Hi Guys,


I usually do a coolant drain and fill every year but am wondering if this has to be done if I only drive it 1K miles? Can I skip a year if it is not driven very much? Thanks.

 

Opinions will vary but it sounds OK to me. I think the once-a-year interval is a bit of overkill, personally.

You can buy coolant test strips ....









....which might help put your mind at ease


Cheers
DD

 

Thanks Doug. I really do not think that coolant goes bad by sitting that short period of time... I always thought that very 2 years or 30K miles was more then enough. The system is fairly clean, so I guess I should not be concerned.

 

Usually you only need to do it every 2-3 years, that is a bit overkill. I would still change it on that interval, regardless of mileage, in case anything reacts with metal or falls out or just isn't generally up to what it should be.

I suppose as long as the voltage is right and the freeze prevention is right, it will still work fine

 

At the end of this Summer, I may still pull the lower hose and do a quick drain and fill... LOL. I have large box of Zerex original formula green coolant, so I just may use it. Thanks guys.

 

If you use a glycol-based antifreeze (ie 'normal' non-organic stuff one) the glycol lasts indefinitely, and in principle only topping up with water rather than antifreeze mix will dilute it.

But like oil, it is the additive package that wears out in antifreeze, and after a bit (so I am told) the inhibitors that stop the ally reacting with the steel bits here and there in the system, etc etc, gets used up. This si the real reason why changing the stuff every 2 or 3 years is needed.

Greg

 

Sounds like I am good to go then. I changed it out last August with green conventional coolant and only drove it around 200 miles after that. I would think i'm fine for a few years. But like I said, I do have a box of coolant and may still do it this coming Summer. Worst case, its another exchange of fresh coolant...

 

When I had to work on my radiator, I used a length of small diameter copper tubing dropped into the right side tank through the air bleed banjo hole, and used a small hand pump to pump out most of the coolant before taking off the hoses. Much less mess on the garage floor than just pulling the bottom hose.

If you meant that you changed the coolant in August 2014, I'd feel totally comfortable going at least through this summer.