Volvo D1-30 - coolant colours.

[prv]

We ran up the engine the other week to test new fuel system, remote oil filter, etc. All fine, but after a while we noticed that there was barely a dribble left in the coolant header tank. I don't think it's leaking or that there's been any actual overheating of the engine, but obviously the level needs topping up.

I duly bought 5 litres of genuine Volvo coolant from Keypart, from their page specific to the D1-30. Therefore, this coolant ought to be the right stuff for the engine. However, on opening the bottle (actually, on it leaking very slightly in the back of the car :/ ) I find that the new stuff is green and the dregs in the header tank are pink.

Anyone know what's going on here? I assume they can't be mixed, so is the pink OK and I can get some more of it and top up? Or do I need to drain and refill with the green? Obviously there's an argument for draining the system anyway in order to clean the heat exchanger etc, since I don't know when it was last done, but I want to move the header tank at some point in the next few months so it makes sense to leave it until then and only have to drain down once. Only had simple raw-water engines before so not really sure how much effort is involved (do you end up having to bleed calorifiers etc?).

Cheers,

Pete

 

[Quandary]

The Volvo branded coolant for my D1 30 was green as was the 5 litres that came with the boat. However it eventually turned brown and now that the original stuff is done, I replace with blue stuff from the garage, I do not think that there is anything special about Perkins engines that could require a special coolant as long as it has the correct rust inhibitors.
Changing the coolant was so straightforward I can not remember the details, I just followed the manual.

 

[prv]

I do not think that there is anything special about Perkins engines that could require a special coolant as long as it has the correct rust inhibitors.

You're probably right - but even so I doubt it's ok to mix different ones. Pretty sure the coolant for my car (which was purple) had strict warnings against mixing with anything else.

Pete

 

[Plevier]

VP do two coolants, green which is traditional inorganic acid technology (for the inhibitors) and yellow which is new organic acid technology.
If someone has put red stuff in it's probably OAT equivalent to VP's yellow stuff.
For D1 series engines VP say you can use either but you definitely shouldn't mix them. (For most older engines it's green only.)
Personally I would drain the old stuff for safety as you can't be sure what it is.

 

[Quandary]

I looked at the label of the last stuff I used 'Comma Super Coldmaster', it says it is 'pure concentrated ethylene glycol' so I suspect it is only the colour of the dye which varies, however Volvo Penta do like to pretend there is something unique and exclusive about everything they put their name to, (or more often get the real makers to put VPs name to) There is no warning about mixing with anything else, though obviously it needs to be ethylene glycol.
I would flush it anyway the stuff is not that expensive (as long as it is not labelled 'Volvo') and you only need less than two litres, mixing pink and green would give you an ugly shade of brown.

 

[prv]

Personally I would drain the old stuff for safety as you can't be sure what it is.

Mm. We wanted to run the engine yesterday for backup while we warped the boat round in a strong breeze (needed her head to wind to put the new sails on ). So my dad tipped some fresh water in on the grounds that this was better than mixing antifreezes. Is slight dilution (probably only about 200ml of water added, just to bring the header tank above the Min line) a problem or are we now ok until I have to drain the system anyway to move the tank?

(Probably daft questions, but as I say, I've never had a freshwater cooled engine before.)

Pete

 

[pvb]

Is slight dilution (probably only about 200ml of water added, just to bring the header tank above the Min line) a problem or are we now ok until I have to drain the system anyway to move the tank?

That shouldn't be a problem at all. It's "spring" now, so we shouldn't get incredibly low temperatures. In any case, with a boat in the water in the UK, the engine temperature is unlikely to get cold enough to freeze.
.

 

[Plevier]

Very slight dilution, not a problem at all.

 

[prv]

That shouldn't be a problem at all. It's "spring" now, so we shouldn't get incredibly low temperatures. In any case, with a boat in the water in the UK, the engine temperature is unlikely to get cold enough to freeze.
.

Thing is that "antifreeze" is a bit of a misnomer, it's more "corrosion inhibitor" for the metal inside the engine. I may not know freshwater boat engines, but I know that much

Pete

 

[philwebb]

COOLANT

Mm. We wanted to run the engine yesterday for backup while we warped the boat round in a strong breeze (needed her head to wind to put the new sails on ). So my dad tipped some fresh water in on the grounds that this was better than mixing antifreezes. Is slight dilution (probably only about 200ml of water added, just to bring the header tank above the Min line) a problem or are we now ok until I have to drain the system anyway to move the tank?

(Probably daft questions, but as I say, I've never had a freshwater cooled engine before.)

Would you worry about adding a bit of water to your car coolant system as a temporary fix? No, so why should you worry about it
on your boat. The coolant is mainly ethylene glycol and the colour is a non-essential dye. Look at the car coolants in Halfords they
are either pink or blue -the colour makes no difference. You shouldn't have to buy overpriced Volvo coolant, any glycol based coolant will
do, diluted 50% with water should be OK to probably 10 degrees below zero (Centigrade)

 

[prv]

Would you worry about adding a bit of water to your car coolant system as a temporary fix?

Dunno, I've never had to

I have drained and refilled the car system twice in order to fix a broken thermostat, and both the Haynes manual and the Volkswagen coolant bottle were festooned with warnings about the cleanliness and correct dilution of the coolant. The Haynes book said that these new long-life coolants (no need to ever replace it throughout the life of the car, unless the system needs fixing as mine did) are different from the old green glycol types. It's probably this that has caused me to worry about the same factors in the boat engine, since it is about ten years newer than the car and very different to my faithful old Yanmar - electronic controls and everything. If it was a classic old MD lump I wouldn't worry.

Pete

 

[Plevier]

Look at the car coolants in Halfords they
are either pink or blue -the colour makes no difference. any glycol based coolant will
do,

I thought this until a year or so ago when i had reason to look into it, it's no longer true, please see my post #4 above which applies equally to cars, not just to VP.
There are now two incompatible types of a/f around, IAT and OAT.
(I do agree there is no point buying VP badged stuff, as long as you get the right type.)

 

[prv]

I thought this until a year or so ago when i had reason to look into it, it's no longer true, please see my post #4 above which applies equally to cars, not just to VP.
There are now two incompatible types of a/f around, IAT and OAT.

Thanks for confirming this - I dunno, I come here for advice and seem to know more than half the responders

It was specifically because in the VW world the new style is purple and the old style is green, and my header tank had purple stuff in it, that I was concerned. But it sounds like the colour coding is not universal.

Also the fact that the boat engine is ten years newer than the car, and the car already had new style coolant in it which is emphatically not compatible with the old style. Because the new style does not need replacing (in cars), you don't see it around on the shelves much, only the old type.

(I do agree there is no point buying VP badged stuff, as long as you get the right type.)

Agree, but it was an easy way of getting the "right" stuff for the engine when I didn't yet know what it needed.

Pete

 

[Plevier]

Pretty comprehensive explanation here http://www.coolantexperts.com/coolant_overview/coolant_technologies_application

 

[prv]

Interestingly, I've just found in the Operator's Manual a note saying that Volvo yellow VCS coolant should never be used.

Then I found in the Workshop Manual a note saying it can be, and that you must stick with the type the engine came with.

A right bugger's muddle.

I think I'm going to stick with small amounts of extra water for now, then when I move the header tank from the cockpit locker into the engine bay in a couple of months' time, I'll drain, flush thoroughly, clean the heat exchanger, and refill the system with the green non-VCS coolant I have.

Pete

 

[VicS]

Just to add that if in doubt about the antifreeze type in use that it is possible to buy , eg from Halfords, a universal top up that can be used with either conventional low silicate antifreeze or with the advanced long life OAT type

Also note that Volvo suggest using distilled or de-ionised water if the hardness or tds of your water supply exceeds certain limits. If it does then there is some merit in buying the antifreeze ready diluted for use

 

[prv]

some merit in buying the antifreeze ready diluted for use

Bit late now as I've already bought it. Though to be honest I'm not even sure if it's diluted or not, there's sod all information on the label. I suspect it is not, and I've just ordered a big bottle of deionised water for £3.78 off eBay; at that price I thought I might as well, should be enough for two refills.

Pete

 

[Plevier]

Interestingly, I've just found in the Operator's Manual a note saying that Volvo yellow VCS coolant should never be used.

Then I found in the Workshop Manual a note saying it can be, and that you must stick with the type the engine came with.

A right bugger's muddle.

I don't know which engine variant you have.
The op manual for the latest D1 F series says DO use yellow.
I don't think the op manual for my mate's early D1 is specific - maybe VP only had the green stuff at that time.
VP's web page about coolants lists green as being OK for all D1 variants from A to F but yellow only for F. http://82.197.226.21/vpac/default.aspx?language=en&id=6904&sn= (go to p2 and click coolant)

 

[nigelmercier]

Though to be honest I'm not even sure if it's diluted or not, there's sod all information on the label...

Is it Volvo Penta Type 90 Anti-freeze KeyPart Ref: V1141646 ?

Concentrate - Type 90
Recommended dilution 40% coolant Type 90 + 60% distilled water.
From: http://senyltd.com/index.php/en/volvopenta?cat=18

However, it seems they do two dilutions, see: www.pentamarine.co.th/pdf/chemical products.pdf on Page 3 of 5, marked 11

 

[prv]

Is it Volvo Penta Type 90 Anti-freeze KeyPart Ref: V1141646 ?
[...]
Recommended dilution 40% coolant Type 90 + 60% distilled water.

That's the stuff I have - thanks.

Pete