Ah the antifreeze/coolant thread.  Next to tires this one is near and 
dear to my heart.  The very short of it is that all anti-freezes now 
except for the super cheap, no name stuff is phosphate free.  So if you 
buy Prestone premix 50/50 not only to you get a great phosphate free 
antifreeze that isn't expensive, but you also get it premixed with water 
that doesn't have any minerals or other things in it that are going to 
cause you problems.  $10 a gallon pretty much everywhere.  Of course 
buying the $25 a gallon "blue goo" from VW can't hurt anything so if you 
just like the color blue for some reason (smurf fantasy?) go for it.  
When you cut it with water it comes out to being $12.50 a gallon so not 
that much more than the Prestone but what water are you using?  Add 
maniacal laughter here as topic now morphs into long discussion about 
distilled water.....

My advice,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

Will Taygan wrote:
> I use Sierra low-tox propylene glycol coolant in all my 1.6 VW diesels.
> Phosphate-free.  It's green!
>
> Will in Alaska.
>
> On Thu, 2010-05-06 at 18:29 -0500, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>   
>> ---- Scott Daniel  - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>>     
>>> Hi,
>>> my 'normal'  Good Stuff is Prestone Extended Life anti-frz.
>>>
>>> A parts store counterman once told me a-frz is really only made by a few
>>> compannies in the US ..and even when you get a slightly off-brand, you are
>>> getting basically good stuff.
>>>       
>> Prestone Extended Life antifreeze is labeled to be phosphate free.  Peak antifreeze is not so labeled, nor is Prestone "regular."
>>
>> May be that only a handful of companies make antifreeze.  If so, they are putting out a bunch of different labels with different colors of dye, like blue, red, yellow, green ............... .  Purple and orange for all I know.  A few years back, antifreeze was green, period.  Then car companies started with their own labels and colors, and admonitions to use only "approved" coolant, which they helpfully (for themselves) chose not to define.  Now ??????????  Most antifreeze, as has been stated on the list repeatedly, states on the label that it is compatible with all other brands and colors, and is suitable for all engines.  But, that's from the maker/seller.  How are we to know?  But if the label specifies "phosphate free," I'll accept that.  For now, because when I was getting cooling system work done I couldn't find any labeled as phosphate free, my waterboxer has VW brand blue stuff.  Next time, I'll get Zerex or Prestone long life stuff that is labeled as phosphate free.
>>
>> I've mostly lived in places that had very hard water, except for a stint in Kentucky.  At least with hard water, the lead in the copper-line solder in the house pipes stays put, rather than mobilizing.
>>
>> David McNeely
>>
>>     
>
>