Originally Posted By: Shannow
I can understand it reducing metal temperature,
That's exactly what it can conceivably do, if there's poor "wetting" of the metal without it (as there might be with straight water). There's absolutely no way that I believe for one second that a wetting agent is going to lower COOLANT temperature at the exit of the engine (where the temp gauge sender is virtually always located). If the radiator had ever been contaminated with oil, it *might* help the heat transfer out of the coolant to the radiator and then to the air. But if the radiator is clean, there's nothing for it to really do in there.
As others have said, the THERMOSTAT sets the maximum coolant temperature, unless the cooling system can't keep up and the stat goes wide open and loses control of the cooling system. And wetting agents aren't going to help with that.
I can understand it reducing metal temperature,
That's exactly what it can conceivably do, if there's poor "wetting" of the metal without it (as there might be with straight water). There's absolutely no way that I believe for one second that a wetting agent is going to lower COOLANT temperature at the exit of the engine (where the temp gauge sender is virtually always located). If the radiator had ever been contaminated with oil, it *might* help the heat transfer out of the coolant to the radiator and then to the air. But if the radiator is clean, there's nothing for it to really do in there.
As others have said, the THERMOSTAT sets the maximum coolant temperature, unless the cooling system can't keep up and the stat goes wide open and loses control of the cooling system. And wetting agents aren't going to help with that.
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