Beneteau vs. Yanmar – Green vs. Red Cooling Fluid

[Swesail]

OK so here we go… I have a 2008 Beneteau 40. I had a simple engine warranty problem (hard start). The Yanmar service center that performed the repair found that the dealer had forgotten to register the warranty. Due to this a re-commissioning had to be performed prior to fixing the hard start problem in order to get the engine properly into warranty.

One of the (many) things found during the re-com was an issue with the cooling fluid. If anyone has information about this I’d be thankful. Beneteau has filled up green cooling fluid in pretty much all of their Yanmar engines. I have in writing from Yanmar that this voids any and all warranties for the cooling system of the engine since the green cooling fluid allegedly corrodes the aluminum parts. Needless to say the green and the by Yanmar recommended red fluid don’t mix so the system needs to be properly flushed. This was something I had to do in order to get the engine warranty registered during the re-commissioning. Has anyone heard about this before? Will Beneteau use their size against (quite sizeable) Yanmar when (if Yanmar is correct) the engines start to corrode in all those boats that haven’t changed cooling fluid? Beneteau states the green is fine. Yanmar states that you are out of warranty if using green… Anyone that has more information?

And of course… don’t necessary trust that your engine is registered with Yanmar just because you have a document from your dealer stating so. My dealership remembered to give me the document but forgot to register the engine… And without registration the warranty is invalid.. If the engine is registered you can punch in the serial on Yanmar’s site and check the warranty status.

[mrwuffles]

Use the red, if you ever overheat with the green it will ruin your engine.

[Swesail]

Originally Posted by mrwuffles

Use the red, if you ever overheat with the green it will ruin your engine.

Thanks. That was news to me. As it has been explained to me previously it has been all about corrosion. This makes it even stranger that Beneteau uses the green cooling fluid (never mind voiding the warranty)

[bubb2]

My Beneteau came with RED! I think you have a dealer problem not a Beneteau problem.

[Swesail]

Originally Posted by bubb2

My Beneteau came with RED! I think you have a dealer problem not a Beneteau problem.

Bubb2,
Yes indeed I have a dealer problem. You can say that again. That is the reason I took the boat out of the dealer yard and into a certified Yanmar center for this work. But the Beneteau dealer claims that the engine came filled with green from Beneteau. I have spoken to Beneteau and they claim green is fine (but not explicitly that they filled up with green). Do you happen to know if your dealer or Beneteau filled up the cooling fluid? How old is your boat? I would be thankful for as much information as possible. It has certainly been expensive for me to get the engine into warranty. This on a new boat.

[bubb2]

I don't know who filled it, but mine is a 2gm20f model Yanmar. When the boat was delivered to us (new) it had red/pink antifreeze. I hope this helps.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by mrwuffles

Use the red, if you ever overheat with the green it will ruin your engine.

Can you please quote us some sources for this statement??

After just having been though the Dex-Cool (AKA Death Cool) fiasco on my own engine I have switched back to green but this is VERY labor intensive. I would welcome any source you have for your statement above that green antifreeze will ruin your engine in an over heat.

[Swesail]

Originally Posted by bubb2

I don't know who filled it, but mine is a 2gm20f model Yanmar. When the boat was delivered to us (new) it had red/pink antifreeze. I hope this helps.

Thanks –But just to be clear, it’s not the antifreeze in the cooling system you are using pretty much every winter (raw water intake) that I’m referring to but rather the cooling fluid within the engine.
You shouldn’t really have to replace the cooling fluid but just top it up probably every second year or so.

If your answer was regarding the cooling fluid rather than the antifreeze in the raw water circuit then it helped. But in any case I thank you for taking the time to read. Please let me know which it is.

[bubb2]

Yes we are talking the same thing. The cooling system, The stuff in the (little plastic bottle with the fill line) in the reserve bottle. Not the winter stuff you pour down the drains.

[Swesail]

Originally Posted by bubb2

Yes we are talking the same thing. The cooling system, The stuff in the (little plastic bottle with the fill line) in the reserve bottle. Not the winter stuff you pour down the drains.

Beautiful. Perfect. Thank you. What year was your Benne delivered? Dare I ask what dealership you are using?