I own a 2006 911S with 14K. My concern is that although it is a low mileage car it is approaching 7 years old and afraid the coolant may not only be getting weak but possibly losing some of it's anti corrosive properties. Can anyone share info on coolant change and thermostat replacement procedures. Thanks for your help.

 

http://www.cartechniks.com/Maintenan...eInterval.aspx

At the begining it says every two years, don t believe that is correct. Scroll down to the 911 and it say coolant "does not need changing".

 

Most of the knowledgable tuners suggest replacing the coolant every 4 years despite Porsches insistance that it is a "lifetime fill ". IMHO you would do well to have the system flushed and refilled with fresh coolant. Just be prepaired for the price shock for the coolant itself. Must use Porsche coolant and best price I've seen was at Suncoast Porsche for $29 a gallon of undilluted coolant. System holds 8.45 gallons of a 50% dilution of coolant and distilled water. While you are at it this would be a great time to replace your water pump, thermostat and check the condition of all your hoses, clamps, etc...

 

Thanks for your replies. I agree, maintenance is less expensive than repairs.

 

There is no such thing as "lifetime" coolant. There are two types, short life and long life. The short life stuff is generally blue or green and is good for 3 years or 30k miles. The long life stuff is generally orange or red and is good for 10 years or 100k miles. However, now that long life coolant is pretty much the only thing put in new cars, these color rules are becoming less and less followed. NEVER put long life coolant in older cars from about the early 80s or before since the new additives that make them last longer aren't compatible with some coolant system parts in older cars and can corrode them, just like ethanol does to older car fuel systems.

Coolant in general degrades mostly when the car is running and not when it's sitting. However, any fluid will become less effective at its job as it ages, so it's a good idea to change your coolant every 7-8 years regardless of mileage. The additives in it will still do their job when the coolant isn't flowing, but due to the cooler temp of the fluid and lack of flow, they just won't get used up very quickly.

It's also perfectly safe to mix together different types of coolant in newer cars, though if you put short life coolant into a car with long life coolant, then you'll need to change your coolant according to the short life maintenance schedule (unless you just added maybe 10% or less of the capacity in the short life stuff to top off one day). It's just like mixing oil in your car. It's perfectly fine to do since the only time they may separate is when the car sits for a while, but at the end of the day, as long as the oil or coolant systems are full to their recommended levels with the right type of fluid, that's all that really matters.

 

The 997 uses organic acid technology (OAT) antifreeze. Certainly, the Porsche brand coolant is the best choice. Zerex DexCool seems to be indentical to it (more so than any of the other brands of DexCool like Prestone or Peak Global). Zerex DexCool is an OAT antifreeze and it contains no silicates, phosphates, borates, nitrates or amines.


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