Well, I did pay for it, and didn't skip any dinners, out or at home.  But is it really better than the phosphate-free Prestone?  When I bought it, the Prestone I found did not list on its label that it was phosphate-free.  Now it does, so I'll go with it next time unless I find definitive data supporting that the VW stuff is more benign.  After all, I change the stuff with the regularity recommended, and what VW said in the manual was "phosphate-free," not VW brand.  One of the few instances where a company actually defined the quality of appropriate antifreeze (my Honda and Toyota manuals both just say "authorized coolant," and recommend their own brands.   DMc

---- Karl Ploessl <karl.ploessl@gmail.com> wrote: 
> it sure is more expensive than other brands but how often do you ned
> to change it? Skip once going out for dinner and you have the
> difference in. And if it's the "best" why go through hoops and other
> things ...
> 
> On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 7:14 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> > ---- Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> >>
> >> On May 6, 2010, at 4:30 PM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Haven't seen any Peak phosphate free around hear.  All the Peak I
> >> > have found lists "corrosion inhibitors," and "proprietary
> >> > ingredients."  Now what the hell are those?  At $7/gallon for premix
> >> > one is paying $14/gallon for antifreeze,
> >>
> >>
> >> Last time I bought the blue stuff from a VW dealer it was $16/gallon
> >> uncut.
> >>
> > $28/gallon in February of this year, in OKC.  DMc
> >
> >> Mr. BZ-  7-8 years ago
> >>
> >> >
> >> > ---- Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> >> >> On May 6, 2010, at 3:17 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>> Scott, what do you use?  The Zerex and Prestone long life stuff
> >> >>> costs about $12/gallon hereabouts.  A gallon of distilled water is
> >> >>> less than a buck.  I have seen cheaper (maybe $10/gallon), but only
> >> >>> Peak and various house brands, none of which list whether or not
> >> >>> they are phosphate free.
> >> >>
> >> >> I have seen Peak 50/50 phosphate free at about $7-8/gallon at a
> >> >> FLAPS.
> >> >>
> >> >> YMMV,
> >> >>
> >> >> Mr. BZ
> >> >>
> >> >>> How is whatever you are using more convenient?  Now, Prestone sells
> >> >>> premix at about $10, but then one is paying for half water, which
> >> >>> seems foolish just to avoid mixing it oneself.  Thanks for all you
> >> >>> do on the list.  DMc
> >> >>>
> >> >>> ---- Scott Daniel  - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> >> >>>> I haven't see anything to indicate really, that the official
> >> >>>> phosphate free
> >> >>>> is any better than the mix I use, is why.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> plus it's   ( convenient and sometimes less  expensive ) to use
> >> >>>> conventional
> >> >>>> high quality anti-frz .
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >> >>>> From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
> >> >>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >> >>>> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 12:04 PM
> >> >>>> Subject: Re: stainless steel coolant pipes
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>> Why not just use a phosphate-free antifreeze as recommended?  Both
> >> >>>>> Zerex
> >> >>>>> and Prestone long-life antifreezes are now phosphate-free, as is
> >> >>>>> the
> >> >>>>> original VW stuff if one wants to pay for it.  Corrosion problems
> >> >>>>> seem,
> >> >>>>> from all I've read and heard, to be attributed specifically to
> >> >>>>> phosphate
> >> >>>>> in the formulation.  VW is certainly not the only multi-metal
> >> >>>>> system on
> >> >>>>> the road, either.  DMc
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>> ---- Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >> >>>>>> This issue keeps coming up - - why not just install a coolant
> >> >>>>>> filter
> >> >>>>>> as used on commercial and industrial engines, they contain a
> >> >>>>>> sacrificial anode (magnesium, I think). Can't hurt, might give a
> >> >>>>>> feeling of reassurance to those who imagine their coolant
> >> >>>>>> passages,
> >> >>>>>> radiators, etc., rotting away mile by mile. :^)
> >> >>>>>>
> >> >>>>>> Gary
> >> >>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> Date:    Thu, 6 May 2010 06:08:21 -0700
> >> >>>>>>> From:    Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
> >> >>>>>>> Subject: Re: stainless steel coolant pipes
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 4:35 AM, Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@gmail.com
> >> >>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> wrote:
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>> On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 11:25 PM, Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net
> >> >>>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>> wrote:
> >> >>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>>> OK, let's think about this in a logical manner.  The original
> >> >>>>>>>>> 1.9l
> >> >>>>>>>> Vanagons
> >> >>>>>>>>> had plain steel pipes.  The piston liners inside the engine
> >> >>>>>>>>> are cast
> >> >>>>>>>>> iron
> >> >>>>>>>>> with steel studs holding the heads on.  Any way you look at it
> >> >>>>>>>>> the
> >> >>>>>>>>> van
> >> >>>>>>>>> is
> >> >>>>>>>> a
> >> >>>>>>>>> multi-metal soup.
> >> >>>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>> ...hence the head-corrosion problem?
> >> >>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>> I guess it doesn't really make any difference which antifreeze
> >> >>>>>>>> you
> >> >>>>>>>> use, so
> >> >>>>>>>> long as you actually use the stuff.
> >> >>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>> --
> >> >>>>>>>> Regards
> >> >>>>>>>> Andrew Grebneff
> >> >>>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> That is exactly why the heads do leak on this era German water-
> >> >>>>>>> pumper
> >> >>>>>>> engines..  Heat+ dissimilar metals+a conductive solution to
> >> >>>>>>> connect it
> >> >>>>>>> all
> >> >>>>>>> together=a recipe for corrosion.  The 993 Porsche motors have
> >> >>>>>>> the same
> >> >>>>>>> problems as a WBX.  Change away with your antifreeze/coolant
> >> >>>>>>> mix...your
> >> >>>>>>> motor is still attacking itself.still it is probably the best
> >> >>>>>>> thing to
> >> >>>>>>> keep
> >> >>>>>>> the fresh coolant in there.
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> I wonder if anyone has ever experimented with installing
> >> >>>>>>> sacrificial
> >> >>>>>>> anodes like are used in the marine world?  A couple of small
> >> >>>>>>> bits of
> >> >>>>>>> zinc
> >> >>>>>>> somewhere accessible in the coolant circulation system might
> >> >>>>>>> mitigate
> >> >>>>>>> the
> >> >>>>>>> corrosion problems you WBX owners encounter in the head area?
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> Don Hanson
> >> >>>>>>>
> >> >>>>>>> ------------------------------
> >> >>>>>
> >> >>>>> --
> >> >>>>> David McNeely
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> --
> >> >>> David McNeely
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > David McNeely
> >>
> >
> > --
> > David McNeely
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Karl
> 1981 VW Westy "Jenny"
> 2000 VW Jetta GLS VR6
> Wilmington, DE

--
David McNeely