Finally admitted I was wrong about those cheap coolant testers

I spent years telling guys at the shop that those $8 coolant test strips were a waste of money. Last month I had a fleet truck come in with a blown head gasket and the old refractometer I used showed perfect antifreeze mix. Customer said he'd been using test strips from AutoZone and they kept saying his coolant was fine. I bought a pack just to see and sure enough, the strips showed corrosion inhibitor levels were way low while my fancy tool said everything was good. Anybody else had test strips lie to them on a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sean3d ago

So you're saying my expensive refractometer might be the dud here?

faithbaker3d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, those strips can be finicky in my experience. They're great for a quick check but they don't always catch everything, especially with coolant that's been in there a while. @the_sean, maybe take that expensive gizmo back to the shop and try the cheap strips just once, you might be surprised.