I bought the test strips for the coolant and when I got to read the Ph it was 7.0. I bought and added a pint of the fleetgaurd additives and ran for a bit and got same results. Went to the International dealer and asked them what is the right thing and was told 'the strips dont work with ELC'. That a spectrometer is what is needed to test.

So question is what is the right thing? The other 2 values came out on the color patch right, just the Ph was off. it did turn green overnight but not within the 2 minutes called for. Anyone have leads for good inexpensive spectrometer?

 

What type of coolant are you running exactly,p and what type of test strip. Different chemistries so if they don't match there is not much point.

 

I don't think the Napa strips work with ELC. I tested my coolant that I thought was 50/50 (I put in 3.5-gal after a complete flush) and it showed more than 60%. So I started cutting it down with distilled. After adding 2-gal of distilled and still not seeing 50/50 I decided to test the strips with a small mixture in a measuring cup. At 50/50 it showed 60%+. Couldn't get it to show 50/50 until around 20/80 actual so I had to go back and add coolant back into the truck.

Curious what does work with ELC as I'm kinda guessing if I'm at 50/50 now.

 

mhoefer I am running cat elc as noted in post. I got the strips from napa, but are the same as the international dealer had just different packaging. The service desk indicated that the strips are for use with NON ELC coolants like the green and the gold. I have the red elc.

the ph portions appear to be a standard type test strip for acidity and cautions are for +11 and -6.5 which are high base and acidic levels.

 

The full range goes from 0~14 so anything over a 7 is alkaline
and anything below 7 is acid. So a 7 would be acid/alkaline balanced.

You can check concentrations by testing specific gravity. However other
additives will change the reading over a sample that has not had any additives
mixed into it.

The easy way is to use a test strip for that coolant.

BTW my red ELC is green do to having to add some
fluorescent dye for leak checking.



Sean <BR>

6.0L Tech Folder