Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 10:08:08 -0500 From: "The Malt Hound" <mactnonospamadcomgraphics.com> wrote in message news:20050317144201494-0800nospam.dslextreme.com... >i just got my new Bentley shop manual for my 93 900S. > > in it is stated that I ought use ONLY SAAB antifreeze. A non-factory > SAAB tech site suggests using only Mercedes antifreeze. SAAB antifreeze is Glysantin G-48. Mercedes antifreeze is either the same exact stuff (if blue) or Glysantin G-30 (red color). They are almost the same, but I would go with G-48. Glysantin is the trade name for antifreeze made by BASF. They produce and repackage the stuff for most of the major car manufacturers. For example G-48, in addition to being sold in a SAAB package is also sold as BMW, Jaguar and VW brand antifreeze. http://www.basf.de/en/produkte/chemikalien/spezial/glysantin/productrange/?id=q9ACS6WH5bsf*CW > > I amsuspecting this is a result of the alloy head/iron block issue > (and > of the galvanic issues involved in such)... > > but doesn't Prestone and the other major brands address this issue > adequately? NO!! They do not. There is a big difference between the "green stuff" (Prestone, regular Zerex, etc.) and the blue stuff. Have you ever dismantled cooling system componments and noticed a scaley white crust coating all of the aluminum parts? Those are the minerals (silicate, phosphates, etc) that came from that green stuff. When you use *only* the blue stuff and pull off your waterpump some day, you will notice there are none of these deposits. Zerex does market Glysantin as well, so you may be able to find either G-05 (yellow), G-48 (blue)or G-30 (red) in a Zerex package a the store, but it will be clearly identified with the G-# on the label. Any of those would be OK and preferrable to the dreaded green stuff. Also, stay away from the Dexcool (orange) stuff as that is highly acidic and not at all recomended for SAAB engines. -Fred W