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Engine coolant filter
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The chart Jon linked suggests you might want to very careful using green coolant. Only one meets Detroit’s requirements and green isn’t a Detroit offering. Also be careful that you have other systems using engine coolant that aren’t Detroit. They too have coolant requirements.
I use Detroit Power Cool Plus extended life with a NAPA blank filter cartridge. I also have Transyd in my transmission. If approved by the manufaturer I generally migrate to the improved fluids.
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Do you actually think Liberty puts the wrong coolant in their customers coaches? I don’t think so.
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There are green coolants that meet the Detroit spec. My point is to strongly point out that using color to determine the acceptability of coolant for our coaches is incorrect.
As the use of extended life coolants becomes more common the chart shows color cannot be relied upon to differentiate extended life from the still more common 2 year coolants.
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Tom, I certainly don’t think Liberty puts the wrong stuff in. Why would you ask? You may want the read my note again. Like Jon said, you can’t depend on the color. Look at the chart and you should see far more green coolants don’t meet Detroit’s specs than those that do.
If others aren’t using a Detroit shop for service, make sure you are are getting Detroit approved fluids.
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Gil,
That response was for Jon not you. In the future, I will identify you if I respond to any of your posts because it seems you wrongly interpret the meaning of some of my posts. May be my fault, but going forward it will be very clear.
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I have probably done about 8 to 10 coolant changes over the years. I hate doing it because it is time consuming, I know I never get all the old coolant out, and then “burping” it is critical because air can hide in all the nooks and crannies. But I do it because it is important, so I make certain the container is very specific in listing that it meets the DD spec.
I have had coolants of several colors. Up to 10 years ago it seemed I either used the Detroit Power Cool which is “fuscia” and to me it looks pink or red, or green coolant, usually a no-name brand I got cheap at Truck Pro or a local Pilot on sale.
Lately I have stuck with the Caterpillar EC-1 spec which meets the DD requirements and is a 6 year extended life or Power Cool. To me they look alike but the color chart previously posted shows one as red and one as fuscia. Give me a break. Am I alone or do the colors sound like they were picked by some interior decorator?
What is important today is that after a coolant change we label the radiator cap with a tag that states exactly what coolant was used because adding SCAs or the wrong coolant can convert 6 year extended life coolant into conventional 2 year coolant.
All I know is my next coolant change will be based on a color that is compatible with the color scheme and decor of my coach. Green will not work. But I think green goes well with Tom’s color scheme.
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I’m surprised that by now the EPA hasn’t mandated that all coolant be provided in “earth tones” in an effort to remind us of our responsibility to protect the earth from the evils of Diesel engine usage…
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Jon,
I think we’ve had this discussion before on CAT’s ELC. I would just caution against any 2-ethyl hexanoic acid based ELC, such as CATs, due to studies that showed it’s corrossive affects on some metals. Although approved by Detroit and used by what is likely the largest construction equipment manufacturer on the globe, my concern would be what it could do to the non-Detroit equipment, such as heat exchangers in the Webasto, hot water heater, and dash heat. At some point someone will figure out a formulation that is safe for all products, until then we just need to be careful. I will stick to Detroit’s formula, assuming it was what Prevost used in newer series 60 powered coaches.
Until someone really looks at the variety of coolant formulations available and their incompatibilities with some systems most would never suspect what’s available and what shouldn’t be used.
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Gil,
While I understand all our coaches have multiple devices that use engine coolant such as the Webasto system heat exchangers, the HW tank, the bay heaters, etc. I don’t have the degree of concern you do. That is why I did not hesitate to use EC-1 spec coolant.
Since it is Prevost that provides the initial coolant fill in coaches, and the converters top that fill off I suspect if the coolant meets the DD spec, that is what gets used. You can almost bet for an OAT coolant to meet the DD spec it went through extensive testing. With the abundance of various metals in an engine I suspect (but do not know) our non-Prevost coolant system devices do not have different metals or materials.
To be honest if I needed something to worry about it would be how fuel formulations are being screwed around with to satisfy so many different special interest groups. None of those folks jamming regulations down the throats of refiners give a damn about the impact of their regulations on engine life, fuel consumption, or the economy. To me that makes a choice of coolant a non-issue.
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Hey big Al, you got hosed! I used my super duper PC Napa card today and my filter was 17.56. Want me to buy an few and send to you?:)
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Waited nearly 2 weeks for that post…Trukman. Show me the savings with the NAPA PC card.
Its better posting the suggested MSRP on parts. Price varies across the U.S.
This NAPA program was put together for PC members….. It’s free. In most cases the PC – NAPA card offers hugh savings in your pocket book.
Another consideration using NAPA parts when we travel are over 6000 stores in North America.
NAPA recently completed the purchase of over 400 auto parts stores in Australia / New Zealand, two (2) years in the making early in the spring of 2013.
The NAPA card is the combined effort of Jon and Tom. My small part was the knowing who to talk to in order to get the powers at NAPA headquarters interested in the early days of PC.
NAPA appreciates your business.
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By the way, Detroit Diesel does not manufacture coolant. Peak is the company that makes and packages it for them, with the Detroit Diesel Power Cool label on it. Peak Fleet Charge is the same stuff. The Peak Final Charge is the same thing as Detroit Diesel Power Cool Plus. Wix # for non-chemical filter to use with Final Charge/Power Cool Plus/Cat EC-1 is 24070 (Napa Gold 4070).
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