Coolants: What

You Don’t Know

Can Hurt Your
Engine

Presenter:
Lauren Lewis
Product Development Engineer
Coolant and Chemical Technology
October 28, 2014
We Know Engines…
We Know Coolant…
 Cummins Filtration is the only
coolant manufacturer that is a
subsidiary of an engine
manufacturer
 This relationship makes Cummins
Filtration leaders in knowledge of
real world cooling system
problems and the technology
needed to address them
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Function of Coolant

 Engines produce more heat that can be converted

into useful work
 The cooling system manages engine temperatures by
removing, circulating, dissipating, and controlling heat

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Function of Coolant

 The cooling system controls

temperatures of all metallic and
non-metallic material temperatures,
and controls the temperatures of
other engine fluids
 More than 40% of engine
problems originate in the cooling
system

4
Choosing a Product

 Coolants are classified based on performance and

type
– Performance
• Industry or OEM specifications
– Type
• Generic terms used to group coolants based on base type and
additive chemistry

5
Performance Specifications

 ASTM D3306 OEM Spec

CES14603
– Light Duty requirements
 ASTM D6210 ASTM
– Heavy Duty Requirements D6210
– Requires protection against liner
pitting and hot surface scaling
 OEM/CES14603 ASTM
– OEM Heavy Duty Coolant D3306
Standard
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Choosing a Product

 Coolants are classified based on performance and

type
– Performance
• Industry or OEM specifications
– Type
• Generic terms used to group coolants based on additive
chemistry

7
What Makes Up a Coolant

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Coolant Types
Glycerin

 Three different bases

– The most commonly used PG

base is EG (Ethylene Glycol)

– PG (Propylene Glycol)
– Glycerin
EG

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Coolant Types
 Lowers the Freeze Point High exposure
• Minus 37°C [-34°F] for EG at 50% area for ‘hot spot
vaporization’

 Raises the Boiling Point

• 108°C [226°F] for EG at 50%
• The coolant base gives extra
protection against localized
vaporization (reduces film boiling)
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Coolant Types
• Highest TCO, up to 10x higher than
premium ELC
Conventional • Shortest Service Interval
• Most Maintenance

• Extended Service Interval

Hybrid • Moderate Maintenance

OAT • Longest Service Interval

(Organic Additive • Most Robust to Contamination
Technology) • Preferred by Most OEMs
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Coolant Types

Organic Additive
Conventional Hybrid or HOAT
Technology
Technology Good Better Best
Coolant Life (Miles) 300,000-400,000 600,000-1,000,000 600,000-1,000,000
Maintenance Time High Medium Low
Proper top-off
Proper top-off plus Proper top-off plus (extenders may be
Maintenance Highlights
addition of SCAs or addition of SCAs or required depending on
extenders extenders the product)

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What Can Go Wrong
Liner Pitting
 Coolants that are not properly
formulated may not protect liners in
heavy-duty applications
– Lack of protection can lead to liner pitting
– This failure mode will result in costly
system rebuild

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Protecting your Engine
Liner Pitting
 For heavy-duty or high
horsepower
applications, ensure
your coolant meets
ASTM 6210
 This standard tests the
ability of a coolant to
prevent liner pitting
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What Can Go Wrong
Additive Drop Out
 Additives can become
unstable due to poor
formulation,
contamination, or over
addition of SCAs

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Protecting Your Engine
Additive Drop Out
 Check your water source
 More is not better
 OAT type coolants are
most resistant to
contamination

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What Can Go Wrong
Face Seal Deposits
 Water pump leakage can
Deposit Layer
occur due to deposit
formation on seals or in Seal Surface
water pump weep holes
 These deposits can come
from contamination or
additive drop out

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Protecting Your Engine
Face Seal Deposits
 Choose the proper coolant
 Properly maintain the
system
 Use a water filter to
capture contaminant in the
system

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What Can Go Wrong
Flux Contamination
 As cooling systems evolve,
more and more aluminum
components are used in the
cooling system
 Aluminum heat exchangers
often contain residual flux that
can contaminate cooling
systems
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What Can Go Wrong
Flux Contamination
 When exposed to large areas of aluminum,
some additives may become unstable, leading to
corrosion of aluminum components

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Protecting your Engine
Flux Contamination
 OAT type coolants are most
robust to contamination

 Avoid NOAT, Hybrid, and

Conventional products

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What Can Go Wrong
Elastomer Compatibility
 Some additives have a negative impact on
elastomers used in some applications

Shrinkage Loss of flexibility

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What Can Go Wrong
Elastomer Compatibility
Incompatible coolants cause delamination
of head gaskets and coolant leakage

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Protecting Your Engine
Elastomer Compatibility
 Select an OEM approved
product for your
application

 Look for ‘2-Ethylhexanoic

acid’ in the components

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Product Summary

ES Compleat OAT Avg. Competitor OAT

Coolant Life 1,000,000 600,000
Maintenance Proper Top up Top up and Extenders
Compatible with Elastomers Excellent Poor
Protects Liners Excellent Acceptable
Resistant to Contamination Good Good

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Cummins Tested…
Cummins Approved

Conventional Hybrid OAT

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More Information…
 Literature at CumminsFiltration.com
 Free Training at Fleetschool.com
 Visit us on YouTube®

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 Questions?

Lauren Lewis
Product Development Engineer
Want to talk more about coolants?
Coolant and Chemical Technology
Feel free to contact me with
lauren.lewis@cummins.com
additional questions….
Phone 615 986 9088 28