Club 80-90 Forums

With the need to refill my van and with VW antifreeze so expensive ( I am a pensioner) I googled for an antifreeze chart to see what dilution I needed to be above the minus 6 centigrade we southern softies normally do not get below. The official recommendation is 50/50 but this will save you from temperatures below that at which Diesel freezes at and we are hardly above the Arctic Circle. The only charts I could find gave amounts in Quarts and temperatures in Fahrenheit and I couldn't be fagged to do the conversion to cubic centimetres and Centigrade. Neither has been taught in schools for about 30 years and when I worked in a school ( not as a teacher) I met kids who had no idea whatsoever what a gallon, yard or a mile was like. Newspapers don't help by printing headlines like Phew ,what a scorcher, 95 deg in the shade etc.,

its not just the freeze piont which is why we use 50/50 its the anti corrosion properties just put 50/50 in it it aint expensive!!!!! oh and it will get alot below -6 when the you have a head wind and driving at 60mph!

Temperature conversion - try this: -
http://www.allmeasures.com/temperature.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
For volume - try: -
http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Other conversion websites are available

Eh !

With the need to refill my van and with VW antifreeze so expensive

Why use VW antifreeze ?

we have been trying to promote the use of cheaper alternatives all day long it is simply a matter of finding an aftermarket supplier.

Even those of us who fix our own vehicles quite often have to bite the bullet and but such essential items as Antifreeze/.....

Regards


Fritz,,,,,,,,

Good point about corrosion protection although I am not sure about 30,40 or 50 percent making any relative difference. Also surely temperature is absolute and what is being referred to is wind chill factor which is a feature of mammalian skin perception and for evaporative surfaces. Checked Halfords tonight and their only 5 litres of antifreeze concentrate was £20.00 per 5 litres and I shall need about 9 litres of it at 50%. £40 not cheap. will be checking out availability and price of VW G11 and G12 at motor factors tomorrow before deciding on wich path to go down. Van is 25 years old so cheaper may be just as well. Way things are going I shall also end up putting in Asda engine oil at £6.00 per 4.5 litres

At work I have 2 barrels.
One is large, one is small.
One is Normal cheap antifreeze, one is VW G12+
I use much more blue, and change it regularly.
For the cost of G12+ and the amount the WBX engines leak I honestly don't think it's worth putting G12+ in.
If you use cheap antifreeze (well, cheap in comparison to G12+) then just change it every 2 years.

Put what you want in a Diesel, it's not bothered.

If you put G12+ in, or any other brand of phsphate free coolant in your WBX (Comma do a decent alternative as do many other people) then it won't be long before it's all over the floor as the head gaskets leak or the thermostat housing is cracked then you have just wasted a load of money.

Just my opinion, not always right.

Simon Baxter wrote:
Just my opinion, not always right.

it's one of the rightest ones we see on here si

now then wots this coolant stuff you all speak of can't remember ever changing it in mine
i tend to stick with 50/50,, 50% air and 50% more air

Rozzo wrote: now then wots this coolant stuff you all speak of can't remember ever changing it in mine

It's the heat liquid .... you know the stuff that lets US see through the windows

Ian.

thought you had 50% air 50% smoke in t yours rozzo.......

17l about total system, 50% of that is 8.5 l
i use a gallon of comma stuff 4.54l which is nearas 25% as dont bother me.

gallon of comma equiv spec antinfreeze is less than a litre of g12 , and does the same job

I asked for G11 at GSF and they sold me another Blue alternative at £16.00 inc. VAT per 5 litres. cf. Halfords at £20. It's going in now when I have drained the water I am using to test for leaks first. Thats good enough for me.I will not read this post again in case someone tells me I'm doing wrong. C'est la vie.

Just remember that the more antifreeze you put in the less efficient your cooling system becomes. And it isnt a negligable percentage especially if the vehicle is on the edge in the first place.
This link: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethyl ... d_146.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; tells all you need to know
Cheers
Wolfie