Mike Green9

I have been reading about a product called Water-Wetter from a company called Red Line. This is a cooling system additive that helps avoid hot spots on the internal metal surfaces of your engine. 99% of what I read about this product, makes me want to add it to all my vehicles, both old and new.

However, after some extensive research, I have found some forum threads that scare me enough to not use it.

These forums deal primary with liquid cooling for, believe it or not, computers. However, they shed some insight into Water-Wetter and its possible harmful effects - primarily that Water-Wetter may build up in your cooling system (like hardened arteries) and may be impossible to remove, and secondly that it may be harmful to some plastics (like radiator filler reservoirs??).

If you go to the following link, you will see what I mean:

http://coolercasesuk.co.uk/showthread.php?t=263&page=2

I have summarized some of what is said below:

"One of the most popular products which contains corrosion inhibitors is Red Line Oil's Water Wetter. According to Red Line Oil's technical information, "Red Line Water-Wetter® is designed to provide improved metal wetting and excellent corrosion inhibition for all cooling system metals, including aluminum, cast iron, steel, copper, brass and lead." This all sounds good but let's take a closer look at the active ingredients list (MSDS 03-10-99).

Red Line Oil Water-Wetter Super Coolant

Di-Isopropyl alcohol ether
Tri-Isopropyl alcohol di-ether
Sodium molybdate
Tolytriazole
Poly Siloxane Polymer

As we mentioned before, sodium molybdate and tolytriazole are both well-known and effective broad-spectrum corrosion inhibitors. The Siloxane (silicone) polymer is used as a surfactant to lower the surface tension of water and increase its surface wetting ability. So far, so good, but what do those two ethers bring to the mix?

Based on their structure, one chemist friend speculated they might be used to increase the boiling point and freezing point of water, but Red Line claims Water-Wetter doesn't significantly do that. What is clear, though, is that they are both small molecule, strong organic solvents, which could have detrimental affects on some plastics. This coincides with reports I have received from people experiencing problems when using Water-Wetter in systems that have Plexiglas (acrylic) reservoirs - significant crack formation and splitting joints. The ethers may also be related to the slimy coating reported by some that builds up on the inside surface of certain types of tubing (?)."


Another link, adds a little more fear on the product:

http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2338

I have summarized some of what is said below:

"Water Wetter has something that specifically caught my eye: Tolytriazole PolySiloxane Polymer.

What I'm working with currently is PDMS or polydimethylsiloxane which is used as a coating on certain devices... a siloxane polymer is a SILICONE polymer which will permanently bond with most rubbers used in tubing... this would explain why it's so hard to get rid of.

That would make sense as siloxanes are used in a coating process... they were slowly building up on the inside of his tubes like plaque in our arteries!

There's a fellow over at ProCooling that has tested various additives, and also came to the conclusion that Watter Wetter wasn't such a hot product, even for the intended purpose: a car."


Have any of you had any experience with this product?


MG......

rws.1

Yes,I use it in all my vehicles...
It is a surfactant that helps the water gain more intimate contact with the radiator fins.
I have used it for the past 4 years...

Hawk07

I use it in my 72 Nova running distilled water and no anti-freeze.

I have seen and heard what it will do with Dex-Cool anti-freeze after a length of time and it's not pretty. Many say they run it without any problems. I for one wasn't able to with the dex. I think for a stock engine it's not worth the 8 or 9 dollars.

RushThruLife

Dosen`t fair well over time with Dexcool. Something about gunk buildup.
But then again you can`t believe everything you read on the net. I feel no need to use it. Engine running hot?

AORoads

I've heard good things about WW, and have used it in the past. I don't currently use it. And in thinking about Dex, I am trying to keep it clean (and simple) and up to level. That may prevent it from gunking up. Anyway, that's my plan.

carpe dm

I, too, have tried it in the past and found it to be a waste of money, unless you are running mostly water, and not the regular coolant mix. For a street car, you may as well our it down the drain.

glenB

I use common laundry softner, just a cap full. It will provide the reduction in surface tension, which is the main benefit of Redline, and gives a nice aroma if a leak developes.

But to put it simply, if the cooling system isn't taxed, Redline won't show any gains. If running a thermostat, the thermostat will keep the engine in the proper temp range so it won't run cooler, and if you are experiencing a hot running problem, identfy the problem and fix it properly.

BetterMostC6

I have used it also with no problems at all. Water Wetter works best with plain distilled water however. Since this is not practical on regular passenger cars it can be mixed with anti freeze coolant but wont work as well as if it were mixed with just plain water.

Victoryred 08

I used it the last 3 years in my C5, 00. Never had a problem with it, but didn't notice any difference in my running temperature. Don't plan on using it in my 08, I'll just make sure I change my Dex Cool every 5 years, that's if I keep Betsy that long. Everyone, have a very Merry Christmas.

Wayne O

Do you have a cooling problem? I live in an extremely hot climate. In both normal day-to-day driving and almost monthly road course events I have not experienced any problem with my C6 over-heating. In the absence of any problem I'm not motivated to try Water Wetter.

I know Water Wetter is sometimes recommended for cars running on the track...especially if there is any chance the car may over-heat and leak coolant onto the track. Leaked coolant on the track is hard to see and slick as oil...very dangerous. Leaked Water Wetter on the track surface is much more benign.

Merry Christmas!

VettinFan

Owners Manual:
Notice: If you use extra inhibitors and/or additives
in your vehicle’s cooling system, you could
damage your vehicle. Use only the proper mixture
of the engine coolant listed in this manual for
the cooling system.

I'm following their advise.

~AL~

blkchipC5

I've used it for years in my sportbikes due to the nature of my riding style and our summer temps and have never had a problem. I've never tried it in the vette because even though I don't baby it, it will never have to deal with the overall stresses that the bikes do.

DJ07Vette

rustyguns

which ingredient does the fabric softener have ?

rustyguns

i use redline water wetter on the track. but i am in the desert and its fricken hot! engine runs almost 20 degrees cooler vs dexcool on the track with no coolant just water and water wetter

don't need it in the winter when track days are under 60 degrees, run dexcool at about 30 percent in the winter no water wetter

damn oil still gets hot though

water wetter is not needed at all in any street driving anywhere

FYI any good track driver is going to change "ALL" fluids after most events. not cheap ...but cheap insurance

foremaw

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.