Q: Cummins Filtration suggests that to begin the ES coolant program, my coolant must be in good condition. How can I tell if my coolant is usable or not?
A: An advanced version of Cummins Filtration's Monitor-C analysis program is available to evaluate the amount of chemical degradation that has taken place in your system. Called Monitor-C ES (CC2845), it measures the pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and total acids from degradation, chlorides, and sulfates. There are condemning limits for each of these conditions. If the condemning limit is reached or exceeded on one or more of these conditions, the coolant should not be used to start the ES program. Note: CC2607 & CC2608 test strips are also available now!

Q: Are there any visual or simple tests to determine if my coolant is acceptable to begin the ES program?
A: If your coolant is discolored, especially if it is turning brown, do not use the coolant. If solids are present in the coolant, it likely has a high level of TDS. Do not use the coolant. If the presence of oil or fuel is indicated, do not use the coolant regardless of age. Monitor-C (CC2700) tests of the coolant that show pH to be less than 8.0 or TDS in excess of 4.0 are good indicators that the coolant life is used up. It is not recommended to start the ES Program with these coolants (you may start, but success will be limited).

Q: Do I have to drain my present coolant to start the ES program like some others programs advise?
A: NO! In most cases, the coolant is in acceptable condition to begin the Cummins Filtration ES program. The life of the coolant is much longer than most engine manufacturers state in their operation and maintenance guides. Cummins Filtration does not consider other coolant chemistries to be a contaminant, as some companies state about competitive coolant products.

Q: I have heard that some people should not use the ES coolant program, why?
A: For any coolant maintenance program to have a fair chance at success, the customer must be willing to make changes in the way the system is maintained. One method is to keep careful records of coolant SCA additions, how much coolant is added, and especially use of coolants that meet TMC RP329 or RP330 specifications. While some customers are willing to fill a system with coolant meeting the above specifications, they have no way of enforcing what the system is topped off with when the unit is away from the shop. This is the point where many coolant maintenance programs fail. Top off with plain water; water/antifreeze or antifreeze concentrate will cause the SCA level to be "diluted" to the point of risk of cavitation pitting damage. If you are unable to top off with properly precharged coolants, you will have less success with ES. However, due to ES Coolant's higher SCA precharge, it will take much longer to get to the lower SCA levels where liner pitting begins.

Q: What happens if my driver tops off ES coolant with regular precharged antifreeze and water?
A: Small amount of top off coolant not meeting ES specifications will lower the overall SCA level to some degree based on the volume of top off between visits to your service shop. It is best to provide ES Coolant (or at least regular maintenance coolant like Compleat Premix) for top off purposes rather than let drivers or operators refill the system with incorrect coolant. If testing reveals that the SCA is significantly lower than 2.5 units per gallon, ES Liquid (CC2840) can be added to restore the level of protection to 2.5 units.

Q: What happens if the system is topped off with water only or antifreeze only, neither containing SCA?
A: Use of incorrect top off fluids will lower the SCA level very quickly if large amounts of top off are experienced. Small volumes of top off will have less effect. Where systems are known to leak, it is wise to provide premixed ES Coolant for the driver or operator to refill. Do not use any other coolant, especially if it has not been precharged with SCA.

Q: If I top off with Compleat Premix, what will happen?
A: While it is best to use ES for top off, you are still at a significant advantage when you use Compleat Premix because it is precharged with DCA4. If large amounts are used for top off or refill after a repair, the low solids aspect of ES will be somewhat compromised. The SCA level will be lower than 2.5 but it will not be as bad as when regular antifreeze and water are used for top off. Use ES Liquid to raise the SCA level to 2.5 units per gallon at the next maintenance interval.

Q: I have the new orange antifreeze. What happens if I top off with ES coolant?
A: ES Coolant is compatible with the so-called "long life" products. While the others recommend that you not "contaminate" their coolant with Cummins Filtration ES Coolant or Compleat antifreeze, do not expect problems to occur if you do. It is best to top off with whatever the system is originally filled with.

Q: Can I add ES Coolant to Texaco extended life coolant?
A: Yes. Field tests have shown that systems filled with Texaco extended life coolants do not suffer from increased water pump problems or changes to SCA level. If you convert from Texaco to ES Coolant, simply begin topping off with ES Coolant.

Q: Can I add Texaco extended life coolant to ES Coolant?
A: While it is preferred that you top off ES Coolant with more ES Coolant, no harm will come from topping off with the Texaco product as it has a nitrite precharge. If the coolant does not have a precharge of nitrite, do not use it for top off.

Q: What happens if I remove the WF2121 filter too early?
A: Should your mechanic change the WF2121 ES Coolant filter prematurely (less than 150,000 miles or one year) and replace it with another WF2121, nothing will happen except for some possible loss of ES SCA found in the coated tablets inside the filter. Normal dissolve time for the coated tablets is up to eight months after initial installation. Removal after this time will likely do nothing. Removal before this time will result in waste of SCA but no damage to the engine.

Q: What happens if a regular Cummins Filtration water filter is installed instead of the WF2121 slow release filter?
A: Should the WF2121 filter be removed at the normal interval of 150,000 miles and replaced with a regular maintenance interval water filter such as the WF2071, little harm will occur for the first couple of oil change intervals. Beyond that time, the SCA level will fall faster than when the WF2121 is installed. Should this occur, remove the regular maintenance interval filter and install the WF2121 immediately.

Q: If I get a little oil in ES coolant, does it affect the release process of the SCA in the water filter?
A: Oil in engine coolant is never good for the system. Small amounts of oil will coat the coolant side of cylinder walls. This prevents the SCA from doing its job even though the SCA will dissolve at a normal rate. While testing will reveal high levels of SCA, in effect, there will be no protection due to the oil preventing SCAs from forming the protective barrier on the cylinder liner coolant surfaces to prevent pitting.

Q: Does the high SCA level of ES Coolant affect the solder found in radiators or heater cores?
A: ES Coolant with its 2.5 units SCA level will not cause solder bloom since the SCA is composed of the reliable combination of nitrite and molybdate, with superior solder protection from the phosphate, molybdate and organic acid inhibitors in ES. Other products on the market may contain very high levels of nitrite-only or nitrite combined with an organic acid. They have been found to cause solder corrosion due to the high levels of these additives.

Q: I have seen a white residue on the inside of some coolant hoses. What is this and does ES Coolant cause the same effect?
A: Analysis of these whitish deposits reveals that they are composed of hose additives added to the rubber to enhance its performance. Zinc oxide is responsible for the bulk of the light deposit material. All engine coolants have this effect.

Q: What is the maximum life of ES Coolant?
A: While other companies attach a maximum life to their product, Cummins Filtration does not. This is due to the nature of the recommended life of coolants as determined by engine companies. They set life based on a very short cycle where it is expected under worst case conditions that the coolant will have reached the end of its useful life at two years. Changing the type and manner of adding SCA to the coolant as in "long life" products only affects the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as compared to conventional short interval coolant and SCA. The chemical condition of the coolant is the best determinant of life. Contamination from fuel or lube oil will end the coolant life regardless of miles or coolant age.

Q: How can ES Coolant give me longer life water pump seals?
A: ES Coolant has been formulated to minimize TDS. This is accomplished by raising the SCA level to 2.5 units per gallon with ES Liquid not conventional short interval SCAs. Base antifreeze has the necessary buffering agents and aluminum protectants. Adding large doses of conventional SCAs increases the amount of buffer agents and silicates proportionally. ES Liquid increases the liner protection without adding additional buffer agents, silicates, or nitrates (not nitrites). Keeping TDS levels down will enhance water pump seal life in a positive manner.

Q: I am using water in my marine engine. Can I use ES Liquid to get the benefits of low maintenance?
A: Unfortunately, no. While water in marine engines seems to be the most efficient coolant for heat transfer properties, it is not. Water also requires large doses of SCAs to provide the chemical protection that ethylene or propylene glycol provide. Use DCA4 / water or DCA2 / water if you must but do not expect ES Liquid and water to provide the same corrosion protection. ES Liquid does not contain silicates, phosphates, or nitrates (copper / brass protector).

Q: One company says their product gives the coolant long life. Why doesn't ES Coolant make the same claim?
A: Coolant life indicates that time is the controlling factor. It is not. Coolant life is determined by the presence of chemical contaminants. It can take five or six years for some coolants to achieve that level of degradation products in ethylene glycol and longer still for propylene glycol. While such conditions as the presence of fuel or lube oil makes new coolant unusable. Coolant that is subjected to overheating hastens the process of degradation due to formation of organic acids that are corrosive to system components.

Q: I have an equipment fleet that ranges from very large diesel engines to small trucks and cars. What would happen if I use ES Coolant in all of them?
A: Like Compleat™, ES Coolant™ is a universal antifreeze. By that, we mean it is formulated to provide the required protection for heavy duty diesel applications without the use of high silicate levels yet still retain adequate protection for light duty engines containing significant aluminum content in the cooling system. Light duty diesels and gasoline engines will not use up the liner pitting protection found in ES Coolant or Compleat and will not require additional doses of SCA.

Q: Does ES Coolant meet any equipment industry specifications for coolants?
A: ES Coolant exceeds the TMC RP329 and RP330 specifications for ethylene glycol and propylene glycol based engine coolants by over twice the required minimum nitrite/molybdate ppm concentrations specified.

Q: What is so special about the WF2121 filter that it can go 150,000 miles or one year?
A: This filter contains StrataPore™ synthetic media that is bonded to two layers of coated screen cloth. This process ensures that the media will still be doing its job after such a long period. Conventional paper media is pushing the life envelope if taken to 50,000 miles. Additionally, the filter shell is made of thicker steel with a special coating to resist corrosion. The ES additive contained within the filter is in the form of small pellets that are coated to retard their dissolving. The coating is water permeable but not coolant soluble (it does not dissolve). When moisture permeates the pellet coating, it wets the pellet causing expansion. This cracks the coating shell and the ES SCA begins dissolving into the coolant. This prolongs the addition of additional SCA into the coolant over a period of many months.

Q: The Need Release Filter claims to be able to be changed once per year, is it similar to the WF2121?
A: The NRF product uses magnesium plates that dissolve into the coolant thereby releasing the SCA charges. There are three large tablets in the NRF. WF2121 has numerous small pellets that are coated with a coolant permeable substance that allows slow release over time without adding contaminants to the system unlike the NRF product. Our pellets stick together to form a clump that slows the release of chemical into the coolant thus providing the "time release".

Q: Engine OEMs specify much shorter coolant change intervals. How do they determine coolant's useful life?
A: Most engine companies specify two years as the expected maximum life of coolant. This is based on their "worst case" situation of contaminant buildup time. In reality, it is VERY conservative. Over 90% of engine coolants have a coolant life expectancy far beyond two years. Testing of coolant is the only sure way to know if the chemical condition dictates changing out.

Q: I am a little nervous about changing the WF2121 once per year. What can I do to be assured that I have adequate SCA protection?
A: It is recommended that you test the coolant at least twice per year. Testing can be done with the Cummins Filtration CC2602 3-Way" Coolant Test Strip or by laboratory testing such as Cummins Filtration Monitor C Coolant Analysis (CC2700). It is not required to test at every oil change interval, but you may do that if it gives you the assurance that you require. The need for testing can be minimized IF you top off low coolant levels with ES Coolant only. Topping off with other coolants even though they may meet TMC RP329 or RP330 will not ensure that the level of SCA is being maintained at 2.5 or greater units per gallon.

Q: Regular testing of ES Coolant has resulted in fairly steady SCA, but recently I found the SCA level to be considerable lower than usual. What is happening?
A: The most likely cause of sudden changes in SCA levels is incorrect top off coolant being used. Usually what happens is that the coolant level is refilled with whatever is handy. If your units are out of your maintenance control until they return at a later date such as in long haul situations where the truck is only in your shop occasionally, ES Coolant should be sent with the truck for top off purposes. NEVER let drivers or operators refill low coolant levels with plain antifreeze, water or water/glycol solutions. Always refill with ES Coolant. The same can be said for any cooling system filled with coolant that meets TMC RP329 or RP330 specifications. Failure to do so will result in lowered SCA levels and eventually, cylinder liner pitting.

Q: Another company has a long life organic product that does not contain nitrite, nitrate, silicate, or phosphate. Does ES Coolant make the same claims about additive drop out as the other guys?
A: While they claim to have no total dissolved solids, the organic acid inhibitor they use does contribute to TDS levels. Cummins Filtration's ES Coolant has minimal levels of silicate, phosphate, and nitrate to reduce the problem of high TDS causing water pump seal failure. This is why it is imperative that low coolant levels be topped off with ES Coolant and not even antifreeze solutions containing regular maintenance interval SCA.

Q: Has there been any field testing done using ES coolant? What problems did you find?
A: Cummins Filtration has been field testing ES Coolant in a major on-highway fleet for nearly two years with a total exposure of 2.5 million miles. Off highway applications are being tested in severe duty cycle operations for over 1 1/2 years. The single problem we encountered was the failure to top off the coolant with the correct coolant. The same problem that drives us to make it clear that incorrect top off coolant can be the downfall of any well planned coolant program.

Q: Why can't I use higher levels of DCA4 and make my own low maintenance coolant and use a larger WF2070 series filter?
A: Even DCA4 and low silicate antifreeze in the levels of 2.5 units per gallon will cause the overall useful life of the coolant to be less than when using ES due to the much higher levels of total dissolved solids found through the "doubling" of phosphate, silicate, and nitrate levels. While this seems to be the answer in light of cost issues, it is a program likely to fail. The reason is that you will have to dedicate service people to accurately measure SCA levels and properly blend into mixed engine coolant. Mechanics do not make good chemists--our experience with customers confirms this.

Q: If I have a large coolant loss and must refill the system with coolant that does not meet ES Coolant specification, what can I do to get back on track?
A: As soon as is practical, test the SCA level. Add one quart of ES Liquid (CC2840) to systems up to 20 gallons capacity (2.5 units / gallon minimum). If a WF2121 filter is used, there is no need to change it unless it has been on for over seven months.

Q: My engine does not use a water filter. Why does Cummins Filtration continue to recommend water filters even for the ES Coolant program?
A: If you are a Cummins user, Cummins requires coolant filtration on all engines except the B Series. Coolant filtration significantly reduces cooling system component damage such as water pump seal leakage, erosion of metals from high speed particles in coolant, chemical attack of components by solid contaminants, and restricted flow. An SAE Technical Paper (881270) goes into much greater detail. Coolant filters are used by many engine OEMs.

Q: I have a really large capacity cooling system. Is there a large ES filter to go with it?
A: For some engines, like the Cummins K series engines with multiple coolant filter heads, it is possible to use several WF2121 filters. For those systems with no (or one) coolant filter, ES Liquid is the recommended way to maintain the SCA level.

Q: I have been using the CC2602 3-WAY Coolant Test Kit on my present system, can I still use it for the new ES program?
A: Absolutely! You can even use our test kit when switching from another SCA chemistry program to ES Coolant. The key things to test for in engine coolants are nitrite and molybdate. These two chemicals deplete from the coolant the fastest and are THE chemicals needed for liner pitting protection.

Q: How do I determine if my drivers have not properly topped off the cooling system with ES Coolant?
A: Testing with the CC2602 test kit will provide that answer.

Q: What can be done to minimize improper top off of the ES Coolant?
A: The automobile industry has for years installed coolant recovery tanks to capture overflow coolant loss due to thermal expansion. These recovery systems are just beginning to be used in on-highway trucks and off-highway equipment. These systems provide a sizable storage capacity for top off coolant. Your other choice is to send jugs of ES Coolant with the truck for top off. Do not use concentrated ES antifreeze as a top off.

Q: What happens if I am using PG ES Coolant and the system is topped off with EG ES Coolant?
A: Nothing. The use of PG (propylene glycol) will only alter the freeze point slightly. If you use significant amounts of PG ES Coolant for top off, freeze point measurement must be done using a refractometer if accuracy is important. For general freeze point determination, the CC2602 test kit will determine the percent of antifreeze (propylene or ethylene glycol) with an averaged freeze point. This is sufficient for most operations.

Q: Can I get ES Coolant installed at the factory?
A: Cummins Filtration ES Coolant is available for installation at most major OEM truck manufacturers or will be soon.

Q: Is there any easier and less costly method of determining coolant life than by laboratory testing?
A: Cummins Filtration is nearing completion of development work for a test strip set that will easily measure contaminant levels and at a low cost. While this is not available yet, lab testing is available (CC2845). Most coolants (more than 99%) will be acceptable for use to start the ES program without draining the system to start.

Q: Can ES Coolant be used in my older systems where the radiators are made of soldered copper and brass?
A: Absolutely. Some long life products now on the market are recommended for use only in aluminum radiators. One major light duty manufacturer has stated that there organic acid coolant be used only in their vehicles built after a certain date when they discontinued installing soldered radiators.

Q: When do I need testing to determine if my coolant's life is used up?
A: At present Monitor C ES (CC2845) is available to test the condemning limits that spell the useful life of coolant: pH, TDS, total degradation acids, chlorides, sulfates. If you fail one of these, the coolant should be drained and start with new ES. If you fail two or more of these, you must drain and start with new ES. When the condemning limits strip test kit becomes available in 1997, testing can be done on all engines at a reasonable cost. Remember that any lube oil or fuel in the coolant ends its life regardless of age, hours, or miles.

Q: Our fleet has a typical coolant top off volume of six to 15 gallons per year. How long can I use my coolant under those conditions?
A: In effect, you are renewing your coolant at a rapid pace. The life of the coolant is almost limitless since degradation products and contaminants also leak out and are replaced with new ES Coolant.