another antifreeze question

[John Larson]

The mindless PR flack that wrote that has obviously never had a shop with a
large customer base of European cars.  Phosphate laden coolant, even with
distilled water in the mix, will simply eat the head studs on a vanagon,
where they pass through the cooling jacket.  It will erode the head material
on BMWs and Jaguars, and cause huge nasty erosion on other water coled AAG
engines.  Basically, the engine life on all of the aforementioned vehicles
is cut by HALF, maybe more, if you follow Prestone's recommendations.  I can
refer you to an endless list of techs and shop owners, the guys who see
these cars day in and day out, who will back me up on this.   HTH, John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert M" <porter_dog at hotmail.com>
To: <j.d.larson at verizon.net>; <CTDiesel at aol.com>; <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 4:56 AM
Subject: Re:another antifreeze question


>
>    I've been following this thread with interest, as I recently aquired a
> low mileage '87 4kcsq that I hope to use seasonally for the next (? many!)
> years.  Natch, it needs some work and a coolant flush/fill is on the list
of
> things to do.
>
>    Honestly, I always figured that the 'You need to use our coolant...'
> statements from VW/Audi could be translated as 'We want as many of your
> dollars as we can get...', but some of the explainations here are making
me
> think.
>
>    Prestone has this to say: (go to the coolant FAQ at
http://prestone.com/
> )
>
> "Q: Does Prestone® Antifreeze/Coolant contain phosphates?
> A: Some European automobile manufacturers request that a phosphate-free
> antifreeze be used in their vehicles. This issue is related to the
extremely
> high mineral content of the water in Europe. If you were to mix an
> antifreeze that contained phosphates with the type of water they have in
> Europe, it may produce deposits that can settle in the cooling system and
> promote corrosion. However, in North America we do not have this type of
> water problem. Typical North American coolants have contained phosphates
> (which is part of the corrosion inhibitor package) for many years.
> Therefore, the question of phosphates is a non-issue here in North
America.
> Prestone® Antifreeze/Coolant is completely safe for use in both foreign
and
> domestic vehicles. For those consumers who would feel more comfortable
using
> a phosphate-free antifreeze, our Prestone® Extended Life 5/150
> Antifreeze/Coolant is phosphate, silicate, and borate free. This coolant
> uses a special chemistry and technology that extends the life of the
> corrosion inhibitor package so that it lasts for five years or 150,000
miles
> (whichever comes first), and is safe for all cars and light trucks (old or
> new). Prestone® Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant has been approved
by
> General Motors under their DEX-COOL® specifications and is compatible with
> other DEX-COOL® approved coolants."
>
>    Comments?
>
> Robert
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "John Larson" <j.d.larson at verizon.net>
> >To: <CTDiesel at aol.com>, <quattro at audifans.com>
> >Subject: Re:another antifreeze question
> >Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2002 20:59:28 -0800
> >
> >BMW antifreeze is OK, and Quaker State phosphate free antifreeze should
be
> >available through your FLAPS, even if they have to order it.  John
>
>
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