Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/536721
EquipmentWorld.com | July 2015 59 E xtended life coolants (ELCs) started gaining traction in the heavy- duty trucking and construction equipment industry about a decade ago. These coolants are so good they can in many cases last the life of the engine: 12,000 to 15,000 hours for off-road equipment, 600,000 miles for heavy-duty diesel trucks. Some claim even longer. For most OEMs today ELCs are the factory fill for new equipment and trucks coming off the assem- bly line. But fill it and forget it? That would be unwise, possibly even catastrophic. Even if your coolant is in per- fect shape, your cooling system will not always be. Hitting those long term milestones may take five to 10 years. That's a lot of time on any machine and a lot of time for something mechanical to go wrong and impact the cool- ing system indirectly. And every single person who touches the machine – operators, drivers, me- chanics – introduces the possibil- ity of human error. "No system should be un- checked," says Dr. Peter Woy- ciesjes, worldwide RD&E manager, coolants, for Prestone. "Constant maintenance and care must be given to all systems, including the coolant system to make sure the coolant level and concentration is maintained," he says. Checking levels How often should you check coolant levels with ELCs? The same as you should with conven- tional coolants. Every day, or at least every time you fuel up, says Dr. Aleksei Gershun, technical fel- low at Prestone. With either type of coolant your system may lose up to 10 per- cent of its fluid per year, Gershun says. Every cooling system leaks a little. A 10 percent loss could introduce air into the system and damage the engine. "As soon as you have air in your system, you will have a problem," Gershun says. "It doesn't matter what type of coolant." The solution is simple. Make sure the operator checks the level at the start of the day or that the fuel supplier checks at the end of the day. The time it takes to twist off, look at the flu- id level and reinstall the radiator cap is cheap insurance compared to a blown engine. maintenance | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com Long life – yes. Maintenance free – no. ELCs: For heavy-duty diesel coolants the Technology Maintenance Council suggests red for ELCs, yellow for nitrite free, and green for conventional coolants. But not all coolant manufacturers follow the guidelines.