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#1
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recommended antifreeze?
Is there a commonly available antifreeze that's sufficiently
aluminum-engine-friendly for a 94 Civic, or is genuine Honda antifreeze the only way to go? |
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#2
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Abeness wrote:
> Is there a commonly available antifreeze that's sufficiently > aluminum-engine-friendly for a 94 Civic, or is genuine Honda antifreeze > the only way to go? I know of a Honda Dealer that uses Service Pro, its cheap and in a black bottle (http://www.service-pro.com/images/50-50antifreeze.jpg). I know a lot of people say to use only Honda coolant, but I've had good luck with various brands, as long as they are 'low silicate' formulations. |
#3
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If you go to this site--http://www.prestone.com/ and then to antfreeze,
Prestone says that its "New PrestoneŽ All Makes All Models Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant" is suitable for all cars. Here's some other info from the site-- Q: Does PrestoneŽ Antifreeze/Coolant contain phosphates? A: Some European automobile manufacturers request that a phosphate-free antifreeze be used in their vehicles. This issue is related to the extremely high mineral content of the water in Europe. If you were to mix an antifreeze that contained phosphates with the type of water they have in Europe, it may produce deposits that can settle in the cooling system and promote corrosion. However, in North America we do not have this type of water problem. Typical North American coolants have contained phosphates (which is part of the corrosion inhibitor package) for many years. Therefore, the question of phosphates is a non-issue here in North America. PrestoneŽ Antifreeze/Coolant is completely safe for use in both foreign and domestic vehicles. For those consumers who would feel more comfortable using a phosphate-free antifreeze, our PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant is phosphate, silicate, and borate free. This coolant uses a special chemistry and technology that extends the life of the corrosion inhibitor package so that it lasts for five years or 150,000 miles (whichever comes first), and is safe for all cars and light trucks (old or new). PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant has been approved by General Motors under their DEX-COOLŽ specifications and is compatible with other DEX-COOLŽ approved coolants. PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant meets or exceeds the following industry standards and specifications: GM 6277M Ford WSS-M97B44-D When tested in ASTM D 1384, D 4340, D 2570, and D 2809, PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant will meet the chemical, physical property characteristics and performance requirements of the following standards and specifications: GM 1825M GM 1899 Ford WSE-M97B44-A Ford ESE-M97B44-B DaimlerChrysler MS 7170 and MS 9769 General Services Administration A-A-52624 ASTM D 3306 SAE J 1034 ASTM D 4985 Abeness wrote: > Is there a commonly available antifreeze that's sufficiently > aluminum-engine-friendly for a 94 Civic, or is genuine Honda antifreeze > the only way to go? |
#4
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This is one of those controversial topics here.
If you have no time to fool with possible car breakdowns, pay the ten extra bucks or so and use OEM anti-freeze always. It's only once every two years or so. For my part, two years ago I did a thorough flush of my 1991 Civic's (159k miles) cooling system (containing green Prestone at the time) and then used the orange Havoline Dex (properly diluted). It's supposed to be friendly to Hondas. All's well after 25k miles and two years. This past summer I changed out the thermostat and cleaned the EAC valve and so had a chance to look at some of the coolant that had been in there all this time. What came out looked mighty clean. The Havoline container says it's supposed to last five years/150k miles, but I'll probably change it out at three years, to play it safe. I have had a premature water pump failure (or two?). At the time I was using ordinary green Prestone. OTOH, at this point in my DIYer career, I can deal with a failed water pump on my own. "Abeness" > wrote > Is there a commonly available antifreeze that's sufficiently > aluminum-engine-friendly for a 94 Civic, or is genuine Honda antifreeze > the only way to go? |
#5
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Thanks, guys. I'm not one to insist on OEM stuff unless there's an
essential reason to do so (as I understand there is with the power steering fluid)--particularly if there's a major brand that makes antifreeze safe for aluminum. |
#6
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Abeness wrote:
> Is there a commonly available antifreeze that's sufficiently > aluminum-engine-friendly for a 94 Civic, or is genuine Honda antifreeze > the only way to go? i go with the orange prestone dexcool in all my japanese engines. never a problem with anything. mix 50/50 with distilled water, and youre good to go. tends to drop the temp a notch or two, also. silicate and phosphate free is whats needed. you want to AVOID the regular green crap. bad, bad, stuff. ive noticed a few other brands out there that now say theyre "compatible" with all coolants, etc. never tried em, so i cant say. |
#7
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Kenneth J. Harris wrote:
> If you go to this site--http://www.prestone.com/ and then to antfreeze, > Prestone says that its "New PrestoneŽ All Makes All Models Extended Life > Antifreeze/Coolant" is suitable for all cars. Here's some other info > from the site-- > Q: Does PrestoneŽ Antifreeze/Coolant contain phosphates? > A: Some European automobile manufacturers request that a phosphate-free > antifreeze be used in their vehicles. This issue is related to the > extremely high mineral content of the water in Europe. they dont use distilled water in europe? >If you were to > mix an antifreeze that contained phosphates with the type of water they > have in Europe, it may produce deposits that can settle in the cooling > system and promote corrosion. However, in North America we do not have > this type of water problem. Typical North American coolants have > contained phosphates (which is part of the corrosion inhibitor package) > for many years. Therefore, the question of phosphates is a non-issue > here in North America. PrestoneŽ Antifreeze/Coolant is completely safe > for use in both foreign and domestic vehicles. no mention of silicates... > For those consumers who would feel more comfortable using a > phosphate-free antifreeze, our PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 > Antifreeze/Coolant is phosphate, silicate, and borate free. yess.... this is the **** i use! This coolant > uses a special chemistry and technology that extends the life of the > corrosion inhibitor package so that it lasts for five years or 150,000 > miles (whichever comes first), and is safe for all cars and light trucks > (old or new). PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant has been > approved by General Motors under their DEX-COOLŽ specifications and is > compatible with other DEX-COOLŽ approved coolants. > PrestoneŽ Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant meets or exceeds > the following industry standards and specifications: > > GM 6277M > Ford WSS-M97B44-D > > When tested in ASTM D 1384, D 4340, D 2570, and D 2809, PrestoneŽ > Extended Life 5/150 Antifreeze/Coolant will meet the chemical, physical > property characteristics and performance requirements of the following > standards and specifications: > > GM 1825M > GM 1899 > Ford WSE-M97B44-A > Ford ESE-M97B44-B > DaimlerChrysler MS 7170 and MS 9769 > General Services Administration A-A-52624 > ASTM D 3306 > SAE J 1034 > ASTM D 4985 |
#8
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Caroline wrote:
> This is one of those controversial topics here. > > If you have no time to fool with possible car breakdowns, pay the ten extra > bucks or so and use OEM anti-freeze always. It's only once every two years or > so. > > For my part, two years ago I did a thorough flush of my 1991 Civic's (159k > miles) cooling system (containing green Prestone at the time) and then used the > orange Havoline Dex (properly diluted). It's supposed to be friendly to Hondas. > All's well after 25k miles and two years. This past summer I changed out the > thermostat and cleaned the EAC valve and so had a chance to look at some of the > coolant that had been in there all this time. What came out looked mighty clean. same here. i was pretty impressed how new the radiator core looked. course, i used the orange prestone, but i think its pretty much the same. > > The Havoline container says it's supposed to last five years/150k miles, but > I'll probably change it out at three years, to play it safe. thats whats called for- 3 years. just did mine again earlier this year. the old stuff was completely clean, so i felt no need to "flush", or anything. just drain, refill, run the engine with the heater on, and top off. the temp gauge went down a fraction from the halfway mark, too. > > I have had a premature water pump failure (or two?). At the time I was using > ordinary green Prestone. bad, bad stuff! > > OTOH, at this point in my DIYer career, I can deal with a failed water pump on > my own. yeah, but when it leads to a timing belt/head/valve job...? LOL. |
#9
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Abeness wrote:
> Thanks, guys. I'm not one to insist on OEM stuff unless there's an > essential reason to do so (as I understand there is with the power > steering fluid)--particularly if there's a major brand that makes > antifreeze safe for aluminum. the prestone 5/150 comes in a silver jug, and runs about $10. its not the cheapest stuff out there, but it works. |
#10
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SoCalMike wrote:
> mix 50/50 with distilled water Ahh, makes perfect sense to use distilled, thanks. Hadn't occurred to me. Now if I could only figure out this clutch slave cylinder grease thing... |
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