HOAT Antifreeze - Can't check with "standard" 5-ball tester??

15829 Views 1 Reply 2 Participants Last post by GCyr, Feb 5, 2005

JustForFun

Discussion Starter · Feb 4, 2005 (Edited)

Just took my car in for some fixes and one concerned my antifreeze concentration.

After I took delivery last week, I checked my antifreeze concentration at home using my trusty standard "turkey baster 5-ball" antifreeze tester (gotten at any autoparts store).

I only had 4 balls float and the 4th one was real slow to even do that. The 5th ball sunk like a rock. According to my tester, I was around -25 degrees F. in protection.

Being as I live in Wisconsin, I really think I should be at a lower temp, especially knowing there was a TSB about this very issue.

Anyway, I mentioned when I took the car in today and they said they would check it. The service guy just called and said they checked it and they got it to read -35 degrees F., and that all 5 balls floated.

Here is the interesting part.

He also said that because the 300 uses the new HOAT antifreeze, that a typical 5-ball tester can't be used and that they have to use one espcially designed for that type of antifreeze. He suggested that because I was using an older "normal" antifreeze type tester, the reading was not accurate.

Anybody else ever heard of this? Does this HOAT type antifreeze require a "specific" type of tester now?

What do you guys think?

JFF

EDITED TO ADD:

Here is an interesting link on antifreeze types:

LINK

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GCyr

· #2 · Feb 5, 2005

From the service manual:

COOLANT CONCENTRATION TESTING
Coolant concentration should be checked when any additional coolant was added to system or after a coolant drain, flush and refill. The coolant mixture offers optimum engine cooling and protection against corrosion when mixed to a freeze point of -37°C (-34°F) to -46°C (-50°F). The use of a hydrometer or a refractometer can be used to test coolant concentration.

A hydrometer will test the amount of glycol in a mixture by measuring the specific gravity of the mixture. The higher the concentration of ethylene glycol, the larger the number of balls that will float, and higher the freeze protection (up to a maximum of 60% by volume glycol).

A refractometer Tool 8286 (Refer to 7 - COOLING - SPECIAL TOOLS) will test the amount of glycol in a coolant mixture by measuring the amount a beam of light bends as it passes through the fluid.

JustForFun said:
Here is the interesting part.

He also said that because the 300 uses the new HOAT antifreeze, that a typical 5-ball tester can't be used and that they have to use one espcially designed for that type of antifreeze. He suggested that because I was using an older "normal" antifreeze type tester, the reading was not accurate.

Anybody else ever heard of this? Does this HOAT type antifreeze require a "specific" type of tester now?

What do you guys think?

JFF

EDITED TO ADD:

Here is an interesting link on antifreeze types:

LINK

Save

1 - 2 of 2 Posts

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