Coolant Identification: Why Color Alone Is Not Enough?
Using the wrong coolant or mixing formulations can reduce corrosion protection, shorten fluid life and place cooling system components at risk.
Coolant Identification Can Become a Guessing Game
Relying on coolant color alone can create confusion when a facility manages several formulations or bulk fluids.
Maintenance personnel often refer to coolant by its color. However, if a shop uses more than one bulk fluid or different formulations have been mixed, determining which coolant is used in each machine can become a guessing game. One of the biggest issues maintenance personnel face today is coolant formulation mixing.
Think about it. You may use four different coolants for equipment from four different manufacturers. Do maintenance personnel know the difference between them? You may also have multiple bulk fluids. Does the team understand how to maintain each coolant in each system? Do they know which coolant to use when topping off?
If not, and the coolants are mixed, the systems may become vulnerable to corrosion and cavitation – not to mention the financial impact of keeping too many bulk fluids in inventory.
Choosing the Correct Coolant for Your Equipment
Coolant selection should begin with the equipment manufacturer’s specifications and the materials used within the cooling system.
There are more coolant formulations on the market today than ever before, so how do you know which one is best for your equipment?
First and foremost, the coolant you choose must meet the OEM’s coolant specifications. Engine and cooling system components are manufactured globally, and the materials available to produce them may vary by region. Coolant specifications are therefore developed based on the fluid’s compatibility with the materials used in the system.
Modern Engines Place Greater Demands on Coolants
Higher operating temperatures and flow rates require coolants that can manage additional heat while protecting cooling system components.
Coolant formulations have also changed to accommodate increases in operating temperatures and flow rates. Today’s engine designs require coolants that can handle the additional heat loads placed on the cooling system.
Extended Life Coolant formulations have also entered the marketplace to help prevent overtreatment, extend drain intervals and reduce coolant consumption. However, simply checking ELC glycol levels and keeping the system topped off is far from adequate coolant and cooling system maintenance.
Why Extended Life Coolants Still Require Testing
A longer service life does not eliminate the need to monitor coolant condition and cooling system health.
Extended Life Coolants offer several advantages. They are more stable, they do not require Supplemental Coolant Additives, or SCAs, so overtreatment is virtually eliminated, and they have a longer service life. So why is it still necessary to test Extended Life Coolants?
Mechanical Problems Can Change Coolant Chemistry
Mechanical issues and chemical reactions can occur within the cooling system. Combustion gas leaks, air leaks, localized overheating or hot spots, and stray electrical grounding issues can chemically affect and destroy the coolant and its inhibitors.
In turn, the chemically altered coolant can attack the metals and components within the system, causing premature failure.
Leaks, overheating and electrical issues can damage coolant inhibitors and contribute to premature component failure.
Contamination Can Cause Acid or Scale Formation
The type and pH of contamination can determine whether corrosive acids or damaging scale develop within the system.
Coolant can also become contaminated because of poor maintenance practices or contaminants entering through an air leak. The pH of the contaminant determines whether scale or acid is formed.
Acid formation can cause corrosive wear or pitting of cooling system components, degradation of hoses and seals, and inhibitor or additive depletion and dropout.
If the fluid becomes alkaline, contaminants can form scale. This can lead to cracked heads, as well as ring and cylinder wear, which may increase oil consumption or cause oil degradation. In turn, this can contribute to increased bearing wear.
Coolant cannot correct excessive contamination entering the system, whether it results from poor maintenance practices or a mechanical issue.
Coolant Mixing Is a Common Fleet Maintenance Risk
Using different coolant formulations across a mixed fleet increases the risk of incorrect top-offs, diluted inhibitors and corrosion.
Another reason for conducting regularly scheduled coolant analysis is coolant mixing – one of the most common cooling system maintenance issues.
If mixing exceeds 25%, the inhibitors may become too diluted to adequately protect the system, and serious corrosion may occur.
Fleets operating equipment from multiple engine manufacturers may use just as many different coolants. More often than not, maintenance personnel do not recognize the differences between the formulations or understand the importance of topping off each system with the correct coolant.
The costs associated with corrosion-related problems and maintaining multiple coolants can rise quickly.
Preventing Coolant-Related Equipment Damage
Education, coolant program assessments and scheduled laboratory analysis can help identify problems before they lead to downtime.
Education, regularly scheduled coolant analysis and coolant program assessments can help prevent revenue losses caused by unscheduled downtime.
The bottom line is that, regardless of the fluid being used, mechanical issues and contaminants can jeopardize both engine and coolant life. Laboratory coolant analysis can help identify developing issues before damage occurs.
Support
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For setting up the program, we would be happy to discuss this with you further and support your company in building a solution that fits your needs.
Please contact us at ocminfo@bureauveritas.com to continue the conversation.
📩 ocminfo@bureauveritas.com
Author
Elizabeth Nelson
Coolant Program Manager
Elizabeth Nelson is our Coolant Program Manager at Bureau Veritas | Oil Condition Monitoring, bringing over 30 years of experience in coolant analysis, fluid condition monitoring, and technical program support. She specializes in helping clients understand coolant performance, system health, and maintenance risks to support better reliability decisions.
