An Acura NSX owner opted to fill their cooling system with the cheap stuff instead of Honda coolant and this is the horrifying results.

Any car enthusiast worth their weight in salt will know that it doesn’t matter how expensive your car is, using the right replacement fluids is essential to the proper maintenance and longevity of your vehicle. For the Acura NSX, only Genuine Honda Antifreeze/Coolant is recommended. As per Science Of Speed’s post on facebook earlier today (Apr. 17,2017) this customer used the wrong coolant on his Acura NSX resulting in a leaky water pump and severe corrosion. Thankfully they brought their NSX to these RWD Honda/Acura specialists based out of Arizona before further damage could take place. Check out a couple of photos of the resulting damage below!

According to ScienceofSpeed,

This NSX water pump’s aluminum housing was corroded through and leaking on the outside due to improper coolant being used.

An ocular diagnosis of the failed water pump shows an extensive buildup of mineral deposits most likely from mixing concentrated coolant with undistilled water. At the very least, if pre-mixed coolant was used, the undistilled water in the 50/50 solution would’ve resulted in fewer mineral deposits.

Additionally, it looks like the impeller blades are thoroughly rusted. The right coolant when interacting with the metallic alloys present in water pumps (including the rest of the coolant system) will provide enough rust inhibiting protection to not only lubricate the water pump bearings but prevent rust forming in the first place.

Believe it or not, Honda engineers developed a special coolant that has several advantages over the competition. Although some antifreezes may say they are compatible with Japanese Imports, oftentimes this is not the case with Honda and Acura cooling systems. There’s an extensive study by Honda engineers that can be found on the internet and is posted on NSX prime. We’ve posted the important bits below. Basically, Honda found that after 200 hours of Honda’s Coolant leakage test using Honda Coolant and a silicated coolant, engines using Honda Coolant exhibited 10 times less leakage.

Extensive research and testing by both Honda R&D and CCI, the manufacturer of the Honda coolant, have proven that the abrasive silicates and/or borates found in most domestic coolants can cause erosion and leakage problems.

Replacing your coolant is something that typically takes place every 45,000 miles according to Acura service intervals. That means over say a 200,000-mile period an NSX owner is looking at 4-5 changes. With the coolant capacity being 12.7 quarts or 3.1 gallons and with Honda coolant averaging about $20 a gallon, you’re looking at spending at least $60 plus tax for all your coolant. For the sake of argument, a cheaper coolant for Japanese imports can be found for half that price. For that $30 saving, you end up risking thousands of dollars in damage to your cooling system if your replacement coolant isn’t up to snuff and does more damage than protection.

So there you have it. If you own any Honda or Acura, it would behoove you to refer to your owners manual before heading out to buy fluids for your DIY coolant change. And if you have an NSX, you’d better use Honda coolant.