VW G12 + redline water wetter

Status
Not open for further replies.
Originally Posted By: mk7vw
Hello. Just out of curiosity, can you add a few ounces of Redline water wetter inside a 2016 GTI with G12 coolant from the factory? I drive my car through the canyons pretty hard on the weekends so I'm not sure how the cooling system holds up, but my digital gauge reads any where from 194F-205F. Just a few ounces not the entire bottle...


Your temperature gauge would tell you how it's holding up. As long as your thermostat is not wide open and your temperatures are rising out of upper bound control then the water wetter will do no good.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Originally Posted By: kschachn
What is it lubricating in the pump?


Both state that it lubricates the pump seal. I suspect a straight 100% water coolant isn't all that good at lubricating things.


Being a power station guy, you would have seen all sorts of carbon faced mechanical seals that are lubricated by water...even 1500psi, 250C water and they last 40-50,000 hours without needing water wetter.
 
Put in first year of ownership: from what I recall it turned brown and looked slimy around 5000 miles maybe a little more or less. I googled the topic at the time and recall other people having similar issues with adding water wetter to certain coolants. I forget how long u kept it in there maybe 10000 miles before had flush and replacement. I had timing belt and water pump changed at 130000 miles. I have noticed temperature according to scan gauge has been running cooler since the change at 130000. Prior to water pump change car ran at 195 degrees and over up to 205 in idling and traffic. Since water pump change temperature runs generally between 182-190 occasionally going up to 195 in traffic. The local mechanic premier Autowerks in york pa used the updated G13 coolant when changed water pump--they did the job for about 900 timing belt and water pump.

I know I shouldn't add additives but put in lubeguard kool it at 165000 miles. Temperature has stayed low with no difference according to limited measurement of scan gauge which is always plugged in. Overall trust Lubeguard products and they have a nice comparison chart regarding coolant additives. I don't like some of Lubeguard out of date info-namely on engine bio tech that uses like an SJ oil for comparison differences. Also don't like that Lubeguard marketed heavy duty diesel additive without addressing diesel particulate filter compatibility. I suspect it is not since esters in Lubeguard yield high phosphorous numbers.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Originally Posted By: kschachn
What is it lubricating in the pump?


Both state that it lubricates the pump seal. I suspect a straight 100% water coolant isn't all that good at lubricating things.


Being a power station guy, you would have seen all sorts of carbon faced mechanical seals that are lubricated by water...even 1500psi, 250C water and they last 40-50,000 hours without needing water wetter.


Sure enough. But we're talking about combustion engines in motor vehicles operated in constant cyclical mode seeing extremes in temperature, etc......not steady state loading the vast majority of the time. Engineers in the auto industry haven't taken the leap to 100% water yet. The mechanical seals in my last plant's condensate pumps saw treated water with amines and other chemicals.
 
OK, is there any automotive manufacturer who specifies water pump lubrication in their coolant ?

Carbon faces don't need it. So there's no advantage to be gained providing one.

And of the rumours of dropping silicates (sand) are true, then it's even worse than nothing.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
It is? What's it lubricating?

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
It's also good for better water pump lubrication.


It's what Redline says.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: kschachn
It is? What's it lubricating?
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
It's also good for better water pump lubrication.

It's what Redline says.


They do? According to what I see on their website it says "Cleans and lubricates water pump seals".
 
One view

If the coolant fluid helps to cool the operating fluid side sealing surface and prevent corrosion and deposition, that should count as "lubrication." If water were fine as the lubricant why not just run 100% water in automotive coolant systems?

Mechanical seals require clean water, or other compatible liquid, for the lubrication of the seal faces. At times, the system fluid also provides the lubrication between the seal faces. Then, you also have the interior secondary seal to consider.
 
The link has a couple problems. They seem to be conflating lubrication and corrosion prevention whenever it suits them, and that's not the same thing, and you're going along with that for some reason. They also state that internal seals fail in water pumps, resulting in leakage, whereas the water pump is still good, and water pumps are replaced prematurely because of leaks. I've never taken a leaking water pump off and even considered playing around with seals. If it leaks and it's problematic, you replace the water pump.

Why not run 100% water in automotive cooling systems? For one, I don't want the internals to rust like crazy, and secondly, it's -16 C outside right now. I don't think that would work very well.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Mechanical seals require clean water, or other compatible liquid, for the lubrication of the seal faces. At times, the system fluid also provides the lubrication between the seal faces. Then, you also have the interior secondary seal to consider.


The seal gets lubrication from the bearing lubricant. The "system fluid" as you put it is a contaminant, not a lubricant.

And what is it exactly that we are considering about the interior secondary seal?
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Why not run 100% water in automotive cooling systems? For one, I don't want the internals to rust like crazy, and secondly, it's -16 C outside right now. I don't think that would work very well.


Plus corrosion.
 
I saw the internals of a Camry that had run pure water in. Looked like they pulled it up from the Titanic.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: kschachn
It is? What's it lubricating?
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
It's also good for better water pump lubrication.

It's what Redline says.


They do? According to what I see on their website it says "Cleans and lubricates water pump seals".


Water pump seals are not part of the water pump apparatus/assembly/mating areas/location?
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
The link has a couple problems. They seem to be conflating lubrication and corrosion prevention whenever it suits them, and that's not the same thing, and you're going along with that for some reason. They also state that internal seals fail in water pumps, resulting in leakage, whereas the water pump is still good, and water pumps are replaced prematurely because of leaks. I've never taken a leaking water pump off and even considered playing around with seals. If it leaks and it's problematic, you replace the water pump.

Why not run 100% water in automotive cooling systems? For one, I don't want the internals to rust like crazy, and secondly, it's -16 C outside right now. I don't think that would work very well.


Yep...they flop from the wrong coolant won't lubricate the mechanical seal (plain water does just fine on those seals) to the wrong coolant forms abrasive corrosion byproducts that wear them out (they mention alumina, but silica will do it too).

Plain water, the seal is fine...what happens to plain water is bad.

It's not a case for WW 'though, as millions of cars have made it to the graveyard with plain old coolant...or water.
 
On a tracked car that were otherwise using plain water, I'd go for Water Wetter or an equivalent. Other than that, it's a product I don't need. Coolants are already properly formulated, and up here, we're not exactly skimping on the coolant concentration.

As an interesting aside, the record low for January 1 in Regina is -50 C, which was also our coldest temperature ever.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
On a tracked car that were otherwise using plain water, I'd go for Water Wetter or an equivalent. Other than that, it's a product I don't need.


To stop it corroding....which is what the hydrazine and amines etc. in boiler feedwater are for...corrosion, not lubricating seal faces.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Delta
Aftermarket VW Water Pumps?
2
Replies
20
Views
3K
brages
A
Coolant Flush with subsequent distilled water coming out black
Replies
16
Views
6K
nthach
W
Duramax LML possible head gasket and piston issues
2
Replies
25
Views
6K
ElectroMechanoMan
1
Just buttoned up: 2014 Jetta GLI engine replacement
2
Replies
33
Views
4K
RAR
T
  • Locked
Glycol Contamination ZF850RE/Implosion @ 32,800k kms
Replies
18
Views
2K
MolaKule
Back
Top