Mitsubishi triton 2010 GLX - R devastated owners blown head gasket

Thanks for that

Not sure but i think it was only available to the original owners and you had to register for it.

Will do thanks

Not sure about the Triton, but most vehicles I know of in recent years have the extra long life coolant and doesn't need changing for 5 years or more.

Phil, with the amount of alloy in engines and cooling systems today (close to 100% in many cases - and those that are only 95%, use 5% plastic resins for the other components), any company or manufacturer who says you can go 5 years without even looking at the coolant is on a par with the manufacturers and oil-floggers who reckon you can go 20,000 or 30,000kms between oil changes.

It's all about getting the marketing edge. If the manufacturer states that coolant only needs to be changed every 5 years, it's all about reducing maintenance periods and costs, and thereby gaining an edge over the opposition.

They don't give the proverbial rats rear end about protecting the engine and cooling system to give extended life. They're quite happy to have your block/head/gaskets develop corrosion after 5 or 6 years - because by then its well out of warranty and they can sell lot of parts to fix the problem. And parts is where they make their money.

In over 50 years of owning, buying and selling probably 250-300 vehicles (I assist with vehicle purchasing for associates, friends and family), finding cooling system neglect and corrosion is so common, it's not funny.

I back away, holding out a cross, any time I look at a used vehicle with corrosion in the cooling system.

It's also the largest single reason for vehicle stoppages and recoveries - around 40-45% of vehicle failures are cooling system related.

All ready-mixed coolants and additives are glycol-based. The only difference is the minor additives. There's no silver bullet in additives that allows alloy engines and components to operate for many years without attention. They all need a regular flush and coolant replacement.

In my experience, Toyota make the best coolant for performance when it comes to protection.
I have owned 15 yr old Toyotas with part-alloy engines that still haven't had a single cooling system or engine cooling component replaced - because I religiously flush the cooling system every 3 years, and then add new Toyota coolant with a 40%/60% mix with rainwater or distilled water.
It's a formula that works for me - it's cheap insurance - and following this regimen has never let me down, as regards cooling system failures or corrosion.

Cheers, Ron.

Gday Ron,
Biggest issue I think with older coolants that required 2 year changes were that owners (or their mechanics) were too lazy to do them and dispose of the coolant at the recyclers. How many owners paid for changes which were never done? - I know of a few. So the coolant got well past its used by date. And of course most aftermarket workshops would substitute aftermarket coolants without a proper flush and neutralise.

I haven't seen corrosion in any alloy housings or water pumps for over 20 years which I think is testament to the excellent factory coolants. The only aluminium radiators I've seen blocked were those where aftermarket coolants had been used and precipitation occurred. Like you, I will only use the Toyota coolant on toyota vehicles. I don't know whether the occasional weep from water pumps is related to the coolant??
Their "long life" coolant was a 2 year replacement, and some years back they changed over to the "super long life" coolant with a 5 year change interval. I trust Toyota on that one because they do not have a past history of deceiving the consumer with this stuff.
Are there any new vehicle manufacturers today who require coolant changes in less than 5 years? My wife's VW is indefinite - no change interval recommended!!