Proactive Coolant Testing Can Save You Money

In terms of equipment, down-time and parts replacement, Proactive Coolant Testing can save you money.

To maintain our health we might regularly visit the doctor for a blood test to assist in the diagnosis of a health condition.

Coolant is akin to our blood, so regularly testing and monitoring of the coolant can tell us much about the condition of the cooling system and if anything is wrong that might lead to significant engine health problems.

Every good cooling system maintenance program should include regular coolant testing to determine if the proper level of protection is present or if contaminants exist. A good coolant testing program eliminates guesswork and allows the cooling system to maintain peak performance.

What can easily be tested on-site?

Firstly, what is in our coolant? Fleetguard PGPlus and PG Platinum contain ~45-47 per cent propylene glycol, a few percent additives/inhibitors/antifoam/dye and the remainder (~50 per cent demineralised water). The glycol provides for the antiboil/anti-freeze, the additives/inhibitors provide the corrosion, scale and liner cavitation, the water helps to retain these properties and assist heat transfer.

The first up assessment of any coolant is its appearance: Clarity, colour, presences of sediments, suspended matter (cloudiness), presence of oil/fuel on the surface and petroleum, sulphurous or ammonia odours. If it is not typical of new coolant, then there might be a problem.

In on-site situations when your equipment is in for service, the coolant properties to test are: Glycol content ( per cent), pH, nitrite and molybdate which relate directly to the coolant, and contaminants such as sulphate and chloride. Fleetguard has a range of products that can be used for testing.

When testing, if the glycol content is lower it generally means the coolant (glycol and additives/inhibitors) has been diluted with water which means less antiboil/antifreeze protection and less effective corrosion, scale and liner cavitation protection. Cummins requires the glycol content to be maintained between 40 per cent – 60 per cent by volume. Fleetguard sell both PGPlus and PG Platinum as a ready-made premix (~50 per cent vol) in demineralised water. When a coolant is new the glycol concentration, pH and the additives are present at the correct levels.

Coolant that has been in service for a long period, suffered overheating events, exhaust blow-by (exhaust leak into the cooling system) may suffer a reduction in its pH (chemical stability). Sulphate (from exhaust or source water) and chloride (source water) are typical contaminants that can be detected with Fleetguard test strips.

To assist with on-site testing Cummins Filtration has a range of coolant test strips and refractometers that can be used on-site as quick guide to assess the immediate health of your Fleetguard coolant and cooling system condition.

COOLANT CONDEMNATION TEST KIT

PG Platinum (Propylene Glycol based OAT coolant – premix ~50 per cent). Nitrite, Amine, Phosphate, Silicate free

4-Way Coolant Test Kit 50 Strip Test Kit (Part # CC36089)

Easy to use test strips measure freeze point, molybdate, and nitrite (as a contaminant) and pH
Results in 45-75 seconds
Designed specifically for use with PG Platinum

PGPlus (Propylene Glycol based hybrid coolant – premix ~50 per cent). Nitrite/Molybdate for cavitation protection

Measures protection against liner pitting, corrosion and coolant dilution
Easy to use test strips measure freeze point (glycol per cent) and molybdate/nitrite
Results in 45-75 seconds
Easy to read table that indicates how much DCA4 or DCA4+ to add when these additives are low

3-Way™ Heavy Duty Coolant Test Kit 50 Strip Bottle (part # CC2602M)
Four Strip Pack (part # CC2602AM)

COOLANT CONDEMNATION TEST KIT

Quick-Chek™ 3-Way Test Strip (contamination check) 10 Strip Bottle (part # CC2718)

Easy to use test strips measure levels of pH, sulphate and chloride for overall coolant quality
Minimises unnecessary draining of coolant still within specifications
Results in 30-70 seconds
Test twice a year
For use with PGPlus or other coolants not coloured red or orange

COOLANT Refractometer