Which Anti Freeze?

S

summerwind

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20017
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I've got a Mercruiser 350 MAG 2008. I was just wanting to get some feedback on the difference between Prestone(Yellow jug) 50/50 pre-diluted and Prestone(Yellow jug) Anti-freeze coolant.
 
Closed cooling system?

One has the water already added to it, the other requires you to add an equal amount of water, pre-diluted and not pre-diluted.
 
Food For Thought...

One thing I always do is check the Anti-Freeze with a tester to see what the freezing point is..last year I must have bought a bad batch as it only tested for -15...It was suppose to be good for -40...That would have been a disaster if I used it ...the tester only cost 5 bucks, and saved me a few thousand in repairs...
 
Good idea, Tester, at any auto parts store?

I saved a few gallons(Prestone 50/50), would you think OK to reuse. One spring just drained it into an empty garbage bag then poured back into original jug.
 
Test it and if it tests ok, your good to re-use it...Yes the tester is available at any parts store or Wallyworld sells them...
 
quote:
Originally posted by carver 2557

Test it and if it tests ok, your good to re-use it...Yes the tester is available at any parts store or Wallyworld sells them...

Click to expand...


Are the testers good on all types of antifreeze (including the non-toxic water-system stuff), or just the toxic stuff like Prestone / etc? What about if the two are mixed? Does it still give an accurate reading?

Thanks!
 
Dont work on the non-toxic water-system stuff, just the toxic stuff like Prestone / etc?, but there may be one available for the non toxic that I am unaware of...
 
Here's an old GVP trick which I haven't seen here for a while. When winterizing the raw water side of your engine mix each gallon of 100% non-toxic AF with 1 gallon of windshield washer fluid. Cheaper than AF and provides better freze protection than mixing with water.
 
One other food for thought. Check the price of the 50/50 gallon against the straight gallon. I was at one retail outlet and compared the price. In the end it was cheaper to buy the straight gallon and mix with water. That created 2 gallons of 50/50 for less than the price of one gallon of the premixed 50/50. I think it is pure marketing. Your mileage may vary.
eric
 
Why pay for the packaging, shipping, etc for the water? Buy the straight stuff and dilute it yourself.
 
Thanks everyone. I didn't think the tester was good if you mixed the "real" stuff with the biodegradable stuff.

FYI, I was in Walmart in Natick, MA on Sunday evening. They have straight-up Prestone for about $11.50 with a $7 mail-in rebate per jug, 2 rebates per person/household/ etc. The rebate is valid thru 12/31/2010.

That makes it almost as cheap as the non-toxic stuff, if you need it.
 
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