Coolant additives?
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Coolant additives?
Has anybody used an additive for your coolant like be kool or water wetter or anything like that? They claim to balance pH, stop electolysis, and reduce temps by up to 30 degrees. Are they just snake oil in a bottle or is there some good to them?
CO River Rat
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From: Lake Havasu City AZ
WaterWetter is good stuff for a street rod without A/C; it's designed to be used with water only. It's not nearly as effective if you use it in a daily driver with A/C, because you have to mix it with antifreeze or risk cracking the evaporator core.
Steve
Steve
CO River Rat
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From: Lake Havasu City AZ
Not sure what you mean by "safe"; you can add it to coolant/water but you won't get near the temp reduction you would with plain water. All it does is reduce water's surface tension.
Steve
Steve
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[/QUOTE] It's not nearly as effective if you use it in a daily driver with A/C, because you have to mix it with antifreeze or risk cracking the evaporator core.
Steve[/QUOTE]
Risk cracking the evap core?
Steve[/QUOTE]
Risk cracking the evap core?
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CO River Rat
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From: Lake Havasu City AZ
My bad!
On most vehicles with A/C, the cooled air blows thru the heater core as well as the evaporator; if you have plain water only in your cooling system and the cooled air approaches freezing, it can crack the heater core.
Steve
On most vehicles with A/C, the cooled air blows thru the heater core as well as the evaporator; if you have plain water only in your cooling system and the cooled air approaches freezing, it can crack the heater core.
Steve
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Hotshot
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From: St Louis
Originally Posted by Steina
My bad!
On most vehicles with A/C, the cooled air blows thru the heater core as well as the evaporator; if you have plain water only in your cooling system and the cooled air approaches freezing, it can crack the heater core.
Steve
On most vehicles with A/C, the cooled air blows thru the heater core as well as the evaporator; if you have plain water only in your cooling system and the cooled air approaches freezing, it can crack the heater core.
Steve
The heater core is circulating coolant (water or whatever) at or near engine operating temperature. On most vehicles, coolant is always flowing through the heater core. When the A/C is running, airflow can flow through the heater core when the position of the blend door permits it. On most Fords for the last 15 years, this is the default operating mode for any HVAC switch position except OFF, VENT, and FLOOR. The exception would be those vehicles that have a valve that cuts off coolant flow when in MAX A/C position as, for example, a TSB for the early Explorers provided for to improve A/C vent temps.
Steve
CO River Rat
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From: Lake Havasu City AZ
Any vehicle that has a coolant shutoff valve to stop flow thru the heater core when in MAX A/C (like my Explorer; apparently "most vehicles" don't "always" have coolant flowing through the heater core) could be susceptible to this if plain water is used. That's why I used the word "CAN", not "WOULD" crack.
I don't use a crack pipe, dude.........how about you?
Steve
I don't use a crack pipe, dude.........how about you?
Steve
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From: Northern California
Wicky, I have used, and will continue to use products such as WaterWetter, Purple Ice (from Royal Purple) or NoRoison (purchased from Eastwood) with never any overheating problems in triple digit California summer heat (w/ 5w30 oil)
Also, I would never use plain water only, if it's winter and in freezing temperatures. Engine running, I would not worry at all with cracking the heater core (first time I ever heard of that) but I would not chance a complete cool down and shut off over 24 hours with plain water only.
As stated in my previous posts, you can safely run a lower concentration of coolant, more distilled water and the additives I mentioned, but just flush your cooling system once a year or at least once every other year. It's a simple 1/2 hour job, and will keep your cooling system clean.
There also might be other cooling system additves that work, but I am only speaking about the three above that I have used personally, in the past.
Ed
Also, I would never use plain water only, if it's winter and in freezing temperatures. Engine running, I would not worry at all with cracking the heater core (first time I ever heard of that) but I would not chance a complete cool down and shut off over 24 hours with plain water only.
As stated in my previous posts, you can safely run a lower concentration of coolant, more distilled water and the additives I mentioned, but just flush your cooling system once a year or at least once every other year. It's a simple 1/2 hour job, and will keep your cooling system clean.
There also might be other cooling system additves that work, but I am only speaking about the three above that I have used personally, in the past.
Ed
Cargo Master
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From: Somewhere Saskatchewan
Originally Posted by Steina
WaterWetter is good stuff for a street rod without A/C; it's designed to be used with water only. It's not nearly as effective if you use it in a daily driver with A/C, because you have to mix it with antifreeze or risk cracking the evaporator core.
Steve
Steve
Hmmmmmmmm. I read evaporator core here.
It must be the altitude.