Last I checked on Rotella's website, Delo's Website, Global (Final Charge) website..... there is no need to test coolant for additive package. Just test for freeze level. Add the coolant additive extender at approx 300,000 miles. Whereas the old SCA's "coated" the cylinder liner with nitrites to prevent cavitation and needed regular testing to maintain nitrite level, the newer ELC coolant uses carboxylate technology. It depletes very, very slowly over a long period of time. It doesn't coat the cylinder liners like nitrites do, it actually prevents the water in the coolant from "exploding" on the surface of the cylinder liner. Nitrites allowed the water to explode (creating steam), but absorbed the impact. This "exploding" of water molecules is what causes cavitation, or pitting, of the cylinder liners. The carboxylates just need to be replenished at the mid point of the life of the coolant... approximately 300,000 miles give or take per the brand of ELC you are using.
The test strips the shops use, test for nitrites. Since ELC does not use nitrites, the test strip will show that SCA needs added. The test strips are a waste of time. It is really too bad that the ASE Cummins certified techs in these shops do not do any reading. ELC has been out for over a decade, and been regularly used for almost that long. One has to wonder how many trucks have had the coolant screwed up by one of these techs and the owner never knew it! Then, when things went wrong with the cylinder liners, the shop blamed the owner for no maintaining the coolant properly. Same old song.
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Last edited by Copperhead; 08-27-2010 at 09:07 PM.
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