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  1. #1
    Member Array
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Geelong, Victoria
    Car:
    Accord Euro Lux

    Honda Radiator Coolant Life

    Anyone out there got any thoughts as to the practical life of the Radiator Coolant put in by the factory? (Honda All Season Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2)

    The Maintenance Schedule in the owners manual gives a time/distance span as "200,000 kms/10 years, then 100,000 kms/ 5 years therafter, EXCEPT FOR SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND models," but then does not give any time/distance for the latter. (Page 468 of the 2011 issue of the Accord /Accord Euro owner manual)
    However the Service Manual says change it at 200,000 kms orn 10 years. (120 months)

    Seeing that most advise to change the auto trans fluid earlier than what the Service Manual says, what about Engine Coolant?

    Also, opinions on a suitable alternative to the Honda labelled coolant, which would not be made by Honda anyway and is probably way overpriced? (I'm thinking on the lines of something like "Nulon Blue." ..... http://www.nulon.com.au/products/coo...Premix_Coolant)

  2. #2
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    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Car:
    Accord Euro CL9
    Maybe Honda didnt design their cars to last more than 300,000 km.
    I think the reason for 5 years interval instead of the original 10 is for conservatism as we may not be able to change the entire coolant if we drain from the bottom of the radiator.
    Nulon has a new blue coolant and when I saw it thought that its for our Honda. Can you please check this? It has a long life too.

  3. #3
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    Sep 2006
    Location
    Out in Nature
    Car:
    91 eg5 b16a
    I use nulon pre-mix,buy at repco.

    Drain a little out and compare to fresh coolant.There's a coolant change diy on here by aaronng,I can't find it,can someone?

    It has an old vs new comparison pic.

    3 years is heaps.Swap it out for 20 bucks..

    Undo clamp on bottom hose on radiator and stick the garden hose in the top hose and flush the ols out completely (remove thermostat).

    Or pay $140 to have it reversed flushed.Only needs doing if old though.

  4. #4
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    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Geelong, Victoria
    Car:
    Accord Euro Lux
    Thanks guys.

    My 2012 CU2 Euro is only approaching 50K Kms.
    My gut feeling was to change it at 5 years, irrespective of K's traveled, but I wanted to get other opinions first.

  5. #5
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    Sep 2006
    Location
    Out in Nature
    Car:
    91 eg5 b16a
    For increased cooling efficiency remove thermostat for good. Mine has been removed for a year now.

    Never uses coolant and is always cool.

    I do a 1400km drive 6-8 times a year too.

    I Love it gone.

    No cooling issues here.

    EDIT: I Cut the guts of it out left the outside,so no leakage.
    Last edited by beeza; 06-11-2016 at 08:56 AM.

  6. #6
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    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Car:
    Accord Euro CL9
    Quote Originally Posted by beeza View Post
    For increased cooling efficiency remove thermostat for good. Mine has been removed for a year now.

    Never uses coolant and is always cool.

    I do a 1400km drive 6-8 times a year too.

    I Love it gone.

    No cooling issues here.

    EDIT: I Cut the guts of it out left the outside,so no leakage.
    This is not for everybody as it depends on the drive (short or long). Taking the guts out of the thermostat, will mean that it will take longer for the engine to reach operating temperature. Maximum efficiency (including fuel) has been designed and optimized at engine operating temperature.

  7. #7
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    Mar 2015
    Location
    Geelong, Victoria
    Car:
    Accord Euro Lux
    The Thermostat is only there for engine warm up. Once the engine is at operating temperature it will be fully open, so there would be no difference once the engine is hot if a thermostat is present, unless of course it fails to open at all.
    Overheating is caused buy many issues. Contributing factors can be: A blockage in the cooling system; incorrect engine timing; low coolant level; radiator damage; failed pressure cap; blown head gasket; no oil; water pump failure, failed or perished hoses, to name a few of the more common ones.

    But I don't have any cooling issues on this car, which has been used in city driving in temps up to 43C and never overheated or played up, including making smooth transmission changes on those very hot days. (On that latter note, I change the auto tranny fluid every 20,000 kms on the cars I own, but that is covered in a different thread.)

    I just don't buy doing 200,000 kms on a fill of Radiator coolant!

    I think a system flush and refill with Nulon Blue will be the path I will take.

  8. #8
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    Sep 2006
    Location
    Out in Nature
    Car:
    91 eg5 b16a
    The fuel you save isn't noticeable but a blown head gasket due to a stuck thermostat isn't good. Happened to my old suzuki swift.

    The big difference haanda is that the coolant temp never goes (only maybe on a really hot day) above the C.Only moves a little.

    Advantages:

    More power (heat robs power)
    Uses no coolant
    The sensitive 1 volt sensors all over the engine will last longer/less prone to failure - due to much lower temperature fluctuations.
    Cooler in the cabin.

    I bet you can think of more.

    But no one on here would be brave enough to just remove it.

    P.S. If I lived in tassie,I might keep it.

  9. #9
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    Jan 2016
    Car:
    Accord Euro CL9
    It is better to change it earlier. I would do the same.
    Does anyone know which coolant the cl9 is suppose to take? I bought my car second hand and it has been changed (pump was charged) with green coolant? I think the blue coolant is better but afraid in changing it as the chemistry might be very different. Yes, you say it is OK to change it as long as I flush it first. I'm not too confident about my flush able to remove the green coolant entirely.

  10. #10
    oem honda thermostats seize open
    If you non honda thermostat and or non honda coolant you can seize the cooling system with all sorts of gunk

    PS don't remove your thermostat. Leave it in place it's not a race car

  11. #11
    Member Array
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    Sep 2006
    Location
    Out in Nature
    Car:
    91 eg5 b16a
    I got this from hond-tech:

    Stuck thermostat,stuck open

    *is allowing coolant to flow through theradiator*at ALL times. Therefore when stopped, you have no airflow thru theradiator. This allows car to reach normal operating temps. Once back moving the airflow will cool the coolant/radiator enough to OVERCOOL the car because the OPEN thermostat is not working.

    Basically, a thermostat will regulate the amount of coolant aloowed to flow into the*radiator*to dissapate heat.

    Confused? Most are.


    Yeah,I only drive country roads no traffic lights..

  12. #12
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    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Car:
    Accord Euro CL9
    That paragraph from Honda tech is not very helpful. The thermostat has nothing to do with airflow. Its water flow.
    Previously a failed thermostat would fail shut. This is bad for the engine. If Hondas thermostat fail open, it is good as it is fail safe (engine doesn't overheat because of a failed thermostat).
    The thermostat doesn't regulate engines temperature by regulating its degree of opening, it is usually open or close (fully) in a narrow temperature band.

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