How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

On Friday, April 27, 2018 at 12:12:44 PM UTC-4, wrote:
How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

I'd say ~7 years, 100K miles. The antifreeze itself will protect against
freezing probably for the life of the engine. But it has corrosion inhibitors
that don't last forever. And make sure you use the correct antifreeze for
the vehicle. Some of them now have antifreeze that's supposed to last
even longer, for the life of the car, etc. But I'd do it at around 100K
or if you have to do some work around that where draining it happens
anyway, eg water pump replacement.

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

_Testing Coolant with a Multimeter: Step-by-Step Instructions_

http://www.readersdigest.ca/cars/maintenance/how-test-coolant-multimeter/

"Coolant has additives to prevent all of that electron
swapping. But, as coolant ages, the additives are depleted and can’t
do the job anymore. In fact, worn coolant becomes a pretty darn good
electrical conductor, accelerating internal electrolysis. The good
news is that it’s pretty easy to check the conductivity of your
coolant with a digital multimeter. If the conductivity is high, it’s
time for a coolant flush and fill. Here’s a quick way to check it."

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

_Testing Coolant with a Multimeter: Step-by-Step Instructions_

http://www.readersdigest.ca/cars/maintenance/how-test-coolant-multimeter/

"Coolant has additives to prevent all of that electron
swapping. But, as coolant ages, the additives are depleted and can?t
do the job anymore. In fact, worn coolant becomes a pretty darn good
electrical conductor, accelerating internal electrolysis. The good
news is that it?s pretty easy to check the conductivity of your
coolant with a digital multimeter. If the conductivity is high, it?s
time for a coolant flush and fill. Here?s a quick way to check it."

BS

https://app.box.com/s/mc3kaetdmj38ebzomyscxe9wt8rvotdg

On 4/27/2018 12:12 PM, wrote:
How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?


Thread prompted me to check my service manual and it says 137,000 miles
or about 13 years. Just put your car model and date and google it up.
I suspect your mechanic is correct but don't worry, your mechanic will
not fire you.

On 4/27/18 12:12 PM, wrote:
How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

Read the maintenance section of the owner's manual provided by the car's
manufacturer. Do what it says there

--
Nigerian man dies and authorities find 27 billion dollars stacked in his
apartment. He had been trying to give it away for 15 years but no one
would return his emails€¦

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:59:14 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

_Testing Coolant with a Multimeter: Step-by-Step Instructions_

http://www.readersdigest.ca/cars/maintenance/how-test-coolant-multimeter/

"Coolant has additives to prevent all of that electron
swapping. But, as coolant ages, the additives are depleted and can?t
do the job anymore. In fact, worn coolant becomes a pretty darn good
electrical conductor, accelerating internal electrolysis. The good
news is that it?s pretty easy to check the conductivity of your
coolant with a digital multimeter. If the conductivity is high, it?s
time for a coolant flush and fill. Here?s a quick way to check it."

BS

https://app.box.com/s/mc3kaetdmj38ebzomyscxe9wt8rvotdg

"... TEST ALTERNATIVES:
16) Ignoring coolant change requirements can be expensive,
replacing a radiator plus labour removing A/C, fans and shrouds
can top $800 or more in a garage when rad finally leaks and
overheats.

I offered an observation from Readers Digest.

OP can pick his own poison or fire the mechanic.

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:59:14 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?

_Testing Coolant with a Multimeter: Step-by-Step Instructions_

http://www.readersdigest.ca/cars/maintenance/how-test-coolant-multimeter/

"Coolant has additives to prevent all of that electron
swapping. But, as coolant ages, the additives are depleted and can?t
do the job anymore. In fact, worn coolant becomes a pretty darn good
electrical conductor, accelerating internal electrolysis. The good
news is that it?s pretty easy to check the conductivity of your
coolant with a digital multimeter. If the conductivity is high, it?s
time for a coolant flush and fill. Here?s a quick way to check it."

BS

https://app.box.com/s/mc3kaetdmj38ebzomyscxe9wt8rvotdg
Actuallt the test CAN be valid - but you need a baseline.

If you test the voltage on a new car with fresh antifreeze with a high
impedence meter (preferably digital) and it reads 0.2 volts, and a few
years later test it and it reads 0.6, you DO know the pH of the
antiftreezehas changed.

Easier touse a pH tester, test strips, or titration to check. There
ARE pH buffer additives that can be added to coolantto restore the pH,
and when installing new coolant the pH should be tested and ideally
adjusted, because the pH of the water used can actually make the
mixture too high or too low in pH right from the start. High pH can
lead to radiator "scaling" which will eventually plug the rad, while
low pH will cause corrosion of the radiator

For example,your water has a pH of 7.0 and antifreeze has a pH of
10.5, so a 50-50 mix has a pH of 8.75, and that's too acidic to
protect the cooling system, so the pH must be modified to something
around 10 to protect the dissimilar metals in the modern cooling
system.

The target range is 9.5 to 10.

On 4/27/2018 12:12 PM, wrote:
How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?


Your mechanic is a keeper and wants to save you money.

Most are about 5 years and 60k too 125k miles. Check your manual and
use the right type.

On 04/27/2018 10:12 AM, wrote:
How often should I change antifreeze in a late model vehicle? I`ve been changing it every 2 yrs. but my mechanic says that`s wasting money. Do I need a new mechanic?


Have you ever thought about reading the owner's manual? Mine has the
recommended service intervals.

In article ,
says...

For example,your water has a pH of 7.0 and antifreeze has a pH of
10.5, so a 50-50 mix has a pH of 8.75, and that's too acidic to
protect the cooling system, so the pH must be modified to something
around 10 to protect the dissimilar metals in the modern cooling
system.

The target range is 9.5 to 10.



Somewhere I seem to be missing something in this.

You seem to say that if you mix the antifreeze 50/50 like much of it is
recommened by the company , you still need to add something to it to
bring the PH back to your numbers ?

Most water should have a PH of 7.

Why would you add something to the mix as recommended by the factory,
and what would that be ?

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 23:21:13 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

For example,your water has a pH of 7.0 and antifreeze has a pH of
10.5, so a 50-50 mix has a pH of 8.75, and that's too acidic to
protect the cooling system, so the pH must be modified to something
around 10 to protect the dissimilar metals in the modern cooling
system.

The target range is 9.5 to 10.



Somewhere I seem to be missing something in this.

You seem to say that if you mix the antifreeze 50/50 like much of it is
recommened by the company , you still need to add something to it to
bring the PH back to your numbers ?

Most water should have a PH of 7.

Why would you add something to the mix as recommended by the factory,
and what would that be ?


You would add a pH buffer - a commonly used one is basically borax.
You add it to get the pH set to where it should be for maximum cooling
system life and efficiency.
Don't ask me why coolant manufacturers don't buffer it properly for
common water, but they don't.

This has been true for AT LEAST 40 years -
It has really just come "to light" in the last 20 years or so since
antifreeze recycling and reconditioning became feasible. Solid state
pH testers have made testing a lot easier and more accurate as well.

We used to use test strips to check the pH and commercially available
buffers. I used to check the coolant ph at the dealership to prevent
corrosionin the cooling systems of my customers' cars.

Then I got my hands on the electronic pH testers after I was out of
the trade, and my brother was in the business and got a antifreeze
recycler. Made his life a lot easier and made him a lot of money -
saving his customers a lot more. I've got a few bottles of lab grade
pH buffer from my chemistry prof neighbour left over from the testing
I did on the pH testers about 15 or 20 years ago. - don't have a
functioning tester any more so it's back to the test strips for me.

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 23:41:32 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote:

Don't ask me why coolant manufacturers don't buffer it properly for
common water, but they don't.

Okay I won't ask. My "common water" out of the pipe is different than
yours. What about distilled water with the coolant -- is that what is
in a 50:50 mix off the shelf...

Concentrate coolant jugs cheaper and buy some distilled water?

On Sat, 28 Apr 2018 14:07:10 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 27 Apr 2018 23:41:32 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote:

Don't ask me why coolant manufacturers don't buffer it properly for
common water, but they don't.

Okay I won't ask. My "common water" out of the pipe is different than
yours. What about distilled water with the coolant -- is that what is
in a 50:50 mix off the shelf...

Concentrate coolant jugs cheaper and buy some distilled water?
The thing is, if the manufacturers BUFFERED the antifreeze properly
it would correct itself tothe proper ph.

A buffer is "selective" in that it will either raise or lower the pH
as rerquired to maintain a specific pH.

pH correction and pH buffering are two different things.

If the pH is too high I can correct the ph by adding an acid like Hcl
(Hydrochloric acid). If the pH is too low I can correct it by adding a
base, such as bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate).

This "balances" the pH at a point in time.

Addition of a pH BUFFER will workto maintain a given pH - "buffering"
it against both acids and bases.

Each "buffer" solution has a "target pH" which it fights to maintain.

If i CORRECT the pH of the antifreeze solution to 10.0 and add a
quantity of 10.0 buffer solution, the pH will stay at precisely 10.0
untill all the buffer is used up . The buffer contains "complimentary"
compounds - if it reduces the pH the compound produced increases the
ability to increase the pH in the future and vice versa - from what I
recall.

On Friday, April 27, 2018 at 11:21:23 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

For example,your water has a pH of 7.0 and antifreeze has a pH of
10.5, so a 50-50 mix has a pH of 8.75, and that's too acidic to
protect the cooling system, so the pH must be modified to something
around 10 to protect the dissimilar metals in the modern cooling
system.

The target range is 9.5 to 10.



Somewhere I seem to be missing something in this.

You seem to say that if you mix the antifreeze 50/50 like much of it is
recommened by the company , you still need to add something to it to
bring the PH back to your numbers ?

Most water should have a PH of 7.

Why would you add something to the mix as recommended by the factory,
and what would that be ?

I'm with you on this one. The idea that for a century coolant manufacturers
are selling product that you have to add crap to in order to make it right
doesn't pass the common sense test. And that auto makers also don't warn
consumers that they can't just put 50-50 coolant of the proper type in
the vehicle. If this was the case, Prestone for example, would be
formulating and marketing
their product as having the right PH, no need to damage your car or add
more chemicals to it like you do with all the others. They would have
a superior product. Also there are
now several kinds of different antifreeze with different formulations,
different additives, for various kinds of
cars. If this PH adjusting and testing had any validity, it was probably
for the basic antifreezes in use 50 years ago.