Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/536721
July 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 60 Scheduled maintenance The next level of observation for ELCs should be anytime you have the truck or machine in for scheduled maintenance, says Dan Holdmeyer, industrial and cool- ants brand manager, Chevron. That could be anytime the equip- ment is in for an oil change, or at least every six months, he says. The mechanic should check for leaks, make sure the coolant level full and check the glycol concen- tration. "Glycol is not very stable, whether it's in old or new tech- nology," says Holdmeyer. "When it's exposed to the air it tends to degrade pretty quickly. We rec- ommend every six months doing a concentration test, ideally with a refractometer, which will get you to within one or two percent. They're easy to calibrate and easy to maintain." Holdmeyer also recommends mechanics check the color and clarity of the fl uid. If you see a lot of brown or rust, that could indi- cate mechanical problems or the fl uid could be getting burned. Going the distance Claims of ELCs lasting 20,000 hours off road or a million miles on road are not unheard of. "We almost don't know how long it can go because when we test trucks at 600,000 miles we still see 90 percent of the coolant additive remaining," says Stede Granger, OEM technical manager, Shell Lubricants. "When you get that far out, it's hard to say what is a lifetime coolant. But we fully believe the coolant has the capa- bility to last the life of the engine." There are two caveats, however. One is the aforementioned main- tenance – daily checks and regu- lar PMs. The other requirement is to check for nitrite and additive levels at the OEM-recommended levels or levels recommended by maintenance | continued COOLANT DIFFERENCES CONVENTIONAL COOLANTS With conventional coolants a mineral based layer builds up on the inside of your cooling tubes to prevent corrosion. Mineral layer insulates against heat transfer EXTENDED LIFE COOLANTS With ELCs there is no build up on the inside of your cooling tubes. This im- proves heat transfer and reduces additive depletion. Absence of coating improves heat transfer