Mannol Coolant Antifreeze - possible fake counterfeit

[CitroJim]

That's a good result Helen.. I wonder if the product will now be withdrawn?

Loved the tale of the gin and vodka in BOAR bases I never served there but did in Cyprus... I'm now wondering if the local Keo beer may have been a good coolant... It would surely have shifted any corrosion... It was evil stuff back in the early 80s...

I do believe vodka in the Soviet Union was used as windscreen wash fluid...

[bobins]

I think you might have that last bit the wrong way 'round, Jim
A couple of mates used to tell of Soviet soldiers using brake fluid, anti freeze, and washer fluid as drinks to help pass the time

[CitroJim]

A couple of mates used to tell of Soviet soldiers using brake fluid, anti freeze, and washer fluid as drinks to help pass the time

Gosh In preference to vodka? Mind you, from what friends have told me of their times behind the iron curtain the old Soviet vodka was pretty rough stuff... A cocktail of automotive fluids was possibly a lot more satisfying and maybe even a little less poisonous

Dad used to tell me during the war they'd occasionally drink a glass of very dilute sulphuric acid as a treat... It was allegedly a bit like drinking a glass of fizzy lemonade...

I cannot substantiate this

[Paul-R]

Mmmm, hold on with the dumping. You have a liquid there which has some glycol in it mixed with, presumably, deionised water. Personally, I would top that -8°C with neat glycol/inhibitor until it reaches a suitable concentration for the UK.

[CitroJim]

Mmmm, hold on with the dumping. You have a liquid there which has some glycol in it mixed with, presumably, deionised water. Personally, I would top that -8°C with neat glycol/inhibitor until it reaches a suitable concentration for the UK.

Yes, a very good point Paul... Ethylene Glycol, even in very small quantities, is very dangerous to animals and aquatic life, including us...

Best disposed of at a council rubbish tip who should have the knowledge and facilities to safely handle it...

[Paul-R]

... or strengthen the concentration of glycol/inhibitor and turn it into something useful.

[aspire_helen]

Good point re using the Mannol as a diluent. Fortunately, our local recycle centre (the dump) were closed today and tomorrow. More cuts.....its enough to make you just throw it down the drain (kidding). But on a serious note.....antifreezes cannot just be mixed, some types/variants are incompatible and should not be mixed. I saw a detailed inter-compatibility chart somewhere recently on a major producers website. I will find it again. One issue I recall is differences in the chemistry by which they protect copper, iron, aluminium etc.

[MattBLancs]

Dad used to tell me during the war they'd occasionally drink a glass of very dilute sulphuric acid as a treat... It was allegedly a bit like drinking a glass of fizzy lemonade...

I cannot substantiate this

Lemonade contains lemons, lemons have citric acid,
Lemonade is usually fizzy, carbonating drinks makes them slightly acidic,

Put the two facts together, give a little stir = basically drinking acid is fine, no?

I'm too risk averse to try anything as mad as that, I suspect it is a drink for those who's ancestors were in the "I think I could probably give that sleeping sabre tooth tiger a tickle, don't you think?" camp!


I too wouldn't not throw away (or rather responsibly dispose of via local recycling centre) that bottle of inferior stuff.

Although it would be generally throwing money at Mannol, and understand why that may not be desirable, would buying a bottle of concentrated Mannol coolant of the same type not be the easiest route to ensure compatibility?

[CitroJim]

I'm too risk averse to try anything as mad as that, I suspect it is a drink for those who's ancestors were in the "I think I could probably give that sleeping sabre tooth tiger a tickle, don't you think?" camp!

Whilst I'd not try it Matt it didn't do him any lasting harm - he lived until he was 93!

[aspire_helen]

The 2001 Citroen C5 workshop manual specifies Glynsantin (BASF) G30 which has been superseded by G33. G33 uses "OAT without silicates" corrosion inhibitors. That's why I looked in the first place at Mannol G12+ because it is the same chemistry. So, I am looking at buying Glynsnatin G30 "Ready mixed" at -37degsC and diluting it with the Mannol G12+ at -8degsC down to about -20degsC. By coincidence, they are both pink coloured. Alternatively, I am looking at Prestone / Holts All Vehicle -37degsC, widely available and guaranteed suitable for all vehicles and mixing with all other antifreezes.

[ozvtr]

"OAT without silicates" corrosion inhibitors.

FYI. The "OAT" is a corrosion inhibitor but the "silicates" to which they refer is not a corrosion inhibitor. Sodium silicate is a leak stop agent. The theory is, if you get a small puncture in your radiator (or what ever) the silicate will form a patch and plug the hole. It is used as the main ingredient in a lot of the "head gasket repair in a bottle" treatments*.
HOWEVER!!!!! Sodium silicate will "glue" ferrous (iron and steel) and other metal components together (like connecting rods and crank shafts)!!!! So, if you have a head gasket leak that allows coolant to leak into your oil pan AND the coolant contains silicates...it will most likely destroy your engine. So most coolant manufacturers have stopped putting "silicates" in their products.

*The companies who manufacture the "head gasket repair-in-a-bottle" products have BIG warnings on the bottles telling you what head gasket symptoms their product is suitable for and what symptoms it is NOT SUITABLE for!!

[CitroJim]

Thanks OZVTR That's interesting about the silicates...

I never have any faith in bottles of potential 'snake oil' like the 'Fix Ya Head Gasket' type but was quite intrigued by a video I saw a while back where it appeared to work... For how long was not stated...

[ozvtr]

A couple of mates used to tell of Soviet soldiers using brake fluid, anti freeze, and washer fluid as drinks to help pass the time

Gosh In preference to vodka? Mind you, from what friends have told me of their times behind the iron curtain the old Soviet vodka was pretty rough stuff... A cocktail of automotive fluids was possibly a lot more satisfying and maybe even a little less poisonous

Dad used to tell me during the war they'd occasionally drink a glass of very dilute sulphuric acid as a treat... It was allegedly a bit like drinking a glass of fizzy lemonade...

I cannot substantiate this

An interesting YouTube video: here . A bit long winded but go straight to the 15:45 point.
When the Russian air force took possession of the Tupolev Tu-22 bomber, it had a tank of a 40% pure ethyl alcohol and 60% distilled water mix (the same ratio as 80 proof Vodka)! The trainer version carried up to an impressive, 400 litres of this mixture! It was supposed to be part of the air conditioning system. Hmm, I wonder what happened to the unused portion when the flight ended?

[CitroJim]

Hmm, I wonder what happened to the unused portion when the flight ended?

A very happy and content aircrew I expect

[aspire_helen]

OZVTR I read that sodium silicate is actually used in the USA to permanently disable an engine. Why? Under their version of the "car scrappage scheme", they required engines of the old traded-in car to be disabled so they could not be re-sold. Two litres of sodium silicate solution in the engine oils seizes the engine in a few minutes.