fluid replaced every 2 years? some say yes some no, manuel service records say is is to be done, imo i reckon it does, but some people are too miserable to get these things done, let alone if working in harsh working conditions.
intrade,
May 19, 5:32am
depends it needs correct testing every 24 month some coolent is longer then 24 month fluid , like i got black coolant in my toyota and it mesures 42° below zero with the refractometer so i wont be dumping that coolant .
kazbanz,
May 19, 5:34am
In japan the fluids are changed regularly.It seems in NZ that's not required.
intrade,
May 19, 5:35am
brake fluid i dont know about the synthetic dot 5 but i can warn you not to mix brake fluids if you have a brand new car dot 5 is not to be mixed with older dot3 OR DOT 4
franc123,
May 19, 5:40am
Not aways, brake fluid is generally done every 2 years or 40k whichever occurs first but coolant can be all over the place, it generally varies between 3, 6 or 10 years depending on what vehicle and what is supposed to be in it.
thejazzpianoma,
May 19, 5:50am
I may be incorrect on this but I seem to remember reading that refractometers can be a bit dangerous for gauging coolant life. They are great for measuring the concentration of glycol, but the glycol only provides the "antifreeze/antiboil"- ; properties of the coolant. It's the other additives that provide the corrosion protection which is they key concern here in NZ. It's also these corrosion inhibitors that tend to be the most prone to breaking down with age/use.
That's my understanding anyhow. I am no coolant expert so if anyone has more info feel free to jump in.
As for life span OP. Depends on the type of coolant. The green stuff is generally 2-3 years and the red can be closer to 5. That information is probably a big "general" but since you are talking about a "standard vehicle" it's probably running one or the other. Mercedes for example have a container of crystals in many models which extend the coolant life by keeping the corrosion inhibitors fresh, so their coolant can be good for a decade.
Also, agreed on 2 years for brake fluid. It's hygroscopic so absorbs moisture and almost always has a significant moisture content by 2 years old even if the car has not been driven. It's cheap insurance having it done, both against expensive repairs from expensive brake system parts and also on your life.
thejazzpianoma,
May 19, 5:53am
Just because the government doesn't force you to do something doesn't mean it's "not required".
reeb,
May 19, 6:06am
value for money i reckon, to the damage that can be done. eliminate the risk,.especially engine coolant.
thejazzpianoma,
May 19, 6:16am
I don't know how true it was but one of the coolant companies reckoned that damage from lack of coolant changes resulted in something like 23% of the cost of all mechanical repairs. Obviously they were biased but given the cost of head gasket replacements, cooked engines, radiators etc I guess it's plausible.
reb53,
May 19, 6:31am
When i was young and stupid never used to change the brake fluid in the Lotus. Until the pedal went to the floor, brakes came back next corner but certainly concentrated the mind.
kazbanz,
May 20, 8:53pm
You dish out sarcasm with a broad spatula but can't handle it when someone else uses it ? REALLY
thunderbolt,
May 20, 9:22pm
Would these be the same coolant companies that advertise their top up products are suitable to be added to all variations of anti freeze in the market?
sr2,
May 20, 10:32pm
Most modern brake fluids could be described as "synthetic", it's well over half a century since brake fluid was made from a mix of vegetable oil and alcohol. Dot 3, 4 or 5.1 can be mixed as they are glycol based (hence the hygroscopicity) whereas Dot 5 is Silicone based. Correct me if I'm wrong (been out of the industry for a while) but Silicone based fluids are still the exception to the norm even on new cars. Most common usage is in vehicles that have little day to day use (eg classics) or in environments where there is a high risk of moisture absorption. When first on the market silicone fluid was considered to be ideal for high temp applications but many modern non silicone fluids now have higher temperature ratings. I vaguely remember silicone being problematic with some ABS systems that were designed to use 5.1, best advice as always is to stick to the manufactures recommendation.
scuba,
May 21, 12:13am
it's the corrosion inhibitor that has a limited lifespan not the anti-freeze. so in theory you can just add more corrosion inhibitor rather than change the coolant and it would have the same effect.
scuba,
May 21, 12:24am
Place i worked ran silicone brake/ clutch fluid in all the classic rebuilds we did- BNT rep said some customers claimed moisture would pool in the cylinders and eventually cause damage so need to have bleed program in place rather than total fluid replacement but we had very few problems with the product. Those on ordinary fluid we would replace fluid every 2 years.
thejazzpianoma,
Jan 20, 5:11pm
Not just theory either, you can actually buy such a product, at least in the states anyway.
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