240 General: Blue antifreeze not blue any more

[straightsix]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

It's still ethylene glycol - it smells the same, very very cautiously it tastes the same, and a sample doesn't freeze in the freezer.

The head gasket leak is a worrying possibility, although there are no other signs of it. No coolant loss, no bubbles in the expansion bottle, no overheating.

It's called "Silver Hook", for some peculiar reason. It's the stuff I've used for years, from the shop that used to sell Comma. Concentrated blue is very difficult to find now - Halfords only sell overpriced ready-mixed.

Buy comma g48 it’s top quality glycol that meets all the requirements of most manufacturers and is available in concentrated form or diluted

Never heard of silver hook ..sounds slightly dodgy tbh


http://www.commaoil.com/passenger-ve...ducts/view/563

[Bob Meadows]

http://www.da7c.co.uk/technical_torq...antifreeze.htm

The above link makes for interesting reading for classic car engines (other correspondence relating is also worth looking at) I also run a 64 year old classic so avoid the modern type of antifreeze.
Trust it helps
Regards Bob

[Bigfella666]

Glad I just saw this !

Noticed yday how pale one coolant was compared to the other.

One 850 T5 one V70R, both flushed and filled at 50% last Christmas

One has genuine Volvo ( pale ) the other comma ( I think the G38 as Six suggests ) considerably darker, well so much so that I noticed !

Hope this is of help to the OP and that I do not have a problem with either beast, concentratation check x2 later in the day me finks !

[Bigfella666]

And interesting that Comma have now withdrawn publically advertising that G48 is suitable for the older Volvos.

Anybody know why ?

Pleased I have it in writing from them that it is suitable !

[Stephen Edwin]

Volvo dealer at Swansea suppplies antifreeze promptly at a reasonable price. via DPD if I remember correctly. EDIT: 01792 790066 or 01792 784272 - Quoting discount code: C3 . But I think you have known that a lot longer tha n I have known it!

I would get some now but not put it in unless testing shows you need it. Keep checking the coolant concentration. Providing the concentration is OK just wait and then change the coolant for 50% water and 50% Volvo antifreeze at the two year interval.

The loss of colour remains a rather worrying mystery.

.

[Bigfella666]

Stephen

Indeed I will not be buying anything from FRF !

Still unwell so the concentration tester did not come out but agree will keep matters under review and as you say all somewhat mysterious, only difference between my motas is one has been in regular use ( 850 - pale ) and the V70R done less than 500 miles since replacement

[ALLOA]

Glycol itself isn't naturally blue. The blue colour is a dye that's added. I wouldn't get too upset about it.

[Clifford Pope]

Originally Posted by ALLOA

Glycol itself isn't naturally blue. The blue colour is a dye that's added. I wouldn't get too upset about it.

No, I'm not. My first fear was that the colour fading was either accidentally or by design an indication of something undesirable happening in the engine, but on reflexion seems more likely to be either that less dye is now used in the first place, or it is made from a less colour-stable substance than formerly.

[Bigfella666]

Or you have been a doughnut like me and discovered today that you are running the concentration at -18 instead of -37 !!!

This equates to approx 2/3 water instead of 50-50.

No offence intended and quite how this has happened is beyond me, looks like a basic schoolboy error. I am looking on the bright side Cliff that it is not something more serious and for 7 quid will be resolved !

[Bigfella666]

And for what it is worth genuine Volvo coolant is significantly paler than Comma G48 neat / diluted 50 -50.

As anticipated 7 quid delivered issue resolved.