Checking SCA with Test Strips

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Sep 14, 2004 | 06:38 PM

Bad Company

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Checking SCA with Test Strips

I purchased the test strips to check my coolant mix. After getting home I realized the radiator on my 95 F250 is sealed. Do I use the test strips in the coolant tank? Will that be as accurate as testing coolant "in" the system?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Sep 14, 2004 | 07:19 PM

cookie88

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From: Cabot, Arkansas

The degas bottle is the only place you can test it, unless you drain some coolant into a jar. I always just used the degas bottle when I had to test coolant.

Sep 15, 2004 | 12:06 PM

Bad Company

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Can you explain the "degas" bottle? Is this the coolant tank that sits near the washer fluid tank?

Sep 15, 2004 | 03:28 PM

tobetaxfree

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From: Cincinnati usa

One thing I do is after the system has been circulating for a while, I let it cool a little and suck some out of the "resevoir". It has to be at room temp to test, so I let it sit in the jar. I just want to make sure I am getting a good representative sample.

Sep 15, 2004 | 04:47 PM

Bad Company

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Thank you. I'll give it a try.

Sep 15, 2004 | 05:16 PM

bodabdan

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From: River Valley AR

I have used the degas bottle for mine also. Some have said that they prefer to use the drain for a sample point because the coolant in the degas bottle doesn't circulate well. After doing a coolant change in my 7.3, I was topping off the system with water while the engine was running. I filled the degas bottle with water and within thirty seconds it was green. I think that it flows well enough to use as a test point, IMO.