Some people go with the blue stuff from VW. If they made it and spec it
for the engine how can you go wrong? Right? Well, don'no, but the
premise is good. I use the range stuff in my 88 WBX. Put it in after a
rebuild. Absolutely must change it and flush every two years. The
composition changes as it ages - Texaco Haveline Dex-Cool is the brand
name. No phosphate issues, and bio-degradable - BUT, like I said - drain
and flush every two years or there is trouble.

I use to run the green stuff in my 85 WBX. 115,000 miles without any
trouble. That was in it when I bought the van  used, and that is what
was in it when it was sold. Never had a lick of cooling trouble.

So who knows. But I reccommend the newer non-phosphate coolants.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

populuxe wrote:

>simple question:
>what type of coolant should be in my van?
>
>now it becomes not so simple.
>if it should be the orange(dex-cool type), what was in use before this?
>
>have 90 vanagon mv for 9 months.
>has the green gatorade stuff for coolant.
>stopped at the vw dealer to get whatever that stuff is--because the van
>has been serviced there since day-one.
>shop guy says: just use prestone(he's been there for long time and knows
>vanagons.
> (shock)  i say:  what about the phosphate issue?
>shop guy:  it's been reformulated since '93. that's what larry(p.o.) has
>had in it and type we've used for the last 12 years.
>me: da
>
>i have been researching.
>don't know if the info out there is up to date.
>prestone has a website. it's interesting.
>have read the threads on westfalia.org
>
>i would like to know what the flavor of the week is.
>if there's been green stuff in my van for 12 years and it's got 145k on
>it, what does this mean?
>i did have some dreaded dripping month ago. has gone away(bar's leak
>@$2.59).
>
>thank you in advance,
>chris c
>
>
>