Machine Coolant Tips
Machine coolant runs continuously through the engine and radiator of your heavy equipment to help manage the heat levels, allowing your machine to run cooler and more efficiently. In addition to preventing excessive heat, machine coolant also keeps the engine’s cooling system from freezing and protects it from corrosion, cavitation, and rust.
Machine coolant is critical for maintaining the health, longevity, and productivity of your heavy equipment. Follow our tips and best practices below to ensure it is operating correctly.
Types of coolant for your equipment
There are various types of coolant that are used in heavy equipment. The three most common ones are OAT, HOAT, and IAT.
Organic Acid Technology (OAT)/ Extended Life Coolant (ELC) – This type of machine coolant includes organic additives and generally has the longest intervals between changes.
Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) – HOAT coolant combines organic and inorganic additives. This type of machine coolant may require the use of a Supplemental Coolant Additive (SCA) or extender.
Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) – IAT coolant uses inorganic additives and typically requires more maintenance and has to be changed more often than the other two types. IAT coolants require the use of a Supplemental Coolant Additive (SCA).
Choose the right types of coolant for your equipment
When deciding on machine coolant for your diesel equipment, make sure it is labeled as D6210 or RP329 by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). These numbers indicate that the solution has the correct supplemental coolant additive required by diesel engines. These coolants may also include nitrate to protect the iron and steel parts in your machine’s cooling system, tolyl triazole to protect copper and brass components, borate or phosphate to protect against acids, and silicate to help avoid excessive wear on aluminum components.
Don’t mix different types of coolant
You should always avoid mixing one type of coolant with another type. If you are not able to use the same machine coolant product to top off your cooling system, then we recommend choosing a similar type to the one already in your engine (OAT with OAT, IAT with IAT, etc.).
How to maintain machine coolant
It’s crucial to conduct periodic visual tests to check the color of your machine coolant. It should be clear, so you know no rust is present, and the color should match its original color, showing that it has not been mixed with other types of coolant.
We also recommend testing additive concentrations with a coolant analysis every 1,000 hours. Just take a sample of the coolant and submit it for analysis. At Ascendum, we have test kits available that are easy to use. Failure to complete inspections and analyses regularly could result in serious damage, expensive repairs, and costly downtime.
If you have any questions about machine coolant, contact the Ascendum team today!
