Chevron has reformulated its Extended Life Coolant for heavy-duty diesel engines under its Delo and Texaco coolant brands. The reformulated coolant offers dramatically longer drain intervals, improves corrosion protection and is cheaper over the life of the interval, says Carmen Ulabarro, coolant specialist with Chevron Products.
The new formula is shipping now and will replace the old formula, with which it is also compatible. The company made the announcement Monday, Feb. 13 at a Technology and Maintenance Council meeting in Tampa, Fla.
The price for the reformulated ELC is the same as the old formula, but due to its longer interval – 750,000 miles versus 400,000 with prior versions – and other features has a higher return on investment. The company estimates labor and maintenance for the new coolant over 750,000 miles will cost about $400.
That’s substantially better than what the company estimates its old ELC costs ($940) to maintain over the same mileage. With an additive package at 500,000 miles, the change interval can be extended to 1 million miles. The old formula could be extended to 600,000 miles from 400,000 with a similar additive package.
The new formula also features better corrosion protection for solder and cast aluminum. It also has lower electrical conductivity, a feature which also reduces corrosion. The ELC also performs well in both EGR and non-EGR applications, Ulabarro says. Maintenance of the ELC is also easy, he says: Owners visually check coolant at every preventive maintenance interval, check freeze points at least twice a year and top off the cooling system with more coolant.
