Quote:
Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels
Get the Zerex G05 or any other G05 labeled coolant. Look for the MB approval on the bottle. Any other coolant will ruin the alumininum and plastic parts in the cooling system.
Also look up citric acid flush and follow the steps if you have any other coolant in the system. I am going to have to do that to the SDL very soon as I don't know what is in there.
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Sigh... I hate getting dragged into this...
That is such an oversimplification that it can and does end up being both false and true.
Low Silicate antifreeze (for protection of Aluminum and Plastics) can be Green and can then have SCA's added to it to protect from cavitation damage in Diesels. However HOAT's come prepared to do that too. So while it is true that using a HOAT will protect it is also true that using a Low Silicate with an added SCA will do the same. So it is NOT true that using anything other than Zerex G05 (or any other G-05) will automatically damage these things. And you got more to worry about to be damaged in a Diesel motor than those things. You got cylinder walls that would be more important if the Antifreeze did not prevent cavitation damage. I would be more worried about that! In this particular Car being discussed, it came with a HOAT/G-05 as Mecedes used this about 1984 and beyond. So I would use it for certain. And many find it easier to use than testing for SCA's and constantly replenishing SCA's. But cavitation existed long before HOAT and was controlled by SCA's back in the day. Heck... most manufactuers did not switch to HOAT until like after 94 or so. Ford not until 2003 IIRC. In fact I still use Low Silicate with SCA additives in my 01 ford. Its green and its good. The Additive is DCA-4. But I do have to test periodically and add if need be. About once a year I have to add 8 ounces. They all used Low Silicate Antifreeze with SCA additives up until then. And most times it was Green. Problem is that many of the end users didn't bother to check levels and keep the additives up. So its just easier to use a HOAT. And some people will find if they do not change a HOAT at a reasonable frequency it will lose its anti-cavitation properties too. But it eliminates all the bother in between. There are some die hard truck diesel mechanics that will not use HOAT but prefer Low Silicate with SCA. They can test it for SCA. They trust it. They can even buy coolant filters that introduce it a little at a time. Precharged so to speak.
Its a complicated issue. And color is sort of a shifting fad.
All that to end up telling you to use the G-05 but... and to change it out if your not sure.... but... I thought it was important to say.