From digest.v7.n533 Mon Nov 3 21:05:22 1997
From: Steven J Bernstein <stevenb_at_garageboy.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 18:05:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: <ALL> Rust colored coolant

Regarding the guy who asked about his rust-colored coolant, this is bad. This is VERY VERY bad.

Here's some datapoints:

• - I have an 83 528e with 280k+ miles on it. I use it four seasons of the year and really beat the crap out of this car. It has the original radiator and heater core, not to mention head gasket, etc., etc., etc. I've had it about 10 years, and I have always used BMW coolant. Every other year, I flush and refill. When I flush, I always drain the engine AND the radiator. I also run water through the system and run the car (with the heat on to open the heater core) at least once. EVERY TIME I DO THIS, IT ONLY REQUIRES ONE PASS OF WATER!!!! This is phenomenal, and there is so little rust in the engine, it's great.

You can thank the BMW anti-freeze for that.

• - I also have an 87 528e, where the previous owner used Prestone or other shit coolant that was designed (if I can even use that word) by monkeys. EVERY time I have flushed the coolant (and I've done it a few times in the few years since I've owned the car), it comes out disgustingly rusty even though I only refill it with the BMW coolant. I then run water through EVERYTHING over and over and over again. It still comes out rusty and I fear that even after replacing all kinds of hoses, that my heater core and radiator are screwed, and the only way to get rid of the rust will be to replace an otherwise working system. I can't imagine rust in the engine can be good for the long-term life of the engine, or the seals/gaskets therein.

The lessons learned:

• - Use BMW coolant. If you can find an equivalent, use it in YOUR car, but not in mine. For the few pennies more, I'll stick with the original. I don't trust any of these other formulas out there since I can't be certain what is in them. If you find someone with actual DATA about this that is verifiable, then you're probably OK. For the few pennies more, I'll skip the research and use what I KNOW works.
• - Even if you start using the right coolant after a previous owner moron had your car, you may find yourself replacing everything in the cooling system at some point to eliminate the problem.
• - Don't use coolant flush products. They're designed by the same monkeys that designed that damaging coolant in the first place.

Hope this helps,
.steve.

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