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Coolant Change??? C70

I sure don't (hear ya)!

How is changing power steering fluid going to prevent something from brEAking down?

Changing ATF every 20-25K miles is more likely to lead to failure than to prevent
one on a modern AT. (20-25K was the recommended interval 30 years ago, when
Dexron was not nearly as robust as current Dexron, and transmissions constantly
sheared the ATF, unlike modern transmissions. Trust me or Volvo or Aisin-Warner:
if you cross your fingers and hold your breath and knock on wood, modern standard
Dexron ATF in a modern AT can safely go much much further than 20-25K miles.)

If some maintenance is good, and more is better, then is too much just right?
Let us not be too linear -- nor too general -- in our thinking: If yearly
maintenance will help your car last 15 years, will monthly maintenance help your
car last 180 years?

Brake fluid is hygroscopic -- it attracts moisture, and should be replaced every
2 years, to prevent corrosion to the brake system. The same is not true of power
steering fluid... Engine oil gets contaminated with acidic moisture and other
undesirables, from exposure to combustion byproducts. The same is not true of
ATF...

I believe you can do a pH test on your coolant, though it's not that big a deal
to simply drain/replace it every 3-4 years (there are 2 drain cocks, one on
the radiator and another on the back of the engine block), provided proper
disposal is not any problem... BTW, I always use distilled water to mix with
the coolant.

The trick isn't to sweat as many details as you possibly can. The trick is to
know which details to sweat, and why, and thus when.

Sometimes -- often! -- this knowledge does lead to simply using/enjoying one's
vehicle until (while waiting for) something to break. There's no guarantee that
something will break if you do not (over-)maintain the vehicle, just as there is
no guarantee that nothing will break if you do (over-)maintain the vehicle.

So give it (the over-maintaining) a rest.

- Dave; '95 854T, 131K mi






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New Coolant Change??? [C70]
posted by  rd  on Mon Sep 9 04:26 CST 2002 >


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