Have you used testing strips?

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I used them to monitor my anti freeze and add pencool. It pretty much eliminates the need to change antifreeze.
First thing they do when you pull a big truck in with engine trouble is check the antifreeze to see if you scored a piston liner.
 
I have used the brake fluid strips. The ones that are looking for copper ppm. Works pretty good. Need to get some coolant strips.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I used them to monitor my anti freeze and add pencool. It pretty much eliminates the need to change antifreeze.
First thing they do when you pull a big truck in with engine trouble is check the antifreeze to see if you scored a piston liner.


What's a piston liner?
 
Didn't know you could get them for transmission fluid. What does that test for?

Presumably ATF only though so not much use to me at the moment, since I have a manual transmission.

You won't be able to get anything like that in Taiwan anyway, but GF is in the Yook at present and that'd be a fairly light thing for her to bring back, so I'll look into what's available.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I used them to monitor my anti freeze and add pencool. It pretty much eliminates the need to change antifreeze.
First thing they do when you pull a big truck in with engine trouble is check the antifreeze to see if you scored a piston liner.


What's a piston liner?



The cylinder wall. Some engines they can be replaced fairly easily, especially larger diesel engines. Other engines you bore it out and press in a new sleeve.
 
You can use a volt meter for testing coolant. Or pH strips, anything under a pH of 9 is trouble.

Quote:
Begin with a cold engine. Remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Set your digital multimeter to DC volts at 20 volts or less. When the engine reaches operating temperature, insert the positive probe directly into the coolant. Rev the engine to 2,000 rpm and place the negative probe on the negative battery terminal. If the digital meter reads .4 volts or less, your coolant is in good condition. If it’s greater than .4 volts, the electrolysis additives are exhausted, and you may be in the market for a new radiator, a water pump or a heater core in the future. All of those are far more expensive than a simple coolant change.
 
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
You can use a volt meter for testing coolant. Or pH strips, anything under a pH of 9 is trouble.

Quote:
Begin with a cold engine. Remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Set your digital multimeter to DC volts at 20 volts or less. When the engine reaches operating temperature, insert the positive probe directly into the coolant. Rev the engine to 2,000 rpm and place the negative probe on the negative battery terminal. If the digital meter reads .4 volts or less, your coolant is in good condition. If it’s greater than .4 volts, the electrolysis additives are exhausted, and you may be in the market for a new radiator, a water pump or a heater core in the future. All of those are far more expensive than a simple coolant change.


Sorry, the digital multimeter test does not work, it turns out the reading you get is related to coolant concentration, 50/50 mix measures higher
then 30/70 mix and 60/40 mix measures highest, etc. Tried this out here, in car and in glass beakers on the bench.

Then I found this PDF:

BOGUS COOLANT TEST – Pat Goss Blows It!
https://app.box.com/s/mc3kaetdmj38ebzomyscxe9wt8rvotdg

Turns out Pat Goss made this claim on YouTube and Motorweek, he later answered posts that
segment was incorrect.

If the engine is running, injector and ignition power, etc, on the engine creates a normal
voltage drop thru the return path to the battery, usually .1 to .2 V DC that adds to the meter reading!

If you change your meter over to the lowest DC amps range with a probe in the coolant, you'll see a current
from 1 to 20 Micro-amps (.000020A). Corrosion is actually a current issue rather the voltage and you'd need
current in the high milli-amp range (.010A +)for a corrosion problem due to currents and dissimilar metals, etc,
I'll stick with Ph test strips or change GM Dexcool sooner. I also have another car in the garage that runs regular glycol
and it responds the same way.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: Ducked
What's a piston liner?

The cylinder wall. Some engines they can be replaced fairly easily, especially larger diesel engines.


These are called "wet sleeves"

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal

Other engines you bore it out and press in a new sleeve.


These are called "dry sleeves"
 
Originally Posted By: i_hate_autofraud
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
You can use a volt meter for testing coolant. Or pH strips, anything under a pH of 9 is trouble.

Quote:
Begin with a cold engine. Remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Set your digital multimeter to DC volts at 20 volts or less. When the engine reaches operating temperature, insert the positive probe directly into the coolant. Rev the engine to 2,000 rpm and place the negative probe on the negative battery terminal. If the digital meter reads .4 volts or less, your coolant is in good condition. If it’s greater than .4 volts, the electrolysis additives are exhausted, and you may be in the market for a new radiator, a water pump or a heater core in the future. All of those are far more expensive than a simple coolant change.


Sorry, the digital multimeter test does not work, it turns out the reading you get is related to coolant concentration, 50/50 mix measures higher
then 30/70 mix and 60/40 mix measures highest, etc. Tried this out here, in car and in glass beakers on the bench.

Then I found this PDF:

BOGUS COOLANT TEST – Pat Goss Blows It!
https://app.box.com/s/mc3kaetdmj38ebzomyscxe9wt8rvotdg

Turns out Pat Goss made this claim on YouTube and Motorweek, he later answered posts that
segment was incorrect.

If the engine is running, injector and ignition power, etc, on the engine creates a normal
voltage drop thru the return path to the battery, usually .1 to .2 V DC that adds to the meter reading!

If you change your meter over to the lowest DC amps range with a probe in the coolant, you'll see a current
from 1 to 20 Micro-amps (.000020A). Corrosion is actually a current issue rather the voltage and you'd need
current in the high milli-amp range (.010A +)for a corrosion problem due to currents and dissimilar metals, etc,
I'll stick with Ph test strips or change GM Dexcool sooner. I also have another car in the garage that runs regular glycol
and it responds the same way.
Are they applying 14V to the metal or just using the meter? I don't seee that mentioned.
 
Here is AC Delcos take on flushing and testing coolant.

ACDelco’s guidelines for replacing engine coolant

Quote:
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is the presence of high current circulating through the coolant. When coolant inhibitors are depleted, this level is usually higher than what is found in a normal system. Verify that no electrolysis is present in the cooling system before and after the system has been repaired to provide a basis for additional repair. Use a digital voltmeter set to 12 volts. Attach one test lead to the negative battery post and insert the other test lead into the radiator coolant, making sure the lead does not touch the filler neck or core. Any voltage reading over 0.3 volts indicates that stray current is finding its way into the coolant.

Electrolysis is an intermittent condition that often occurs when a device or accessory that is mounted to the radiator is energized, such as a poorly grounded cooling fan or other accessory. It can be checked by watching the voltmeter and turning on and off various accessories or by engaging the starter motor.



And another site for electrolysis.

Testing for chemical electrolysis:
 
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