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Thread: Coolant

  1. #51
    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    That is very poor advice.

    If you want to buy a Prestone coolant, I would recommend buying one that is HOAT coolant! Who knows, maybe you have that?

    There are different coolants on the market for a reason. I have no reason to believe the blue stuff in our cars is crap. It's a HOAT coolant, & they are superior to the green stuff you are suggesting.

    If you are not willing to learn about what new products are on the market, buying OEM is the best alternative. I will not argue that.
    Dropping by the dealership for a gallon of coolant is poor advice? He admitted to not knowing much about cars so I suggested the simplest solution. He doesn't even have to read the container if he goes to the dealership!



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    Quote Originally Posted by stevedmc View Post
    The same reason we have so many brands of gasoline and oil. Everyone is busy bragging about what makes there's better than everyone else's.
    We are not talking about gasoline, engine oil, or transmission oil. I agree the market is flooded with products, & it is hard to sort out what is best.

    I don't want to beat a dead horse here. You may not have any issues with using a inorganic coolant (original green stuff) like you are suggesting as long as you change it out every 2-3 years. When that product breaks down, it becomes corrosive to engines. This is why organic acid (OAT) coolants were created. They are less corrosive to engines (which have more aluminum in them these days). HOAT (hybrid organic acid) coolants are even better, and Mitsubishi is using/recommending a HOAT coolant for our cars.

    I don't see the need to flush out the system and start using an inferior products that needs to be changed more frequently. I also don't see the need to buy OEM coolant when aftermarket HOAT coolant products are available in stores like Walmart & AutoZone.

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    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    I don't see the need to flush out the system and start using an inferior products that needs to be changed more frequently.
    It takes about ten minutes to drain and refill coolant in these cars. In those ten minutes, I get an idea of the condition of my engine based on the color of the old coolant.

    Change your coolant every five to seven years and you won't find out you have a bad heater core until its too late. I for one would rather invest ten minutes of my time every two years than ever have to deal with changing a heater core!

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    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    We are not talking about gasoline, engine oil, or transmission oil. I agree the market is flooded with products, & it is hard to sort out what is best.
    We are talking about coolant, which happens to be a fluid with a specific recommendation by Mitsubishi. Fluids such as engine oil, transmission oil, and brake fluid have the same silly recommendations as well.

    Read a Honda owners manual and it is going to say the vehicle performs best with Honda fluids. Read a Toyota owners manual and it will say the same thing. The same goes for Mitsubishi and everyone else.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stevedmc View Post
    Dropping by the dealership for a gallon of coolant is poor advice? He admitted to not knowing much about cars so I suggested the simplest solution. He doesn't even have to read the container if he goes to the dealership!
    I've done a quite bit of research on this, & I am trying to be helpful here. If that came across as an attack on you, I apologize for that.

    HOAT (hybrid organic acid technology) coolants are used/recommended for our cars. Some may call it the "blue crap", but HOAT coolants are made for today's engines. It's not an inferior product to IAT (inorganic acid technology) coolants or OAT (organic acid technology) coolants. HOAT coolants are considered a superior product.

    Just for the record - I have been reading the containers. I wanted a better understanding of the different coolant types. I can walk into Walmart or any auto store, & buy the proper coolant for our Mirage.

    Everyone can do their own research and come up with their own conclusions, but even companies like Prestone are making HOAT products now.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone-...cles/783828828
    Last edited by Mark; 08-17-2019 at 10:59 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stevedmc View Post
    It takes about ten minutes to drain and refill coolant in these cars. In those ten minutes, I get an idea of the condition of my engine based on the color of the old coolant.

    Change your coolant every five to seven years and you won't find out you have a bad heater core until its too late. I for one would rather invest ten minutes of my time every two years than ever have to deal with changing a heater core!
    Everyone can change their coolant every 2-3 years. If you are using an IAT coolant, you will definitely want to do that, because it is an inferior product that breaks down over time. When it breaks down, it becomes corrosive to engines. That's why we had to change coolant every couple years in the past.

    You can use a better product like HOAT coolant that doesn't break down/cause corrosion & still change it every few years. The cost isn't that different any more.

    For all I know you may be using a Prestone HOAT coolant product?

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    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    Thanks guys! The forum really should be featured by Mitsubishi as an added bonus to owning a Mirage. You guys are that good! Really doubt the Chevy Spark has a support group as thorough as this one.

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    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    Everyone can change their coolant every 2-3 years. If you are using an IAT coolant, you will definitely want to do that, because it is an inferior product that breaks down over time. When it breaks down, it becomes corrosive to engines. That's why we had to change coolant every couple years in the past.

    You can use a better product like HOAT coolant that doesn't break down/cause corrosion & still change it every few years. The cost isn't that different any more.

    For all I know you may be using a Prestone HOAT coolant product?
    I'm using the green Prestone coolant that is advertised as being compatible with everything and being mixable with everything. For me it all boils down to convenience. I don't want to have to spend time reading labels to find something 100% identical to the oem blue crap. I am able to drive my car knowing that should I ever have a coolant failure, I can top it off with a readily available product.

    I've seen a similar argument in the Delorean community when it comes to refridgerant. There is a handful of purists who insist on using R12 because, according to the specifications, it blows 10% colder than r134a.

    The problem is, R12 is not readily available these days. I am licensed to handle/purchase R12 but I prefer that my cars run on r134a. It works just as good and when I last adjusted my low pressure switch, I actually saw the vent temps drop below 32 degrees! I had to dial it up to 40 degrees just so I would have to worry about the evaporator freezing over.

    My point is, just because something is better, it doesn't mean it is the best solution. If you are driving a car with the better R12 refrigerant and have to top it off a few hundred miles from home, you are going to have a hard time finding R12 unless you happen to have a can with you. With r134a, I can even pickup a can at Dollar General! It works just as good and is sooooo much more convenient.

    The reasons for using a readily available coolant is just the same as my reasons for running all of my cars on r134a. Prestone's green coolant is readily available and should I have to top off the coolant, I can buy it at any gas station. I've had to top off cooling systems hundreds of miles away from home before, and I don't doubt it will happen again in my lifetime.

    And yes, I carry a gallon of coolant with me on all long road trips. When the Delorean started overheating in Missouri, I topped off the coolant using the gallon I had on hand and purchased a fresh new bottle at the nearest truck stop. I didn't have to go searching for a specific brand. They had what I was already using and it was in stock.

    Incidentally, my issue in the Delorean ended up being due to a leaking water pump. I simply topped the coolant off every time I stopped for gas and made it home without any other issues. No tow truck required.

    When things go wrong, I don't things to be anymore stressful than the have to be.

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    Senior Member stevedmc's Avatar
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    I suppose I should mention that the engine in the Delorean is a 1981 Volvo 760 2.8L PRV. Since it is a European engine, I suppose I shouldn't be using the green Prestone coolant in it as well.

    Would someone please school me and tell me what the correct coolant is for a 1981 Volvo? I'd hate to void my warranty.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stevedmc View Post
    I suppose I should mention that the engine in the Delorean is a 1981 Volvo 760 2.8L PRV. Since it is a European engine, I suppose I shouldn't be using the green Prestone coolant in it as well.

    Would someone please school me and tell me what the correct coolant is for a 1981 Volvo? I'd hate to void my warranty.
    Answering your question is quite easy. By the way - you must have one heck of a warranty!!!!

    "Up until the mid-1990s, there was essentially one type of coolant in general use: the traditional “green” formula coolant. This type of coolant contains fast-acting but relatively short-lived corrosion inhibitors that last about two to three years, or 24,000 to 36,000 miles. Green formula coolant is still available for older vehicles, but is not recommended for newer vehicles that came factory-filled with a long-life coolant.

    Long-life coolants use various Organic Acid Technology (OAT) additives to achieve a service life of up to 5 years or longer, or 150,000 miles. Some aftermarket long life coolants even claim “lifetime” protection (for the original vehicle owner).
    "

    I took this quote from "A History of Automotive Coolant".
    https://www.knowyourparts.com/techni...tive-coolants/

    Any engine built in 1981 would use the green coolant, because nothing else existed back then.
    A person could flush out the green coolant and use a newer type. Adding the newer types of coolants to older engines seems more acceptable than adding an older type of coolant to newer vehicles/engines. I don't tear engines apart for a living. I have just explored the reasons for the changes in coolant types.

    Steve - your Mirage is doing extremely well on -
    * 5W-30 conventional oil changed every 5,000 miles
    * more common sized 175/65r14 tires
    * green coolant

    You maintain your car nicely, & it has served you quite well. It's an inspiration to guys like me, who are way behind you in the mileage department. Personally, I have used some things you have shared to develop my own approach to maintaining my own Mirage. I appreciate everything you share!



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