Opinions on coolant additives. Or use anti-freeze?

[chingmai331]

Obviously will have a difficult time finding antifreeze here in T'land but the additives in the product help the cooling system and prevent rust (so i'm told).

I just added some water to my coolant tank and wonder now if any kind of additive for the cooling system is useful/recommended for the tropics.

[Kwasaki]

15 minutes ago, chingmai331 said:

Obviously will have a difficult time finding antifreeze here in T'land but the additives in the product help the cooling system and prevent rust (so i'm told).

Garages and car accessory shops, Big'C' have antifreeze which also called coolant for top up.

Just keep check on how often you have to do it there maybe a leak.

 

" If your coolant level is too low (below or near the lower mark), top it up using a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze (for normal driving conditions). You can use clean tap water in an emergency, but make up the antifreeze concentration afterwards). DO NOT overfill."

[Snow Leopard]

The coolant in an engine is mainly water. You then use an additive called anti-freeze, a mixture of glycol and corrosion inhibitors to stop the engine water freezing in cold weather and to prevent internal corrosion of the cooling system. The added advantage of using this additive is that it also raises the boiling point of the coolant mixture as well. So it is good for hot climates as well. 

[johng]

Apparently pure water is the better coolant...but has no corrosion inhibitors or lubricant for the water pump....there is no need for antifreeze in Thailand.

I top mine up with
"distilled water" sold in Tesco,Big C and 7/11 10-15 baht per liter.

[Oztruckie]

Always good idea to use the glycol coolant additives In yr cooling system, main advantage is prevention of corrosion in the system. 

[Hannuman]

Maybe unattainable advice, but it would be worth a trip to the Rolls Royce /Bentley agency in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or even here in Penang, to purchase RR-specific radiator coolant : RR have been fitting aluminium cylinder heads since the Phantom 1 /Ghost of the early days of the 20th century , a practice which continues to this day in the current 6.75litre V8 models. I have always used this in my Daimler V8s' and straight eight's systems with total satisfaction .Pentosin is one of the products they sell.

[johng]

purchase RR-specific radiator coolant :

Yes but "how much" ?
"If you have to ask sir you can't afford it"

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Snow Leopard said:

The coolant in an engine is mainly water. You then use an additive called anti-freeze, a mixture of glycol and corrosion inhibitors to stop the engine water freezing in cold weather and to prevent internal corrosion of the cooling system. The added advantage of using this additive is that it also raises the boiling point of the coolant mixture as well. So it is good for hot climates as well. 

Correct. Ethylene glycol functions to both depress freezing point and raise boiling point of the coolant, in accordance with Raoult's Law. Other additives function as corrosion inhibitors.

IMHO anyone who uses plain water in a modern engine with all its alloys is heading for early engine failure.

[thaiguzzi]

4 hours ago, johng said:

Apparently pure water is the better coolant...but has no corrosion inhibitors or lubricant for the water pump....there is no need for antifreeze in Thailand.

I top mine up with
"distilled water" sold in Tesco,Big C and 7/11 10-15 baht per liter.

Disagree.

You do NOT want neat water running round your coolant system.

It will eventually corrode your rad and alloy (or iron) internal water ways.

It's not expensive nor is it rocket science.

Toyota do a 1 or 5 litre ready mixed can, in a nice cute pink colour.

Sold at most car accessory/spares shops.

 

[DaRoadrunner]

Distilled water is a good idea as it does not contain the minerals found in tap water which can clog up the cooling system.

 

Antifreeze will work but does not provide lubrication for the water pump. It also has a habit of finding any weakness in the system and causing leaks.

 

Proper engine coolant is best as it lubricates and protects from corrosion.

 

Use just plain tap water alone and you are asking for trouble with corrosion.

 

[johng]

Disagree.
You do NOT want neat water running round your coolant system.
It will eventually corrode your rad and alloy (or iron) internal water ways.

I agree that just water is not such a good idea because of the mentioned problems ,,,what I meant was that plain water has (apparently) the better cooling efficiency.