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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/7/2018 7:19 AM, Jim Franklin
wrote:<br>
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<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:22C0B7E2-06BB-4A51-AB84-10CFE9BA4FEB@groupwbench.org">
<pre wrap="">That sounds extremely plausible except that the car has been dealer serviced its whole life and had the <u><font size="+1">original coolant</font></u> since I wouldn't pay them to change it. Also, the strength and persistence of the smell is far too great for it to be any leftover flush. I've had the door open for many days and it always comes back after being closed up overnight.
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<br>
That might be your problem. Most antifreezes have an additive
called tolytriazole (C7H7N3), and that sure looks, chemically, like
it could be a source of ammonia when it starts to break down, and
that breakdown is likely to occur after repeated heat-cycling to
elevated temperatures and exposure to air.<br>
<br>
Flushing the system doesn't just get rid of crud. It also gets rid
of spent anticorrosion additives. Without changing it, chances are
good that the additives have been breaking down in the coolant
system, and when released to air (three-quarters N2, btw), the
result is plenty of ammonia.<br>
<br>
My guess is that the rodent event wasn't detected immediately, so
the coolant's soaked into the pores of the concrete, and that's what
the cure will have to do, too. Weak acid--lemon juice, vinegar,
oxalic acid, something like that, kept wet and allowed to soak into
the concrete. Keep it wet and refreshed with more weak acid.
Eventually the ammonia will be neutralized.<br>
<br>
<br>
Cheers.<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Michael Porter
Roswell, NM
Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....</pre>
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