Last month, it was time to replace the coolant in my Montero. Since new, it's always used Motorcraft Premium Green and distilled water, although I've used Mitsubishi's OE coolant to give it a try at one point. The interval has always been 25,000 miles or once a year. Never a problem, and the internals looked brand new. At every flush, the coolant would come out a nice light green color.
Last month, I couldn't find Motorcraft Premium Green, and Mitsubishi's own coolant was now $25 a gallon. Friend of mine, who is a tech, recommended a brand called MAG. When I saw "Made in UAE" on the bottle, I cringed because some of the world's worst lubricants come out of there and I thought this would be no exception. It cost a bit more than the Motorcraft ($16 vs. $12), but somehow I got convinced. I thought there wouldn't be any problems, considering I change it so frequently, so I bought it.
This morning, my father said he was quite concerned about the color of the coolant. The coolant in the reservoir looked muddy brown, although it still had a green tint to it. I removed the radiator cap, and this is the first time I see the once clear metal fins look rusty brown. The coolant level hasn't dropped and wasn't low or anything.
Once I left work, the first thing I did was get the cooling system inspected to see if there was any air going in. There's no coolant in the oil or visa versa and the engine hasn't experienced any overheating or anything of the sort.
My mechanic said it's time I change the coolant, because it "appears that I haven't for a while". I told him the coolant was a month old, and he basically said it must be some cheap, low quality ethylene glycol.
Considering this never happened before, could this very well be the garbage coolant I used? Feel like such an idiot using a Middle Eastern sourced coolant, when I should have just ate the $25 for the Japanese Mitsubishi stuff.
Tonight, I'm going to remove the thermostat and the upper radiator hose. Then, with the engine running, I'm going to keep feeding it distilled water until it runs clear. Going to dump in a can of Liqu-Moly Radiator Cleaner, turn on the heater and let it idle for 30 minutes as instructed, then repeat what I did with the upper radiator hose removed. Got some Motorcraft Premium Green from work this time, which is what I'm going to use. Let's hope this solves the issue.
Last month, I couldn't find Motorcraft Premium Green, and Mitsubishi's own coolant was now $25 a gallon. Friend of mine, who is a tech, recommended a brand called MAG. When I saw "Made in UAE" on the bottle, I cringed because some of the world's worst lubricants come out of there and I thought this would be no exception. It cost a bit more than the Motorcraft ($16 vs. $12), but somehow I got convinced. I thought there wouldn't be any problems, considering I change it so frequently, so I bought it.
This morning, my father said he was quite concerned about the color of the coolant. The coolant in the reservoir looked muddy brown, although it still had a green tint to it. I removed the radiator cap, and this is the first time I see the once clear metal fins look rusty brown. The coolant level hasn't dropped and wasn't low or anything.
Once I left work, the first thing I did was get the cooling system inspected to see if there was any air going in. There's no coolant in the oil or visa versa and the engine hasn't experienced any overheating or anything of the sort.
My mechanic said it's time I change the coolant, because it "appears that I haven't for a while". I told him the coolant was a month old, and he basically said it must be some cheap, low quality ethylene glycol.
Considering this never happened before, could this very well be the garbage coolant I used? Feel like such an idiot using a Middle Eastern sourced coolant, when I should have just ate the $25 for the Japanese Mitsubishi stuff.
Tonight, I'm going to remove the thermostat and the upper radiator hose. Then, with the engine running, I'm going to keep feeding it distilled water until it runs clear. Going to dump in a can of Liqu-Moly Radiator Cleaner, turn on the heater and let it idle for 30 minutes as instructed, then repeat what I did with the upper radiator hose removed. Got some Motorcraft Premium Green from work this time, which is what I'm going to use. Let's hope this solves the issue.
