[Hashim]

I have some bug in mind related to this particular coolant called TVS-Girling ezcool.


Few years back I was using Golden Cruiser Coolant then after that I could not find that in market and bought Castrol Coolant, it was costly and I switched to this TVS Ezcool. It had been one year or so using this and I bought second bottle of it for topping up yesterday then something stuck in my mind here that:

Ever since I am using this TVS coolant, my car had 1. water pump failure, 2. coolant leakages from various hose joints 3. thermostat side elbow leaked due to its gasket failure and 4. radiator leaked from some places. My friend also when used this coolant, his car had head gasket failure, upon opening head it was corroded head block. I doubt it was due to this coolant but still.

So is it something wrong with this brand/type of coolant? or these were just pure coincidences? Anyone using this coolant please let me know your experience.

Btw this time I did saw Golden cruiser at shelf but it was Red color coolant and I did not buy it as mixing different color might not be good?

[khoj]

Golden Cruiser is made by S-CCI Pvt. Ltd. a Joint Venture Company between S-CCI India and CCI Corporation, Japan. Similarly EZ Cool is made by a JV between Brakes India Ltd. of the TVS group and Girling which is a part of the U.K. based Lucas Industries Corporation. In a nut shell both are good products and the various problems could be due to age related wear and tear. BTW which car is it and what are exact time period of usage with GC and then with EZ.

BTW I was searching for EZ last weekend but could not find it and in the end had to settle for 'Purocool'.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I wouldn't trust any product that lists its colour as feature number one*. It's green: oh great! (or, in other words, so what?)

I'd also be suspicious of any product of this type which is labelled "coolant". It is the water which is the coolant, not the additive.

True, I have more cynicism than technical knowledge on this ...





*Unless it's paint

[Hashim]

@khoj wow you have some deep knowledge about jv's !! its about my M1000 and my friends zen, both are quite old cars I agree but there were no leakage issues before this. You were searching for it means you are using it already or heard anything good about it?

It could be due to wear and tear but so many problems all together that were suppose to be protected by coolant brings in doubt. I use a perfect 1:3 ratio mix of coolant and distilled water (water from my AC) still.

[khoj]

GC is OE for all of the Japanese car manufacturers and Girling for the Europeans & Americans. My Aveo though had GC assuming by the reddish colour of the coolant that was flushed out.

I wanted to change this time to a different coolant and Girling is a reliable name/brand. However I could not find the same and hence went with 'Purocool' made by Anand Industries Ltd who also make the Purolator brand oil and air filters.

Over a period of time the dirt & grime accumulated over all the years gets too much to handle for the system and at that time the various weak points in the system give way. Remember the system goes through innumerable and repeated hot and cold cycles in its lifetime and that will over a period of time weaken the system at various points. It is possible that the change in the coolant (read change in chemical formula) pushed the system over the edge by way of clearing away the accumulated muck from a lot of points and that led to choking which lead to pressure build up and thereby the leakages. I am only assuming the most probable scenario since too cars of almost the same vintage are involved.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

True, I have more cynicism than technical knowledge on this ...

@TEG
Even with more cynicism than tech info you are correct. The Green is an antifreeze and a heat transfer rate enhancer and a rust preventer.
BTW you will be surprised how many mechanics ask for / recommend the Green or the Red coolant depending on their preference. The Purocool too is Green

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by Hashim

I use a perfect 1:3 ratio mix of coolant and distilled water (water from my AC) still.

technically it's distilled but it's not pure. it may contain oils, metals, organic growth, dust etc. I would never use that water for anything sensitive.

[Thad E Ginathom]

There is at least one whole thread about this, but, like the myths and misunderstandings associated with ABS, I guess this one will go on for ever.

Our engines are water-cooled. The coolant is water. Everything else we put in there is additive only, the main purpose of which is to act as antifreeze (in appropriate climates) and to help prevent corrosion. If we take one of the old cars, which did not have a sealed coolant system, and required topping up regularly, then, in a climate where the temperature never drops below 0C, just plain tap water would be fine.

Actually, that's what we used to use: adding anti-freeze just for the winter.

[Hashim]

Yes I understand coolant also works as antifreeze but it also drops temp. of boiling so its good to use in hot climate as well and more imp. was corrosion as water eats away aluminium parts and things like water pump fail due to that.

khoj maybe you are also right that the system was somehow over cleaned by new coolant and fine leaks started showing up which were earlier clogged by dirt. In this sense the coolant is actually good.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Yes I understand coolant also works as antifreeze

That's not what I'm saying. Coolant is not additive. Additive is not coolant. Coolant is water.

Correct that additives help to prevent rusting. That's steel parts: I don't know about aluminium,

[Hashim]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

That's not what I'm saying. Coolant is not additive. Additive is not coolant. Coolant is water.

Correct that additives help to prevent rusting. That's steel parts: I don't know about aluminium,

Yes I understand its water which is cooling the engine thats why its not recommended to use 100% coolant. Here the product is named "Coolant" so I was calling it coolant, just like someone whose name is Ram, so we have to call him Ram but this does not turn him in actual Ram

[Thad E Ginathom]

In other words, the manufacturers have confused us all! What to do? As you say... that's what it says on the bottle!

It still makes me mistrust it!

Maybe I'm just an old pedant ...

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by Hashim

Yes I understand coolant also works as antifreeze but it also drops temp. of boiling so its good to use in hot climate as well and more imp. was corrosion as water eats away aluminium parts and things like water pump fail due to that. .

You mean it increases the boiling temperature (I don't know, if you really meant drop, then it works against you). And that really doesn't matter because we use the pressurized cap to keep coolant from boiling.

Additive is primarily used for anti freeze properties. ant-corrosive properties are latest addition in those to boost sales. It's like adding extra vitamins in fruit juices so they can attract us to a particular brand. And as long as we have money, we will find a use for it

[khoj]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

You mean it increases the boiling temperature (I don't know, if you really meant drop, then it works against you). And that really doesn't matter because we use the pressurized cap to keep coolant from boiling.

Now that we have turned this into Thermodynamics 101, could you elaborate how the pressurized?? cap keeps the coolant from boiling and why the drop in boiling point would not matter(not that Hashim meant it that way, the gist of his statement being quite clear).

All these years I understood that the cap is designed like a last resort safety valve which will let out a required amount of steam+concentrate+hot water mix after all other safety features built into the system fail to keep things in check and when the system pressure continues to rise beyond a certain set value and restore sanity. Seems it is time to learn something new.

[Hashim]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

You mean it increases the boiling temperature (I don't know, if you really meant drop, then it works against you).

Let me explain what I meant actually, we all know plain water boiling temp. is 100 deg. C so if we put plain water in radiator, it should start boiling as soon as it reaches 100 deg., now our "Coolant" is increasing boiling temp. of plain water to say 500 deg. C then it won't boil at 100 deg. so its doing good for us

[Thad E Ginathom]

All these years I understood that the cap is designed like a last resort safety valve which will let out a required amount of steam+concentrate+hot water mix after all other safety features built into the system fail to keep things in check and when the system pressure continues to rise beyond a certain set value and restore sanity

Once this point has been reached your engine is overheating an you are in trouble. It would be a final resort safety valve.

If the system is under pressure, then the boiling point would be increased (that's the principle of the pressure cooker in the kitchen) but boiling would have to take place to pressurise the system, and I don't think it does.

I suppose, by the way, that, for all my pedantry, I just have to accept that, in these days (err, last decade or two <Blush>) of sealed systems, coolant can be defined as the mixture of water and additives in the system!