Coolant (antifreeze) is often the most neglected fluid in most vehicles with more than more than 2/3 of cooling system repair jobs being performed on an emergency basis. When looking at your coolant, you may think that more analysis is better to get an understanding of coolant condition. Certainly, you can throw every test at it from pH, and physical appearance to ICP and High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). However, it is possible to have a world class routine coolant program without spending a ton of money and having to look at massive reports.
Why test Coolant?
Let’s start with why coolant testing is important. First is verifying if the coolant is suitable for continued use or if you need to drain, flush and refill. Second, is checking for component failure within the coolant system like a blown head gasket or pump. Finally, the third reason is to investigate component life extension.
Common Actions
Based on the results of testing, the most common actions performed are:
- Resampling to confirm results – you may want to do this if your results show an anomaly when trended over time. For example, the latest results show significant contamination in the sample which could have been due to improper sampling procedure (dirt falling into sample container).
- Drain and refill – For example, the coolant has aged out and is slightly out of spec (pH too low or too high or conductivity is off).
- Drain, flush and refill – this may be required if your results show precipitate, bad odour, or contamination. For example, if the coolant compartment is heavily contaminated or you are switching to a new type of coolant, a drain, flush and refill would be recommended.
- Doing nothing – the results show that the coolant is still in suitable condition.
- Troubleshooting – this would only be done to investigate a specific coolant system issue and wouldn’t be a part of routine analysis.
KISS Approach to Coolant Analysis
Customers often come to us because they’re concerned about high coolant alkalinity destroying their seals and pumps or mixing of coolants. More testing is not going to solve these issues. Instead, we recommend a “keep it super simple” (KISS) approach – implement a consistent regular coolant testing regimen, with easy-to-understand actions, and be good at it.
The recommended tests in a such a program include:
- Alkalinity: pH has this covered. Knowing the concentration and types of acids present in the coolant WILL NOT by itself tell you the reaction or corrosion potential. Coolant chemistry is complex and relates to many factors including temperature, water content and the whole mixture of additives and contaminations in the coolant. If the pH is too high or too low will lead to CHEMICAL ACTIVITY which is what causes corrosion of various materials. pH tells you if you need to take action. For example:
- If the pH is <7, it is too acidic. This may corrode the cylinder liner, cylinder block and pump components. This is often caused by exhaust gas entry or localized heating, block heater settings, stray current, or incorrect coolant concentration. In this case, a drain, flush and refill would be in order.
- If pH<5 this is more serious. In this case, check and inspect gaskets, seals, liners, etc. Combustion gases are likely entering the cooling system, destroying the coolant.
- If the pH is >10.5-11, it is too alkaline. Drain, flush and refill then re-check for precipitate in a follow up sample.
- Color and Cloudiness: This test can indicate insoluble coolant additives and mixtures of coolants. You will see what looks like soap scum or white/grey floaties. If there is oil in the coolant that is an urgent issue.
- Conductivity: Confirms the correct concentration (mixture) of glycol and water. This affects the freeze and boiling point.
The bottom line, unless there’s a serious issue that requires more extensive testing (i.e. troubleshooting), basic coolant analysis can provide the data you need to make informed maintenance decisions. By performing basic coolant analysis (pH, conductivity, appearance), sampling often and correctly, and having a solid understanding of the actions that can be taken based on the results, you can reduce costs and improve coolant system uptime.
If you do need to troubleshoot an issue, you could take the kitchen-sink approach and do every test possible or simply contact Fluid Life to determine what the best test options are for your specific situation.
Let’s talk coolant analysis. Contact us today to implement a routing program.