Trusting Antifreeze Test Strips

[mrutkaus]

Looking around I see SOME people consider NAPA's NapaKool to be a water wetter, and SOME people consider it to be an anti cavitation diesel agent.

Random question: Does a radiator water wetter do anything like an anticavitation fluid? It almost seems it would keep water in contact with metal better, reducing cavitation.

But, what do I know?

Mike

 

[AlanB]

I don't know either, but am curious. I cannot find Napa Kool on the Napa website.

I saw something on Dieselpower website, but no part #s etc.

They said it was a Fleetguard product. We should be able to take the MSDS and see and cross it too the fleetguard and see what they are reccomending it for.

We have fooled with some of the various Water wetters, and have never noticed one that claimed to be an SCA for diesels, but do not believe I have ever noticed that Napa had one.

 

[DieselPower]

I don't think they have anything on the Napa website except for the MSDS. Just ask the guy or gal at the parts counter for it. All of my local Napa stores have it on the shelves out front.

If memory serves correctly Napa Kool, Big A Cool, Wix Cool and CarQuest Cooling System Treatment are all the same and all made by Wix. It is a nitrate, nitrite, borate based DCA, similiar to FleetGuards DCA 2.

For those of you having problems finding a DCA additive stop by any local Ford dealership. Ask for a bottle of FW-16, it's nothing more than a bottle of FleetGuard DCA 4 in a Ford wrapper.

The majority of DCA test strips on the market will have three indicator spots on them. One for nitrate, one for molybdate and one for the freeze point.

One thing to remember is to never just dump in DCA without knowing what your additive level currently is. If you add to much additive (above 2400 ppm of nitrite) you can start to get additive dropout which causes a whole different set of problems, deposit formations, add to much silicate and you can get silicate gel formations (looks like jello).

 

[mrutkaus]

Got a pint of NapaKool today...he got it from "out back" --- it was sort of an "under the counter transaction" !!!

$8

It really only mentions diesel/truck engiens in the small print on back of the bottle, almost as if you are supposed to already know that it is only for diesel.

What do I know, I'm just a Tech Writer!?

Mike