sam:

well, you are right, it isn't so simple, especially with all of those so-
called "compatible" products, and some additional colors. but
historically, for vanagon list purposes, i take it that the operative
items for ethylene glycol based anti-freeze are thus:

"orange"  implies phosphate free,  silicate free (or low), organic acid
type coolant. may require special water pump design to avoid cavitation
corrosion without silicates. example: dex-cool

"green" implies phosphates and silicates. example: NAPA anti-
freeze/coolant, which is low in silicates

"vw blue" implies phosphate free, organic acid(s) and silicates. example:
factory coolant for vanagon 1.9 l

dan

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 01:21:20 -0400, Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
wrote:

>Dan,
>
>Maybe I am showing my ignorance, but I have downloaded lots of materials
>from the list on coolants, both posts from the last few years and ones
>found in the archives, and read them.  I don't think that blue, green,
>and orange coolants are clearly known to most as distinct "actual
>chemical strategies."
>
>For example, some green coolant contains phosphates while some others
>don't.  I think the same is true for orange. VW coolant is blue, but
>there are other blue coolants, although I don't know if any of them have
>phosphates or are different or similar to VW coolant in their
>ingredients.  Of course, there could be other compositional differences.
>
>So, for the sake of those of us who aren't clear on this, what are the
>actual chemical strategies to which you are referring and which major
>coolants, of what color, represent these strategies?
>
>Sam
>
>Sam Walters
>Baltimore, MD
>
>89 Syncro GL
>85 Westy Weekender
>84 Vanagon, original owner, soon to be retired, just too many problems
>
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