![]() ![]() In recent years, cooling system maintenance has been complicated somewhat by the different types of coolant available. "So there are constantly challenges to keep the coolant in good condition."Ī mini-technical session will address the issue via a panel discussion at the TMC's fall meeting, Sept. So if you've got 100 trucks that each have a 12-gallon coolant capacity, you'll use about 600 gallons per year. Over the course of a year, he says, an average fleet will use about half its capacity of antifreeze. "Even the new trucks today will lose coolant," Goodheart explains. Before you know it, there's an expensive overhaul not covered by warranty. Maybe they buy the wrong antifreeze because it's cheaper. Many fleets, especially smaller ones, Goodheart says, will start out with a good cooling maintenance program, but as time goes by, they cut corners. At the 300,000-mile mark a chemical extender is required, and at the 600,000-mile mark the coolant needs to be discarded. If it's an extended-life coolant that does not appear to be contaminated with non-ELC product, and has not reached the 300,000 mile mark, it's good to go. If it's an extended-life coolant and the color indicates it's been mixed with conventional coolant, coolant would either need to be flushed and replaced or converted to conventional coolant through a supplemental cool ant additive precharge. If it's conventional coolant, use a test strip to determine the amount of nitrite additive, which is what protects the wet sleeve liners, and adjust as needed. Determine freeze point to make sure it's the proper water-to-coolant concentration and correct if needed. Look at clarity and general physical appearance. Look at the color, which helps determine the type of coolant. The RP goes into much more detail, but here are the basic steps: The proposed RP contains a glossary of terms, a list explaining the different coolant/antifreeze types, and the steps a technician should take to make sure coolant is still doing its job. The RP, several years in the making and currently in the process of being approved byTMC membership, got its start when the organizers of TMC's technician skills competition were looking for clarification on coolant issues, Goodheart says. But because it's preventable, it's probably not going to be covered under your engine warranty. If that happens, you're likely looking at an expensive in-frame overhaul. ![]()
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