Re: Water Wetter?

[zm@mhcnet.att.com (Zafer Mehmood [209])]

Without knowing what this concoction is made up of, its taking a risk
in my opinion. Audi specifies a phosphate-free anti-freeze in its
cars for a reason - to prevent blockage of water passages due to
corrosion in the Aluminium head, etc. Apparently, the phosphate can
react with some of materials in the cooling system over a period of
time and cause blockage. Now, I'm not a chemist and I'm
repeating what was told to me by a technical person at Prestone.
Prestone has since started marketing their own phosphate-free coolant,
touting it as a long-life (4 years/60K mile) formula. 

In any event, the point is that you don't know how this Water Wetter will
react with the different materials it'll come in contact with - the water
pump seal and bearing, the heater valve, the plastic radiator tanks, the
copper/aluminium/alloy/whatever in the heater and radiator exchanger, the
auxiliary water pump (if your car has one), etc. 

I presume it claims to increase the thermal conductivity of the coolant.
If your car runs hotter than before, I think its better to find the cause
and fix it. Coolant concentration is critical in thermal conductivity.
A high concentration will reduce thermal conductivity. So check the
concentration with a antifreeze tester (Prestone makes one - available
at Kmart, etc for a few bucks). Protection down to -37 C (or -34 F)
is the recommendation unless you live in a place that gets colder.
Check your thermostat, radiator fan, etc rather than use this stuff.


Zafer

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Zafer Mehmood				   AT&T Bell Laboratories
zm@mhcnet.att.com			   Murray Hill, NJ