| reply to dragonfly
Re: Change antifreeze? go to the parts store and get a PH tester for automotive coolant. that is the easiest way to see if your coolant needs to be changed. |
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| Misinformation and disinformation ???
Anti-freeze goes acidic after a certain amount of time.
THIS is why it needs changed, no other reason.
The single best way to check for over-aged antifreeze is with a DIGITAL volt meter.
You connect the negative lead directly to the battery negative post and dangle the positive lead into the radiator neck submerging the tip into the antfreeze but not touching the radiator itself.
Read voltage on a DC scale, is it below .5 VDC (that is ½ of a volt) ???
Think grade school chemistry....the higher the acidity the higher the specific gravity and the higher the ability to carry voltage.
Acid is bad for teh engine inner werkins.....mmmk? |
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ke4pymPremium
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Charlotte, NC Reviews:
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| said by TypeNameHere :Misinformation and disinformation ???
Anti-freeze goes acidic after a certain amount of time.
THIS is why it needs changed, no other reason.
The single best way to check for over-aged antifreeze is with a DIGITAL volt meter.
You connect the negative lead directly to the battery negative post and dangle the positive lead into the radiator neck submerging the tip into the antfreeze but not touching the radiator itself.
Read voltage on a DC scale, is it below .5 VDC (that is ½ of a volt) ???
Think grade school chemistry....the higher the acidity the higher the specific gravity and the higher the ability to carry voltage.
Acid is bad for teh engine inner werkins.....mmmk?
So, I have to ask. If one meter probe is on the negative terminal of the battery, and the other meter probe is dangling in the fluid, what voltage, exactly, will get measured? |
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| Well, he's right.
The acidity of the coolant will interact with the aluminum block and form a crude chemical battery. The more acidic the coolant the stronger the "battery" will be, and the higher the voltage you will measure.
My only concern would be that there's no OEM spec on how much voltage is too much or too little.
But he's wrong in that there *are* lubricants and other additives in the coolant which will wear out and you'll never know it by a voltimeter. That degradation is measured in years, not volts, so you should be changing it out every X years anyhow. |
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 shdesignsPowered By Infinite Improbabilty DrivePremium
join:2000-12-01
Stone Mountain, GA | said by dragonfly:My only concern would be that there's no OEM spec on how much voltage is too much or too little.
Or what the probes are made of: steel? brass? copper? , Nickel plated? zinc plated? Gold plated?
All would produce different voltages.
--
Scott Henion
Embedded Systems Consultant,
SHDesigns home - DIY Welder |
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| reply to dragonfly
The "end of life" spec is .5VDC, you should change antifreeze before this ....I recommend .4 to my customers, most say a tad lower than that.
Google up antifreeze voltage test....here...
»www.completeradiators.com/articles/34.htm
It's not an uncommon way to test at all and is easily the single most accurate way to do so.
Now as for there being any sort of lubricant in antifreeze ?!?
Exactly what is getting "lubed" ?
The sealed waterpump bearings ?
If the antifreeze ever gets near the waterpump bearings the pump is toast and should be replaced (you will be able to verify this by looking at the antifreeze spewing from the waterpump weep hole).
Nice try. |
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| Lubricant is a bit old-school, I'll give you that. The newer deal now is anti-corrosion additives, for example those present in Dexcool (OAT) if you're driving a GM vehicle. Those absolutely *are* depleted over time. |
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