[Jeff]

Bill, The beauty of owning our own buses means we can decide how and when to do maintenance. The coolant intervals are based on what Detroit or the coolant manufacturer says. You do what you want.

That applies also to transmission fluid changes, oil changes, tires, batteries, wiper blades, and everything else that is a service item.

I have been anal about coolant, engine oil and transmission fluid changes because the engine and transmission are 2 big ticket items and I do not want to risk problems.

About 8 years ago I heard a story I have never been able to verify of an owner that never changed his coolant for the 10 or 12 years he owned the coach. He had 42,000 miles on it when the engine failed due to cavitation of the cylinder liners. The story may have been BS, but cavitation is real and your can look it up on-line.

[Ronald]

FulltimeBill asked:

Do coolant changes need to take place every 2 years?

Probably not, but you need to test it annually to see how it’s chemistry is holding up. See the link I previously provide in this thread.

Most people use test strips. I don’t trust them because I’ve had them “fail” new coolant fresh out of the jug.

I take a sample and send it to a lab for analysis. I sent you via email my last 5 lab results. And I always post my lab results here when I get them.

[Archived]

Don, et al,

I looked the the Detroit Diesel table. Where do find coolant for DD 8V92? I apologize but I did not find it.

R

[DON]

I wouldn’t do anything except change coolant every 2 or 6 years for the exact reason Don outlined.

Test strips can give false reading and the correct chemistry is so complex they cannot measure all needed chemical elements.

But I only worry about my bus.

[DON]

Ron, the current DDC spec for coolant is DFS 93K217. The previous spec was 7SE298. The preferred coolant for the 92 series according to DDC spec 7SE298 is conventional 2 yr standard life coolant(SLC). See page 6 and footnote #1 of the link I’m providing here: LINK

DDC markets a conventional coolant called “Power Cool”, not to be confused with their extended life coolant called “Power Cool Plus”. There are probably other brand coolants that meet the 7SE298 DDC spec?