Since the coolant's anticorrosion additives are what gets depleted, should coolant typically be changed based on age rather than mileage?
Change coolant based on age or miles?
- Thread starter DrRoughneck
- Start date
- Status
I haven't logged 100K miles in 5 years so I do it based on age. If I drove over 20K miles a year I'd swap it out at 100K miles like my OM states.
Age. Change it every two years.
I have a 2000 cavalier that has never had the antifreeze changed and my 91 BMW has had a change twice
several years back, I never changed antifreeze, but back then I would get a can of anti-rust/wp lube to put in every year. Can't seem to find that any more. Course that was with old cars with all cast iron engines. With my 2014 now I may have to change the coolant in a couple more years.
Last edited:
I don't know the answer to the OP's question, but here are a few data points from my experience:
- I drove an '83 Honda Civic for 11 years, 135k miles, & never changed the coolant. Engine ran beautifully the whole time; coolant temperature gauge always went to the same level.
- I drove a '98 Civic for 18+ years, 202k miles, & never changed the coolant. Engine ran beautifully the whole time until the radiator sprung a leak this spring (at age 18.3). So when it was replaced I got new coolant.
- I have an '08 BMW 328 that I've driven for 4 years & 46k miles & never changed the coolant. Just today I thought about doing it and saw this in the owner's manual: "The engine coolant has a lifetime rating and does not need to be changed except for system repairs."
I'd do what your owner's manual recommends.
- I drove an '83 Honda Civic for 11 years, 135k miles, & never changed the coolant. Engine ran beautifully the whole time; coolant temperature gauge always went to the same level.
- I drove a '98 Civic for 18+ years, 202k miles, & never changed the coolant. Engine ran beautifully the whole time until the radiator sprung a leak this spring (at age 18.3). So when it was replaced I got new coolant.
- I have an '08 BMW 328 that I've driven for 4 years & 46k miles & never changed the coolant. Just today I thought about doing it and saw this in the owner's manual: "The engine coolant has a lifetime rating and does not need to be changed except for system repairs."
I'd do what your owner's manual recommends.
I learned several years ago, on BITOG, that supplemental coolant additives (SCA's) are used in OTR trucks. The large volumes of coolant cost a lot and I think it is awfully green of them to think of reducing the waste stream as well. I like the idea of adding SCA's to car coolant and never changing it. That is the experiment I have undertaken with my 2012 Mazda3. I started using RM!-25 every 15,000 miles. If I ever see anything floating around in the coolant I'll get a filter. I have a pressurized, translucent coolant tank so it gets full replacement of its contents while driving (unlike an unpressurized overflow tank). The coolant has stayed extremely clean for 70,000 miles. Mazda doesn't even recommend changing the FL22 coolant for 120,000 miles, anyway.
Your coolant only needs to be changes when it gets dirty.
I am doing two year drain an fills just to be safe. I have switched everything to PEAK Global.
- Status
