Coolant spec?

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by scbamber

the Dealership, a family business, have acted well for me.

They don't half make you beg though.

[StanC]

Originally Posted by scbamber

Interesting comments about the colour of the coolant not changing. Here is my experience..

That night after the service I looked in the reservoir just in case it might need a minor top-up if the hour's drive since the service had shifted some air pockets in the system - it was obvious that the coolant had not been changed. I removed 100ml into glass and compared it with what remained in the container of Volvo concentrate left in the car at my request. They were very different. The new stuff was bluish not greenish. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . Bottom line: the colour of the new stuff was quite different from the old stuff. Either Volvo have changed it over the years (which is what the Service Director said on his phone call), or it has degraded somehow. It has never needed topping up from new, so there is no question of a cracked block, head or leaking head gasket etc.

Just as a point of interest, when Volvo changed the coolant about five years ago it went from being a dark blue/green colour to a much lighter green. The more recent (light green) part number is 31439720. I'm intrigued that your experience was the other way around, with the 'newer' coolant being darker than the 'older' coolant that was in the car.

Stan.

[scbamber]

Originally Posted by StanC

Just as a point of interest, when Volvo changed the coolant about five years ago it went from being a dark blue/green colour to a much lighter green. The more recent (light green) part number is 31439720. I'm intrigued that your experience was the other way around, with the 'newer' coolant being darker than the 'older' coolant that was in the car.

Stan.

Thanks... your post has sent me out to check!! The part number on the Volvo canister given to me by the dealer is slightly different from what you describe. On mine it is 31439721 (rather than ...-20), but simple internet checking suggests that ..-20 is a 1litre bottle and -21 is the 4litre canister. However you are absolutely right about the colour..I was inaccurate to describe it as blue, when in fact it is green. Some people selling it on the internet describe it as blue/green but most say it is green. Everyone agrees that Volvo changed to the greener colour from a bluer colour when the VEA engines arrived. Volvo's own Safety Data sheet, which I have looked at just now, describes it as green. My wife has always said I was bad on colour....

That said, the new coolant is utterly different from the insipid pale green in the reservoir before the dealer actually changed it. The new stuff is very definitely darker or "a more concentrated" colour than the older paler stuff, and can best be described as a dark but vivid emerald green.

Sorry for confusing the issue to start with!

[Harley Dave]

I may be wrong (often am) but isn't the coolant in the 1 or 4 litre bottle/canister/containers meant to be diluted 50/50 prior to putting it in the cooling system?

This would lighten (by 50%?) the colour, wouldn't it?

Cheers

Dave

[scbamber]

Originally Posted by Harley Dave

I may be wrong (often am) but isn't the coolant in the 1 or 4 litre bottle/canister/containers meant to be diluted 50/50 prior to putting it in the cooling system?

This would lighten (by 50%?) the colour, wouldn't it?

Cheers

Dave

Yes, the Volvo containers with these part numbers contain the concentrate for 50/50 dilution with distilled or ionised water, but the colour of the resulting solution remains easily distinguishable from the original coolant in my car. I have come to the conclusion that my original coolant was the green stuff introduced for VEA engines in place of the bluish coolant, but that over 6 years there had been significant degradation in the dye colour at least, and perhap in its coolant or anticorrosion properties as well.

[StanC]

Sorry - only just catching up. The light green concentrated coolant I'm referring to (Part No 31439720) comes in 1litre packs. It does inevitably lighten further when diluted, but does start off light green.

Stan,

[lynns hubby]

Hi all, just a couple of questions. We have had our 2006 XC70 D5 for just over 4 years.
Just had a call from the wife (I work away) worrying because when she went to start the car., a message displayed saying stop car and check coolant or something along them lines. I have never had to top up before, I check regally at least once a month. She tells me there is no signs of any leaks anywhere. I told her to top it up using bottled water as I don't keep any Volvo coolant at home just the standard green or red stuff and I don't want to top up with that.
I have just ordered 4 Lts of the genuine 31439720 from Rybrooke Volvo as I now plan to change the lot as it was topped up with plain water and not a Pre-Mix.
1./ Is 4 ltrs enough.
2./ Is there ever a need to top up on a healthy system on these cars.

I appreciate that on older type cars there was always slight evaporation etc and a top up now and again was the norm and never worried me as with oil top ups.
I don't know how much she put in but hopefully just enough to get the float back healthy.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by lynns hubby

Hi all, just a couple of questions. We have had our 2006 XC70 D5 for just over 4 years.
Just had a call from the wife (I work away) worrying because when she went to start the car., a message displayed saying stop car and check coolant or something along them lines. I have never had to top up before, I check regally at least once a month. She tells me there is no signs of any leaks anywhere. I told her to top it up using bottled water as I don't keep any Volvo coolant at home just the standard green or red stuff and I don't want to top up with that.
I have just ordered 4 Lts of the genuine 31439720 from Rybrooke Volvo as I now plan to change the lot as it was topped up with plain water and not a Pre-Mix.
1./ Is 4 ltrs enough.
2./ Is there ever a need to top up on a healthy system on these cars.

I appreciate that on older type cars there was always slight evaporation etc and a top up now and again was the norm and never worried me as with oil top ups.
I don't know how much she put in but hopefully just enough to get the float back healthy.

you have a leak somewhere , most likely is down on the bottom of the side tanks of the radiator look for dampness or a drip .
yes a 4 litre bottle is perfect after you flush out with a hose .
you never need to top up on a sound system ...

[lynns hubby]

OK will have a good look all around when I get home.

"you have a leak somewhere , most likely is down on the bottom of the side tanks of the radiator look for dampness or a drip ".

You say that like its a common issue, am I right in assuming from your comments that it is quite common on this vehicle?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by lynns hubby

OK will have a good look all around when I get home.

"you have a leak somewhere , most likely is down on the bottom of the side tanks of the radiator look for dampness or a drip ".

You say that like its a common issue, am I right in assuming from your comments that it is quite common on this vehicle?

no its not common to leak at all , but if it does it is most likely to be there ..👍