While at storage today a mobile guy was doing the Alde fluid change - I asked him how much he said 300 ! Wow I did mine myself for 45 pounds - it takes about 30 mins to do
Alde Anti Freeze Change
- Thread starter Baron Von Greenback
- Start date
There are people who would not have any idea how to do it. But £300 seems a bit pricey. I’ve had our Kia annual service today at a main dealer and it cost £169 but that didn’t include a coolant change.
The 10 L of pink coolant you can get off euro parts etc the other 10 L of ionised water from anywhere - it’s a 50 50 mix - 10 quid 12v pump and two plastic hoses bobs your uncle - prob now 50 with FOMO Covid tax but 300 is Criminal in fact anything over 100 Is robbery
But then with the mobile guy he might well have used one of the four Alde specifically approved antifreezes?
What antifreeze products are Alde approved?
What antifreeze products are Alde approved?
I thought that G12 had been discontinued a while back and superceded by G12+, then G12++ , but now the current recommended fluid G13 is backwards compatible. But since G13 is widely available I cannot see any benefit by not using Alde’s recommended fluids.
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given that anti freeze has a unlimited life I don’t think it makes any odds and just to note I flushed out my van which had the blue - there was no corrosion evident and I think I could have carried on forever - I deliberately checked - I believe like most things caravan a racket -
why are people giving a dealer money to adjust the brakes when a chimp can do it ? It’s all a racket
why are people giving a dealer money to adjust the brakes when a chimp can do it ? It’s all a racket
It is most certainly not G12 [VW 774D] , nor G12+, but tolerable to use G12++, though should be a true G13, ie one approved by VW as meeting its spec TL 774J.
{It is the VW antifreeze specification system that Alde align their requirements to.}
The interaction of the anticorrosion inhibiters being of paramount importance.
This LINK, though now somewhat dated, might help those who wish to better understand the fundamental issues involved.
The garage advise comparison, if wanting to talk about recommending which unleaded fuel to use, would be far closer if the advice was not to try using diesel fuel.
It’s not the unlimited shelf life it’s the ability to protect against temperature and corrosion. The G12+ and G12++ have better anti corrosion properties and unlike the earlier G12 they don’t need rust to appear before their protection commences. G13 carries forward that property of protecting prior to rust starting.
There are people who are perhaps physically unable to carry out such work on Alde or brakes, or just do not have the competence or kit to do it. Better they have a competent service technician to carry out such work, than they risk either injuring themselves, damage the van or become an on road risk. There are also those who can do the work, but prefer it to be done by others. No need to be disparaging; it takes all sorts.
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Again just to correct your response - do you know the properties of antifreeze ? Do you understand it’s designed to cool an engine casing - do you know how hot a car engine gets Temperatures in the combustion chamber of the engine can reach 4,500 F (2,500 C), so cooling the area around the cylinders is critical. Areas around the exhaust valves are especially crucial, and almost all of the space inside the cylinder head around the valves that is not needed for structure is filled with coolant. How hot does your heat pump and tank get on a Van 30 degrees max - the antifreeze is rated for cold weather so unless you live or tour in the artic circle it will make no zilch difference - please tell me what this special Alde antifreeze has got that it can’t be changed with non Alde fluid sorry - there is no mystery just an engineering mind required
My point is that hapless people believe the caravan trade as gospel when it’s really simple engineering - no ecu no obd2 ports or sensors it’s nuts and bolts - they prey on the caravan community - dealers are the worst - my point of the thread was how to justify 300 pounds as it can be done quite easily
It is quite right that the antifreeze properties would last for ever, but that totally misses the fact that the coolant fluid, we casually call "antifreeze" does way more that address freezing.
Another vital role it performs that is critical here, is it inhibits corrosion due to the system's use of different metals. Those inhibitors do variously degrade over time, and can be damaged by intermixing of differing chemicals used in the various specifications, eg G12 will damage G13. Flushing is not the whole answer as there are depositions to take into account.
Used elsewhere "antifreezes" need in addition yet other characteristics
One can believe it's all a big con, or one can be informed it is somewhat more scientific than a simple case of use anything and it lasts forever.
Quite how we could have checked the gas burner "can" for wet side pitting corrosion, given its buried so deep in the boiler, thus ensuring all is actually well, mystifies me.
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Yes I am familiar with how car engines, diesel generators, propulsion engines, gas turbines and even reactors work, and with the uses of antifreeze as a coolant and corrosion inhibitor/preventative . I think every car I’ve owned since 1966 has used it, and my dads earlier cars too. You get cold weather in UK, especially in Scotland so I don’t really under stand your comment. The coolant used in Alde heating systems has to be able to protect in cold temperatures, and given Alde supply to European countries their winters are significantly colder than ours.
I never said that you have to use Alde fluid, just a fluid that meets the Alde specification, which is G13 according to the Alde website. Engineering mind or not why one would go against the makers recommended fluid puzzles me.
There is yet another twist to that.
"G13" has been used on labels and brands as those characters are not in themselves protected or definitive; an easy way to imply what a buyer might want to believe.
What needs to be seen is a clear approval to VW TL774J, thus a true specification G13 product. The "J" being very important.
Or simply use one of the Alde approved products.
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Ours was done by ALDE in 2020 at a cost of £180! I would assume that they used the correct 5 year fluid. The country went into lockdown before we even returned home from visiting ALDE so has seen very little use since.
I had the original Alde fluid replaced with the G13 fluid two years ago when my caravan was serviced. It cost me £175 for the service and £75 for the fluid change.
For £300 I would have wanted a 50/50 mix of Welsh Dragon Blood and Unicorn Tears!
For £300 I would have wanted a 50/50 mix of Welsh Dragon Blood and Unicorn Tears!
My first van I did myself, no pump and no problem. The van I have now was done by a mobile engineer at 2 years old. £150. He had just been on the alde course. What a struggle he had. He was clueless. My van was his first and he had bought all the kit.
A couple of years later a different engineer spotted that the 2 year fluid had been used! I wanted to upgrade from the header tank to the inline pump so I did it again.
John
A couple of years later a different engineer spotted that the 2 year fluid had been used! I wanted to upgrade from the header tank to the inline pump so I did it again.
John
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The thing is, you can’t generalise.
i am very surprised if it can be done in 30 minutes, unless this doesn’t include setting up, removing the covers from the header tank, emptying the header tank…..blah blah blah, changing the fluid, bleeding the van and running the system to make sure all is well!
then you get into costs…..
do it yourself, take the old fluid to the tip….now a business shouldn’t so this as they have to environmentally dispose Of the old antifreeze through a licensed company (unless like they just take it to the tip and rip you for that bit!) obviously this isn’t free!! And would involve storage and arranging for collecting the old antifreeze, but this can be done.
oh then they would need a waste transfer licences to transport the old antifreeze. ( ooppps ha not free!!
doh insurance I spect they have it to cover damage costs etc…..but I guess DIY guy it doesn’t matter, claim on accidental damage 🤷♂️
Oh blugger clearly fuel is free
labour, that’s free isn’t it?
so there are varying variables that don’t get looked at by some.
Maintain Fricofin V50 is now used by manufacturers wanting the Alde 3 year warranty
i am very surprised if it can be done in 30 minutes, unless this doesn’t include setting up, removing the covers from the header tank, emptying the header tank…..blah blah blah, changing the fluid, bleeding the van and running the system to make sure all is well!
then you get into costs…..
do it yourself, take the old fluid to the tip….now a business shouldn’t so this as they have to environmentally dispose Of the old antifreeze through a licensed company (unless like they just take it to the tip and rip you for that bit!) obviously this isn’t free!! And would involve storage and arranging for collecting the old antifreeze, but this can be done.
oh then they would need a waste transfer licences to transport the old antifreeze. ( ooppps ha not free!!
doh insurance I spect they have it to cover damage costs etc…..but I guess DIY guy it doesn’t matter, claim on accidental damage 🤷♂️
Oh blugger clearly fuel is free
labour, that’s free isn’t it?
so there are varying variables that don’t get looked at by some.
Maintain Fricofin V50 is now used by manufacturers wanting the Alde 3 year warranty
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