1. What is SIERRA Antifreeze? What Makes it Different?

SIERRA Antifreeze-Coolant is a premium quality propylene glycol (PG) based coolant which provides engine protection comparable to that provided by premium brand conventional ethylene glycol (EG) based coolants.
In the four key areas of engine protection freeze protection, boilover protection, corrosion prevention, and heat transfer SIERRA Antifreeze provides outstanding performance.
But, because of its propylene glycol formulation, SIERRA Antifreeze is less toxic and safer than ethylene glycol coolants to children, pets, and wildlife in case of spills, leaks, boilovers, or careless disposal.

2. How hazardous is ordinary antifreeze?

Two ounces of ethylene glycol antifreeze can kill a dog, one teaspoon can be lethal to a cat, and two tablespoons can be hazardous to children.

 

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3. What makes conventional antifreeze so dangerous?

Ethylene glycol (EG), the main ingredient of all major antifreeze brands, has long been known to be poisonous. When ingested, ethylene glycol converts to oxalic acid which damages the kidneys and can cause kidney failure and death.

4. What is the incidence of EG poisoning in humans?

According to the Annual Reports of the American Association of Poison Control Centers covering 1991 to 1994, about 3,400 poisonings related to ethylene glycol occur each year with about 20% of these incidents reported among children under six.

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5. Is antifreeze a threat to pets?

In a recent survey conducted among veterinarians by a professional research firm, 96% of the vets surveyed felt that antifreeze poses a risk to pets, 95% indicated that they have warned clients about the dangers of antifreeze, and 66% had encountered at least one known or suspected antifreeze poisoning within the previous year. Animal welfare experts estimate that tens of thousands of companion and wild animals die annually from ethylene glycol antifreeze poisoning.

6. Is there any effective treatment for EG poisoning of pets?

If detected immediately, veterinarians can in some cases save an animal suffering from ethylene glycol poisoning. Usual treatment includes inducing vomiting, feeding the pet activated charcoal to absorb the ethylene glycol, and administering ethyl alcohol intravenously. Experts say survival from ethylene glycol poisoning is fairly rare because it is a powerful toxin and because it is rarely diagnosed early enough to prevent death.

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7. Does antifreeze put wildlife in the environment at risk?

The literature contains many examples of wildlife harmed by ethylene glycol antifreeze which had been spilled, leaked, or carelessly disposed of. The best known incident is the 1992 death of a rare California condor.

8. What makes new SIERRA Antifreeze safer?

SIERRA Antifreeze is formulated with propylene glycol (PG). As compared to ethylene glycol, propylene glycol is less toxic and safer for children, pets, and wildlife in the environment. Propylene glycol is used at specified levels in the formulation of many consumer products including cosmetics, pet food, and certain over-the-counter medications.

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9. But does SIERRA Antifreeze protect a vehicle's engine as well as EG based antifreezes?

SIERRA Antifreeze offers excellent protection for car and truck engines against corrosion, freezing, and overheating. A 50/50 blend of SIERRA Antifreeze and water has a freezing point of -26°F. If lower temperature protection is required, it can readily be attained by increasing the concentration of SIERRA Antifreeze - for example; a 60/40 blend of SIERRA Antifreeze and water gives antifreeze protection to -54°F. A recent General Motors service bulletin states, "It is our conclusion that propylene glycol engine coolants will perform adequately under most vehicle operating conditions" and that ". . .propylene glycol engine coolant may be used in GM vehicles and will not affect the warranty coverage."

10. What about protection against corrosion?

SIERRA's formulation has demonstrated outstanding performance in tests that measure its ability to prevent corrosion in all cooling system metals including aluminum, copper, cast iron, steel, and solder. SIERRA Antifreeze has shown excellent performance in all aspects of the ASTM D 5216 specification (Propylene Glycol Base Engine Coolant) and in the Ford BL2-2 Dynamometer Test. Additionally, SIERRA Antifreeze meets all the corrosion performance requirements of ASTM D 3306 and ASTM D 4985 (the primary specifications for premium ethylene glycol antifreeze).

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11. How about SIERRA's heat transfer ability?

SIERRA Antifreeze has heat capacity and thermal conductivity characteristics which are very similar to EG coolants. It provides efficient and effective engine heat transfer.

12. How do you install SIERRA Antifreeze?

Installing SIERRA Antifreeze is easy. Drain the old coolant from your engine's cooling system. . .flush the system thoroughly with water. . .refill with SIERRA Antifreeze. Dispose of the old coolant properly and in compliance with local regulations. In those few areas where recycling is available, both used EG coolants and SIERRA Antifreeze should be offered to recyclers for recycling and reuse.

 

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