TCL antifreeze. Products of the Land of the Rising Sun
Content
General characteristics of TCL antifreezes
TCL antifreezes are manufactured by the Japanese company Tanikawa Yuka Kogyo. This company was founded shortly after the end of World War II in a suburb of Japan's capital: Tokyo. And the abbreviation for this coolant is taken from the first letters of the name of the laboratory: Tanikawa Chemical Laboratory.
Like most Japanese liquids, TCL belongs to the class of high-tech products. This lies in the fact that carboxylate compounds are used as a protective additive in TCL antifreezes.
In inexpensive class G-11 antifreezes or domestic Tosole, silicates, phosphates, borates and some other chemical compounds act as protective additives. These compounds form a uniform protective film on the entire surface of the cooling system, which protects the jacket and pipes from the destructive effects of cavitation and chemical aggression of ethylene glycol. But at the same time, these same additives worsen the intensity of heat removal.
TCL antifreezes use carboxylic acids (or carboxylates) as protective additives. Carboxylate antifreezes are good because they do not create a continuous film and do not worsen the intensity of heat transfer. Additives based on carboxylic acid locally seal the formed microdamages in the cooling system and prevent their growth. And this is an important property for hot and revving engines of Japanese cars.
TCL antifreezes available on the Russian market
Currently, there are two groups of TCL antifreezes on the shelves of Russian stores:
- Long Life Coolant (LLC). Antifreeze with extended service life. The manufacturer indicates that the coolant must be replaced according to the automaker's regulations, but at the same time it gives a guarantee for the stable operation of its product for at least 2 years or 40 thousand kilometers. Red TCL LLC is recommended for Toyota and Daihatsu vehicles. Contains a specific package of additives designed for metal, rubber and plastic engine parts of these particular cars. Available in two versions in terms of minimum operating temperature: TCL -40°C and TCL -50°C. The green version of TCL LLC is designed for all other cars, contains a neutral additive package and is universal. Long Life Coolant TCL antifreezes are concentrated (require dilution with distilled water) and ready to fill. It is produced in containers with a volume of 1, 2, 4 and 18 liters for ready-made antifreeze and 2 and 18 liters for concentrate.
- Power coolant. This coolant is a more technologically advanced product. It is close in composition and characteristics to G12++ antifreeze widely used in the Russian market. May be mixed with G12++ in any proportion. Sold in Russian markets in a two-liter container (both the finished product and the concentrate). It comes in red, blue or green. Red - for Toyota, Daihatsu and Lexus. Blue - for Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki and some other brands that require Super Long Life Coolant. Green antifreeze Power Coolant TCL - universal. The entire Power Coolant product line operates at temperatures down to -40°C.
It is worth noting that all TCL antifreezes undergo mandatory laboratory testing for compliance with the composition and properties. This is a common practice in Japan. And if you purchase the original TCL coolant, it is guaranteed to meet the specifications declared by the manufacturer.
Reviews
Antifreezes with non-standard names are usually purchased by experienced drivers. In the masses, motorists prefer the usual coolant, marked with the letter "G" and a numerical coefficient. And products, like AGA or TCL antifreezes, are known in narrow circles of car owners.
Reviews of original TCL antifreezes are mostly good. These coolants are truly durable and often last much longer than the manufacturer claims. For example, in practice it has been repeatedly proven that TCL fluids work without problems for 3 years, and sometimes the mileage between replacements reaches 100 thousand km. At the same time, there are no problems with precipitation or insufficient heat removal.
Occasionally, there is dissatisfaction on the part of drivers on the network for insufficient heat dissipation intensity or premature degradation of these coolants. On forums and trading floors, reviews are slipping that some time after filling TCL, the motor began to warm up more than usual or even boiled. However, in most cases, it turns out that this problem was not related to antifreeze, but to malfunctions in the cooling system itself.
Of the negative reviews, its relatively low prevalence in Russia is also mentioned. If it is not a problem to buy TCL in large cities, then in regions, especially those far from the capital, these antifreezes are not always easy to find on sale.
