If people want to run conventional 50/50% coolant that's approved for our vehicles let them, if they want to run the waterless stuff that's their prerogative as well. One has it's benefits, and the other has it's own benefits as well. I like that I can change my coolant in about 30-40 min tops, but it would also be nice to never have to touch it again, but I don't like to spend up to $150 a gallon, plus all the prep work to flush 97% of the water out of the system. I much rather spend $45, or in my case free.99 for more coolant, and I can sleep easy at night knowing that my 3 year coolant changes will never lead to any measurable corrosion in the system. Can't knock people for wanting to try something new, we all benefit from people experimenting because we can use their experience to make more informed choices.

 

I tend to keep cars a very long time: until they disintegrate. My S is my favorite and I hope to have her going for at least the next 20 years. You are correct the easiest way is a pretty good way: using approved coolant at the designated intervals.

Never touching it again for 2 decades for $150? Tempting (except the hassle of removing the water!)

 

The blue honda coolant has 100k mile intervals. $20/gal. You need 1.5ish gallons for each flush. So for 200k miles of use...thats $80 if you buy 4 gals.

Or spend whatever that waterless coolant costs. Take time to clean out your engine of all water. When your grand children ask what you did with your life, you'll be ashamed that you spent hours drying out your engine.

After this...you're hoping that your thermostat or water pump or hoses or gaskets will NEVER fail? And you'll NEVER have to change that waterless coolant? And your radiator will last FOREVER because bugs and debris dont exist? Or do you think that by 200k miles, those things will need maintenance?

 

Pretty easy to see why automakers dont use it.


"Never have to change it" is an illusion unless you're buying "never have to change" hoses, thermostat, water pump, bulletproof radiator, etc etc.

 

120k miles is for the original factory installed coolant, the manual very clearly states it's 5yrs or 60,000 miles after 1st coolant change. I do 3 years because like I said, it's free and it won't hurt nothing. PS the waterless coolant is around $40 for a gallon of the flushing fluid, and $50/gallon of the actual coolant, so yeah you're looking at around $180 to go to the waterless stuff, vs $45 for Honda type 2, or Toyota type2 or Nissan type 2

 

Sure. But what is the benefit? One way or the other...you're going to need to drain that coolant out at some point. In'it?

 

According to the sales director for the company (and Leno): when the car is dismantled. Leno had some examples of the corrosion some of his cars were experiencing; you can be sure he is not putting in garbage coolant or tap water. If he is in the process of putting it in ALL his cars, he must see a reason to do it. I will give you he can get somebody else to spend the time to do it.

There is one other benefit as far as overheating goes. The way standard automobile gauges are set up reflect the loss of cooling boiling water provides. Its all about the boiling temp of water. When the coolant starts to boil (at the top of the gauge) the engine temp actually exceeds the temp of boiling water and damage occurs. Why? The ability of water based coolant to actually cool disappears as it hit the boiling point. Rapidly. Within a very short period of time the engine, without any cooling, has a fast spike in temp way beyond 212 F or 100C. With the waterless coolant, the same level of efficiency (that cooler water has) exists beyond the 'normal' range because the waterless coolant does not boil at the same temp as water/water based coolant. That means if one a bad day in Death Valley, going uphill with the a/c on and your gauge hits the high marks, your are not as likely to have engine damage the way you would with water based coolant.

 

I can tell you from experience that you're extremely unlikely to see any corrosion on a 100k or even higher mileage water pump on a Honda that's been using factory pre mixed coolant.

How hard are you tracking your car that you think its going to over heat or have any sort of cooling problem? You'd have to be tracking the crap out of it on a 100+ degree day. I just got back from a track weekend where temps were in the 90's.

Obviously, I'm not telling you what to do. Im still not seeing any benefit to this extra special coolant.

 

Isn't the waterless coolant placed to prevent corrosion ON CARS THAT SIT MOST OF THE TIME?

 

You know... I haven't followed this thread --- but, to avoid issues --- I'd use Honda coolant in Honda cars (and bikes <--- an absolute MUST). Less worries. You can then spend more of your waking hours and gray matter, on other things.