixture of EG/H2O has poor rust inhibiting qualities, and additives help. But after even one year it's common to see a rust colored antifreeze. You're smart to change to a fresh mixture.
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________________________________________
1989 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper, Burned up on 7/31/16.
1987 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper, Bostig & Rebuilt, sold
1986 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper, Bostig Sold May 10, 2021
1999 Ford GTRV Westfalia camper (30% bigger Westy layout)

[0to60in6min]

[kamzcab86]

[0to60in6min]

thanks Kam...

there's not enough coffee when I typed it..

[tjet]

[0to60in6min]

mix it 50/50 with distilled water... please...

[tjet]

Will do.

I have one of these 5 gallon jugs. I mix it 50/50 with distilled water (2 gallon coolant & 2 gal wtr) & lay it down on the roof with a 8' clear hose pressed tightly (no leaks) into the surge tank (pressure res).

Remove the radiator bleeder & let it flush. Install the bleeder when the water coolant mix color matches the premix (It will be 2/3's empty) Works good. Make sure you get a square jug.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VP-Racing-White-5-Gallon-S...mp;vxp=mtr

[BulliBill]

Howdy all you pandemic battlers!

I'm interested in good coolant for my 68,000 mile WBX 2.1 engine in my 1987 Camper. I know that I should end up with a 50/50 mix in the system, so I'm guessing at least two gallons of undiluted "concentrate" with an equal amount of distilled water. Is that enough, or should it be 3 gallons of each?

Anyway, the above recommended Pentosin "Pentofrost NF" G11 concentrate comes in 1.5 liter bottles costing at my local Advanced Auto about $15 each. The Pentosin website says it works with 1996 and earlier Volkswagens, but oddly the Advanced Auto (local FLAPS) site says it isn't for my '87 Vanagon??? If I do my liters to gallons conversion right, it looks like to end up with 2 gallons of concentrate, I'd have to buy 7.5 liters of Pentofrost NF (five bottles x $15 each = $75 !!!). Seems a bit expensive.

Can anyone suggest a more reasonable recommendations for a first time coolant flush by myself? I'd like a good product at a good value? Thanks for any helpful suggestions you can provide...

Bill Bowman
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[Butcher]

I always use Rowe coolant. My supplier has it for $16 a gallon. G11 rated.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/2106640803.htm?pn=21066-408-03-INT

[Jake de Villiers]

$75.00 every three years is merely $25.00/year for cooling system maintenance.

Waaaay cheaper than replacing the water gaskets on the heads!!!
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'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
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