Type of antifreeze
 

I have a 1998 C-280 with 20k miles. Never changed antifreeze. Want to make sure I use the proper antifreeze. Can someone please recommend. The color of the antifreeze in the radiater now is sort of yellowish.

do a search on this site, and you'll probably concur that Mercedes brand anti-freeze is the one to go with

btw why so few miles on such a nice car?

you can also use Zerex G05- it's the same stuff and more easily available.

Go to the dealer or Fastlane and get the MB stuff.

Your radiator fluid is required to be changed every 3 years. You missed the first change interval. I'd call this neglect.

Remember that when radiator fluid gets old, it becomes corrosive.

The only other time interval maintenance item is brake fluid. Mercedes requires brake fluid to be changed every 2 years.

Don't pay attention to the maintenace guide and use the 5 year AF that is orange. I've used it with good results for many more than 5 years. If you buy MB AF you will get "hosed" via price as thay simply buy it from one of the many AF [Dupont etc .] companies and double the price. MB's are regular cars that used to have a reputation as "high" quality cars. They bought Chysler and are now working to design a lower quality car as their stock price reflects to down grading of the marquie.

Peter, I have to disagree with advising anyone else not to follow the maintenance guidlines from the manufacturer. Considering that the cost of doing the two year change of coolant is not going to break the bank, it's penny wise, pound foolish to go 5 years on any fluid.

After 5 years the coolent will cause corrosion, and could start to clog the radiator. MB specs better maintaince standards because they don't want their cars to wear out, they are supposed to last 20+ years. Thats the reason the spec out brake fluid changes every 2 years. MB coolent is $9 a gallon threw Fastlane and is chemicaly different then other coolents. Will you car blow up if you use the green stuff? No but your radiator will go south faster, plus your head gasket won't like it. Thats $500 in parts on my car. Not to mention resale, If I see green coolent in a MB I look at I want to knock the price down.

MTI: It's hard to believe that any or all anti-freeze makers would make their product so that after a certain period of time it would turn into, lets say, ACID or some other dangerous stuff. The EPA says not to discard AF into the ground as it will surely last a long time. I think the idea of changing this coolant every 2 years is just a way to get your car into the dealers service department where they will naturally find need for more work and of course more revenue. I have a 26 year old Chevy. that I rountinly change the AF every 5 to 7 years and have never had a "clogged" radiator. Of course everyone knows a Chevy is a much better auto than a MB, or am I from another planet? What say you folks who have all these terrible problems with their MB cars?

Actually over time it brakes down and becomes acidic, It also starts corrosion. But $9 every two years is cheap, the radiator for your Chevy is probably $100. I just paid $395 for a new one and I plan on making it last as long as possible.

Just my 2 cents.

I guess the only analogy I can lend to this is what my optometrist told me about my 30 day disposable contacts from Ciba. Although they're supposed to gas permeable to the extent that they can be worn non-stop for 30 days, including sleeping, he suggested that I take them out one day out of seven with the admoniton "Well, you can certainly wear your underwear for thirty days non-stop, but would you really WANT to?;)

Hatterasguy: As a chemical engineer,Purdue, '63, I can assure that no one makes an anti- freeze that I know of that after time turns into acid. Perhaps it turns into rum and maybe MB guys drink it. But not to acid since most cooling systems are closed systems. And not much happens over the years, except people buy new AF thinking that they are cooling their cars with acid or rum, both which can be harmful.

There must be something going on about the properties of radiator fluid that you're not getting.

Every website that deals with radiator fluid says that it becomes corrosive when old.

If you do a google on coolant, you'll get a ton of hits that says that it is corrosive.

Here's one:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/at_001212.htm

It becomes acidic through interaction with the different metals in the engine as the chemicals brake down over time......we use litmis sp? paper to identify when coolant becomes acidic in the shop I work at.

I found a site where "they" say that old AF turns "radio active" if left in your car to long. Other sites are more personal, saying old AF will turn you, the car owner, into a democrat. So what gives?