40 Cooling System
Water Specification
CAUTION
Volvo Trucks North America, Inc. does
not recommend using plain water in the
cooling system. Water alone is corrosive
at engine operating temperatures and
does not provide adequate boiling
protection. The engine may develop cor-
rosion and cavitation problems in engine
and radiator, and the boiling point of the
coolant is lowered compared with a
proper antifreeze/water mixture. The
warranty is not valid when using only
water in the cooling system.
Use clean water in the coolant mixture. DO
NOT use hard tap water or salt softened tap
water in the cooling system. If clean water
is not available, using distilled water is
ideal. Water specification should be:
Parts per
Million
Grains per
Gallon
pH Value
Chlorides, maximum 40 2.34
Sulfates, maximum 100 5.8
Silica, maximum 20 1.17
Iron, maximum 0.10 0.0058
Manganese, maximum 0.05 0.0029
Total dissolved solids, maximum 340 20
Total hardness, maximum 170 10
Water base/acid level 5.5 to 9
If you are not sure of the quality of the wa-
ter in your area, contact your Volvo Truck
dealer, your local water department, agri-
cultural agent or an independent laboratory
to analyze the water.