15 Oct What is Extended Life Coolant & How Long Will it Last?
Extended Life Coolant uses advanced organic acid technology which depletes slower than traditional coolant additives. This eliminates the need to add SCA’s (supplemental coolant additives) which extends coolant service intervals and provides superior heat transfer, cavitation and corrosion protection.
The organic acid technology in extended life coolant benefits the engine in many ways. Since it doesn’t use conventional abrasive inhibitors like silicate and phosphate it will help avoid silicate drop out, which clogs coolant passageways, reduces water pump seal failure, improves hard water compatibility, improves maintenance costs because of longer service intervals.
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Is Extended Life Coolant Compatible with All Engines?
Be careful which engines you change over to Extended Life Coolant, because the organic acids may not be compatible with certain materials like brass and silicone and metallic surfaces. Most engines made today are already set up to use Extended Life Coolant.
Can You Mix Extended Life Coolant (ELC) with Conventional Coolant?
Some things to keep in mind with extended life coolant, although ELC is compatible with conventional coolant, mixing the two will reduce the benefit of extended life coolant. If you have more than 10% of regular antifreeze mixed with extended life coolant than you must maintain the system with SCA’s just as you always would because now it is no longer ELC. Or drain and refill the system with a new batch of ELC.
Some of the coolants have a certain color to identify them CAT ELC is red/orange, AC Delco ELC is pink/red, FleetGuard ES ELC is blue, and there are many others as well, if it isn’t green it may be ELC. Finding out what is in the system can be tough sometimes when ELC and regular coolant has been mixed you get weird color combinations.
How Long WIll Extended Life Coolant Protect the Engine?
Extended Life Coolant will provide engine protection for 150,000 miles, 6,000 hours, 30 months, depending on the severity of your application. I would keep using the coolant that came with your engine when it was made.
