I took a coolant sample to test with the Fleetguard test strips. It is red, which is different than the extended life coolant I had in my previous SOB; it was a yellowish green.
Can you tell me what the red stuff is and can or should I test it with these strips?
Thanks.
Color is not a consistent indicator of coolant chemistry among different coolant manufacturers.
If you don't have records of what is in there or its age, best advice is to change it and KNOW your engine and cylinder liners are protected.
Brett Wolfe
The Shell Rotella ELC (extended life) in my rig is red. Rotella ELC is approved for use by Cummins and is the ELC I use, since it is usually available at truck stops and truck parts stores. The Cummins test strips will test for SCA levels in any of the approved ELCs.
There are different technologies in the various brands that call themselves ELC, and the several engine manufacturers are specific in what they recommend, so I only use Rotella ELC, Texaco ELC, and (if I can find it) Fleetguard ES in my engine. Prestone and others that you may find in your local supply store claim to be compatible with all ELC types, but will likely not be compatible with the Cummins spec. The article below mentions that Cummins revised their standard in 2005.
The following Cummins bulletin has more than you ever wanted to know about coolant technology and Cummins requirements:
http://www.cummins.dk/fileadmin/dokumenter/Bulletins_Litteratur/Cummins__Coolant_Requirements_and_Maintenance.htm (http://www.cummins.dk/fileadmin/dokumenter/Bulletins_Litteratur/Cummins__Coolant_Requirements_and_Maintenance.htm)
Agree with Brett! Best to get a clean start and maintain from there.
This is what my 2003 came with.
Texaco Havoline Extended Life Coolant
There was a sticker on the coolant overflow indicating it.
It is the same thing in my generator & Aquahot coolant.
And, even if it is an ELC coolant, if it is the original coolant, it is past time to change it.
Compared with the cost of an engine or radiator, coolant change is cheap.
Brett Wolfe
Thank you all,
Do I need to do anything special to change coolant? I found the drain petcock below the radiator, are there others? Does the engine need to be at operating temp? Should I flush with plain water?
Dick,
Here is the procedure I use. The job is reasonably time consuming TO DO RIGHT, but low-tech.
First step is to determine your total cooling system capacity. Then buy enough coolant (concentrate, not pre-dilute) to make up 50% of that volume. Also purchase 1.5 times system capacity of distilled water for a final flush plus final fill (50%).
Turn dash heater to full hot for the rest of the procedure—fan off. With the engine cold or at least cool, drain coolant. On some, there is a drain cock. On others, pull the lower radiator hose. Two Rubbermade 10 gallon storage bin lined with black trash sacks so they don't get dirty work well. At the end of the whole process, use a coffee can and funnel to pour old coolant into new coolant/water containers for recycling. Our city maintenance shop recycles coolant for free.
Refill cooling system with tap water. IMPORTANT: Be sure to remove any air lock from the thermostat housing. Some systems have a hose set up for this—on ours I just loosen the coolant line to the air pump and bleed the air out. Allow engine to warm up (using the cruise control to select idle speed of 1,000-1,100 speeds this up). Run for about 10 minutes at regular temp. If the temp gauge does not rise as normal, you likely have an air block and need to bleed the thermostat housing. Allow engine to cool 20-30 minutes and drain again. Repeat until the effluent color is clear.
At this point, if you are not changing coolant brands/types, skip right to "Last rinse". For older systems or when switching types of coolant, add a Cooling System Cleaner. Follow the directions. Run, allow engine to cool, drain and again flush until effluent is clear. The flushing is markedly sped up by pulling off the heater hose (usually 5/8" to ¾" lines) going to dash heater/motor-aid water heater, etc from the water pump. Put a hose nozzle in the hose and let it run until it comes out clear. Run the engine to temperature at least once with tap water.
If your hoses are over 3-4 years old, this is a good time to change them as well (before last rinse). Same for thermostat(s).
Last Rinse is with distilled water. At $.62/gal at Walmart, it is silly to skip this step and leave your system full of high-mineral content water (there will be several gallons of residual water that you can not easily remove). Run engine for 10 minutes after getting to operating temperature. Cool and drain. Also drain and flush your coolant overflow container and refill with new coolant/distilled water.
Add the proper amount of Coolant CONCENTRATE (NOT PRE-DILUTE) to make 50% of cooling system capacity. So for a cooling system with 20 gallons capacity, add 10 gallons of Coolant CONCENTRATE (plus 1/2 overflow container capacity). Top off with distilled water to achieve your 50/50 mixture—it doesn't matter if you only have to add 1 gallon or 10 of distilled water, you KNOW you have the proper 50/50 mixture.
This is also a good time to clean the OUTSIDE of the radiator/after-cooler. On side radiators, most debris is on the outside of the after-cooler (side of coach). If it is just dirt, a hose and regular nozzle is all you need. If greasy or oily, use Joy liquid (dish washing detergent) in a spray bottle. Be SURE to rinse it off completely.
Check belts while you are in there.
Brett,
Thank you. I will get started on this. I have labels like Barry stating I have Shell Rotella . The label also states "Do not add conventional coolants or SCAs". If I use a coolant filter containing SCA chemical, is that a "conventional" SCA and not compatible with Rotella?
Also in the photo below, is one of the two smaller hoses what I should loosen to bleed the air out?
Thanks.
Coolant Filter in our 2003 is a Fleetguard WF2077
When at the factory they replaced mine with Shell Rotella, but I was unable to find any additional anywhere to carry with me.
James T said I could use/add Delo Extended Life Anti Freeze
Barry is correct.
Both he and I (and anyone else using ELC coolant) use the same filter-- it is a water filter with ZERO SCA.
I also affix a magnet to the bottom of the filter. Don't now if it is doing anything or not, but will certainly catch any ferrous metal particles that happen through the filter. For less than a dollar I do it.
Brett
At least last spring, Inland Truck Parts in Denton, TX carried it, that's where we got our "carry with" jug of it. Not sure that it's the best price, though. IIRC both Steve and I had the guys double check the pricing since it seemed high.
Michelle
If anyone is going through Fredericksburg, Texas Kino Oil carries Rotella Concentrate ELC for $15.78 a gallon. They were about the cheapest I could find around Central Texas.
Brad
2000 U320 4000
In addition to the good advise everyone else has said; the coolant you purchase should say on the container that it is approved for use in your engine. I made the mistake of buying the wrong stuff (Prestone) as a new owner. I have the Cummins C8.3L engine and it takes about 13 gal of coolant. I did manage to sell the like new wrong stuff on Craigslist for $20 to a guy who was going to put it in his leaking Peterbuilt dump truck. The type of coolant filter(contains SCA or no SCA) depends on the type of coolant. I'm using Zerex ELC approved by Cummins and it is red.
For those using Shell Rotella ELC, here is an interesting article.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=71513&news_category_id=45 (http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=71513&news_category_id=45)
Dick,
Have you read the Cummins material Dave cited? Note that Cummins only recommends coolant replacement if its replacement limits have been exceeded. You may only need the addition of extender and a filter change. Have you asked a Cummins facility to test your coolant? I recommend this to everyone, and ask them to give you a lesson in coolant testing. You must have the correct test strips for your coolant. You must check your coolant every six months. You must change your filter at the correct time interval with the correct filter. Diesel engine coolant design is really advanced chemistry.
I switched out to the Fleetguard ELC as I can find it at all the Cummins dealers. Very easy and I get a 20 percent discount for the power club.
I used Final Charge ELC. Easy enough to get at your local O'Reilly's. Not all carry it, but I called my local store and they had 20 gallons for me in less than a day.
Final Charge Antifreeze - Heavy Duty Links (http://www.finalcharge.com/program_overview.html)