don't fill her up with antifreeze

[shogun]

This article is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community. Larry Gedney is a seismologist at the Institute. The freezing point of an anti-freeze/coolant solution depends on the concentration of the solution, and rises when the ratio of antifreeze to water exceeds 60%.

With winter approaching, most of us have begun to think about checking our antifreeze. If we're "good" down to, say, 20 below, it's probably wise to put in some more. How much? Well, on the back of most antifreeze cans or jugs, there is usually a table explaining the freezing points of different concentrations of antifreeze and water. Almost all of these tables show values down to about 60 below with a half-and-half mixture, but go no further. That's a pity, because it is at that point that strange things begin to happen.

It's not funny to the poor guy who wants to make really sure this winter, and with a "what the heck" attitude, fills the cooling system with pure antifreeze. He will be the one walking back into the house some frosty morning when its 10 below, shaking his head because his car radiator is frozen solid.

Thom Wigle of Dow Chemical in Ontario informs me that his office receives several hundred complaints each winter from irate customers complaining that their antifreeze is "no damned good." A typical story is that the customer was using a Dow product undiluted and their engine froze up at around zero.

Actually, this is to be expected when one considers that ethylene glycol, the principal component of most antifreezes, freezes at 8 degrees above zero, Fahrenheit. It is only when water is added that the freezing point is depressed. The freezing point of an ethylene glycol and water mixture drops rapidly as the concentration of glycol is increased to a mixture of about 60% antifreeze and 40% water. Around that point, an abrupt turnabout occurs, and as more antifreeze is added, the freezing point rises almost as fast as it had previously dropped.

It's clearly a case of what you don't know can hurt you, but I have never seen an antifreeze container with an explanatory note to this effect.

Glycols do not have sharp freezing points, and even below the freezing temperatures, a slushy solution exists which will still flow. In the never-never transition zone around -60°F and 60% glycol, the mixture can either crystallize like water (particularly when "seeded" by a crystal and agitated) or set to a glass-like solid with no orderly internal crystalline structure. Either way, the result is the same, and thawing measures including strong language are prescribed.

Article #680 by Larry Gedney Alaska Science Forum
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF6/680.html

[mikell]

Yeow! I live in Texas - I cannot even comprehend minus sixty. But, anyway, this will all be moot in a few years, what with global warming and all, right?
Pretty damn interesting in any event.

[Interceptor]

Also, just to mention... Antifreeze contains corosion inhibitors as well as lubricants, so putting too little can also be dangerous to your engine. BMW recommends 50/50 mixture in all conditions, and that's what I've always been using.

[Jehu]

All antifreeze also won't dissipate heat enough.. the car ,if not frozen solid already will eventually overheat if run long and hard enough .. antifreeze will abbsorb heat but needs water to dissipate it effectivly..

[Dash01]

Speaking of antifreeze, what common brands are good for our cars?

I know the BMW stuff from the dealer works, but it's very expensive, and the dealer far away.

So, what products available at the local car parts store are good?

[Interceptor]

Speaking of antifreeze, what common brands are good for our cars?

I know the BMW stuff from the dealer works, but it's very expensive, and the dealer far away.

So, what products available at the local car parts store are good?

I would recommend GlycoShell. I use the red one because my engine has alloy block and metal headgasket, all others should use the blue/green one.

[shogun]

I trust the wisdom of Bill R., he recently mentioned:

I've been using the prestone extended life since it came out in the green for virtually all of my customers cars that don't want to pay for OE stuff, this includes gm dexcool, ford gold, chrysler and mercedes gold, toyota red , haven't used it in any toyota pink ones yet , they are still new enough that they pay for the toyota stuff.... At any rate i haven't seen any problems with the new extended life green. Did see a few problems with the old prestone extended life orange, but this new all makes all models seems to work good....
To make a long story short I put it in the Poor Old E34 535 since the bmw stuff is getting way too pricey and the prestone stuff is available unmixed at walmart for 9.00 bucks a gallon, oops correction when its on sale, went there yesterday to stock up for customers cars and its up to 10, compared to 13.99 at autozone,checker,kragen etc etc....
I still have blue in my wifes e46 wagon and since i have 5 gallons of it still stocked I'll probably keep using blue in hers for a few years unless i put it in other peoples cars first.
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attac...1&d=1231772534
another one commented in that thread:
I prefer to use the Zerex G-05... cost the same as Prestone but I believe the buffer quality of G-05 is much superior.


So, one of both will do. Nowadays most of the coolant stuff is fine for these type of engine material, in the old days it was more difficult, as that was cast iron time for most of the engine makers.

[Tiger]

Zerex G05 is what I use. I have not tried the Prestone Extended Life or know much about it. Like Shogun said... the buffer quality of the G05 is quite superior to others and is critical.

Most other brand is simpline alkaline and will swing toward acidic... where G05 keeps it close to neutral until the buffer runs down and start heading to acidic side.

[Kibokojoe]

I use one of these little jewels for testing. Works pretty good