Have you ever seen the inside of an aluminum water pump that was not adequately protected by the corrosion inhibitors in the coolant? Or a radiator or heater core that failed from the inside out because of internal corrosion? These kinds of parts failures are all too common. Yet they can be easily prevented by using the “right” coolant and changing the coolant before trouble starts to heat up.

All types of antifreeze contain corrosion-inhibiting chemicals to protect bare metal surfaces from electrolytic attack. Though automakers disagree on which chemical additives work best in their vehicles, essentially any kind of antifreeze will work in any vehicle. But how well will it protect the cooling system? And for how long? And will it void the OEM warranty? These are important questions that need to be answered before choosing an antifreeze for a particular vehicle application?

Of course, always refer to the repair manual before performing coolant service or even topping off your customers’ vehicles. But that information isn’t always readily available.

Creating Confusion
What makes choosing the right coolant so confusing today is that the automakers themselves can’t agree on what type of coolant chemistry is best for their vehicles. Some vehicle manufacturers prefer one type of corrosion inhibitors in their coolants, while other vehicle manufacturers may insist on a different type. The fact is, all typ...