[s-cars] The great coolant debate...

[bob.rossato at att.net]

In my opinion, I wouldn't let the possibility of a roadside failure, and the availability of a specific coolant type in the middle of nowhere determine what you use.  If you were to have a rupture of a hose or fitting, once you've fixed the leak, just top off with water.  You may no longer have a 50/50 mix but you will still have enough of the coolant in the system remaining to provide you adequate protection until you get to a VW/Audi dealer, or back home.  You'd have to have a pretty massive cooling system/engine block failure to lose all your coolant, in which case I'd say you're screwed anyway.

So use whatever you consider the best coolant to be and forget about roadside emergencies.

Bob



> I'm about to do my belts also, and am interested in the reply that you 
> get.  I also do not want to use a German coolant since it would be hard 
> to get on the road.  The last time I used Prestone Dex-cool Extended 
> Life, with no problems.
> Jerry Scott
> 
> Gabriel Caldwell wrote:
> 
> >My apologies if this hashes up an old subject or opens old wounds but
> >I'm curious about your opinions on coolant.  What do you put in your S
> >car?  G11, G12 or something else?  After copious flushings to get rid of
> >the old coolant in my 90 I have been using DexCool for quite some time
> >with no ill effects.  My logic is that in the case of an emergency (i.e.
> >a hose popping off on a road trip and dumping your coolant) it will be a
> >lot easier to find DexCool to top up with than G11 or G12.  DexCool is
> >phosphate and silicate free which should meet the goals G11 and G12
> >accomplish.  Now that I've done the timing belt on the S, I would like
> >to flush out my cooling system and refill it.  I have G11, G12 and
> >DexCool in my garage and I'm still debating what to do.  Opinions?
> >
> > 
> >
> >Gabriel Caldwell