SB-10054690-3920

UPDATE

Models Affected: All Blue Bird Visions and All American Front and Rear
Engine Buses with Cummins Engines

Blue Bird implemented Fleetguard FLEETCOOL EX as the standard coolant used in Blue Bird
buses with Cummins engines in November 2011. Cummins Fleetguard FLEETCOOL EX is an
ethylene glycol premix 50/50 coolant which is pink in color. Fleetguard FLEETCOOL EX
replaced Cummins Fleetguard ES COMPLEAT which is an ethylene glycol premix 50/50
coolant that is blue in color. Both coolants are approved for Cummins engines.

-S U 1 3 1 5 ---

CUMMINS COOLANT in
CUMMINS ENGINES

Cummins has publications that cover coolant maintenance, testing, documenting and flush and
fill. These include but are not limited to:
 Cummins Owners Manuals for each engine
 Cummins® Inc. Service Bulletin, 3666132-07, entitled Cummins® Coolant
Requirements and Maintenance
 Technical Bulletin TB03/05-2 entitled “Compatibility of Fleetguard Coolants and
SCAs with Competitor Products”.
Cummins Owners Manuals may include the following:
 Maintenance Schedule
 Maintenance Record Form
 Maintenance Specifications
o Coolant Recommendations and Specifications
 Fully Formulated Coolants/Antifreeze
 Water Quality
 Refers customers to Cummins® Inc. Service Bulletin, 3666132-07,
entitled Cummins® Coolant Requirements and Maintenance
Cummins® Inc. Service Bulletin, 3666132-07, entitled Cummins® Coolant Requirements
and Maintenance is a customer service guide detailing the needs for coolant and maintenance
practices for all Cummins engine. This document goes into much greater detail than the various
engine owner manual or operation and maintenance manual for each engine model. See attached
copy.

Page 1 of 3

-S E R V I C E

Blue Bird installs a decal on or near the deaeration tank filler which states the type of coolant
installed at the factory. If the decal is missing or you have any further questions on the coolant
installed in your vehicle, please contact your Blue Bird Dealer.

U P D A T E

Blue Bird continues to offer an optional coolant which is Cummins Fleetguard ES COMPLEAT
OAT which is an organic acid fully formulated extended life ethylene glycol premix 60/40
coolant that is red in color.

275 Gal. Tote (1040 L)
55 Gal. Drum (208 L)
6/ 1 Gal. Bottle (3.78 L)
6/ 1 Qt. Bottle (0.94 L)

275 Gal. Tote (1040 L)
55 Gal. Drum (208 L)
6/ 1 Gal. Bottle (3.78 L)
6/ 1 Qt. Bottle (0.94 L)

275 Gal. Tote (1040 L)
55 Gal. Drum (208 L)
6/ 1 Gal. Bottle (3.78 L)
6/ 1 Qt. Bottle (0.94 L)

275 Gal. Tote (1040 L)
55 Gal. Drum (208 L)
6/ 1 Gal. Bottle (3.78 L)
6/ 1 Qt. Bottle (0.94 L)

FLEETCOOL EX
EG Concentrate
CC2740
CC2741
CC2742

FLEETCOOL EX EG
Premix 50/50
CC2744
CC2745
CC2746

EX Extender

ES Compleat EG
Concentrate
CC2823
CC2821
CC2820

ES Compleat EG
Premix 50⁄50
CC2834
CC2826
CC2825

ES Extender

ES Compleat OAT
EG Concentrate
CC36071
CC36072
CC36073

ES Compleat OAT EG
Premix 50⁄50
CC36075
CC36076
CC36077

OAT Extender

ES Compleat OAT
EG Concentrate
CC36071
CC36072
CC36073

ES Compleat OAT EG
Premix 60/40
CC36079
CC36078

OAT Extender

CC2765

CC2840

CC2779

CC2779

Page 2 of 3

-

 ES Compleat® EG Premix or Concentrate with DCA4 (color, blue)
 Fleetcool® EX EG Premix and Concentrate with modified DCA4 (color, pink)
 ES Compleat OAT® (does not contain DCA4 or DCA2) (color, red)

As a quick reference the tables below shows the Fleetcool EX EG (pink), ES Compleat EG
(blue), and ES Compleat OAT EG (red) Fleetguard Part Numbers:

U P D A T E

The Fleetguard coolants that Cummins Inc. recommends are:

-S U 1 3 1 5 -

UPDATE

Cummins has published Technical Bulletin TB03/05-2 entitled “Compatibility of Fleetguard
ENGINES
Coolants and SCAs withCUMMINS
competitor Products
“(attached). Although it is acceptable to mix
any of the Fleetguard coolants listed below in a Cummins engine in a Blue Bird chassis, Blue Bird
recommends that mixing be avoided if at all possible.

-S E R V I C E

CUMMINS COOLANT in
CUMMINS ENGINES

UPDATE

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

1. Question: Is the Fleetcool EX EG a recycled coolant?
Answer: NO, it is a virgin ethylene glycol coolant. .
2. Question: If a cooling system is equipped with a Fleetguard coolant filter, when should
the filter be changed?

-S U 1 3 1 5 -

CUMMINS COOLANT in
CUMMINS ENGINES

-

Answer: Follow Cummins recommendations in Cummins Owner’s Manual and
Cummins Coolant Requirements and Maintenance Service Bulletin 3666132.

4. Question: When should I replace the coolant?
Answer: See the engine Cummins Owner’s Manual which was supplied with your bus.
Additional information is also available in the Cummins Coolant Requirements and
Maintenance Service Bulletin 3666132.
5. Question: How and when should the cooling system be flushed?
Answer: Follow Cummins recommendations in Cummins Owner’s Manual which was
supplied with your bus and Cummins Coolant Requirements and Maintenance Service
Bulletin 3666132.
6. Question: Who should a customer contact with questions on Cummins coolants in
Cummins engines?
Answer: Email www.fleetguard.com or call the Cummins Filtration (Fleetguard)
Technical Assistance hotline at 800-223-4583 or contact your Blue Bird Dealer.

Page 3 of 3

-S E R V I C E

Answer: Follow Cummins recommendations in Cummins Owner’s Manual and
Cummins Coolant Requirement s and Maintenance Service Bulletin 3666132.
Recommend using Cummins lab for testing. Always specify the correct component type
(Fleetcool EX EG 50/50 Premix) and brand (Cummins Coolant).

U P D A T E

3. Question: How and when should I test my engine coolant?

Service Bulletin Number
3666132-07

Date
29-JUL-2013

Service Bulletin
Cummins® Coolant Requirements and
Maintenance
This Service Bulletin supersedes prior Service Bulletins concerning Cummins Inc. coolant
requirements and maintenance; replace those Service Bulletins with this one.
This Service Bulletin outlines the proper application and maintenance of coolant for all
Cummins® engines, including gaseous fueled engines. It also updates and simplifies
Cummins Inc. recommendations and guidelines for the end user.

Summary of Recommendations
Cummins Inc. cooling system general recommendations are listed below. These
recommendations apply to both Standard Service Intervals and Extended Service
Intervals. See Section 2 or 3 for complete instructions.







Fill up and top off cooling systems with a fully formulated antifreeze/coolant meeting
Cummins Engineering Standard 14603.
Replace the coolant filter(s) at every recommended coolant filter change interval.
Add liquid supplemental coolant additive (SCA) at each filter change as necessary
or add liquid Extender per the coolant supplier's recommendations.
Test coolant at least twice per year for liner-pitting protection (nitrite and molybdate
levels).
Test coolant for replacement limits every 240,000 km [150,000 mi ], 4000 hours, or
once per year, whichever occurs first.
Replace coolant only if replacement limits have been exceeded.

Definition of Terms

Term

Definition

Extender

Extended Service Additive

SCA

Supplement Coolant Additive (Standard service interval additive)

Coolant

As used in this bulletin, coolant refers to the liquid mixture in the engine or
vehicle cooling system that functions to maintain an engine temperature in
the designed range. In general, the coolant is made up of water, glycol and
additives. Also referred to as “Prediluted” or “Premix”.

Antifreeze

The glycol or glycerin and additive portion of the coolant whose main
function is to control corrosion and the freezing/boiling point of the coolant.
Also referred to as “Concentrate”.

Fully
Formulated

Antifreeze or coolant that contains the correct amount of additives to be
used in a heavy duty engine. Fully formulated antifreeze/coolant meets
ASTM D6210.

Partially
Formulated

Antifreeze or coolant that requires a “precharge” of supplemental coolant
additive to protect against liner pitting and hot surface scaling. Partially
formulated antifreeze/coolant does not meet American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM) D6210.

Treated
Water
Coolant

Water containing all additives necessary for use as a coolant in heavy duty
engines. Treated water coolant does not contain glycol or glycerin.

Unit

0.3 units per liter [1 unit per gal] is equal to 1000 ppm of Nitrite (as NO 2).

Section 1 - Introduction
Cummins Inc. coolant recommendations have evolved over time to reflect changes in
diesel engine and coolant technology, environmental regulations, and customer needs.
Since 1995, Cummins Inc. has recommended the use of only fully formulated coolants
meeting ASTM D6210/The Maintenance Council RP 329 (ethylene glycol) and The
Maintenance Council RP 330 (propylene glycol) specifications.
However, Cummins Inc. has recently discovered significant weaknesses in some coolants
meeting these ASTM specifications. Therefore, a new Cummins Engineering Standard,
Cummins Engineering Standard 14603, has been developed to make sure coolant used in
Cummins® engines will meet the requirements of all engine components. See Attachment
2 for more information on Cummins Engineering Standard 14603.
Cummins Inc. guidelines prior to 1995 permitted the use of fully formulated
antifreezes/coolants meeting ASTM D6210, but primarily addressed the use of partially
formulated products meeting ASTM D4985 or GM 6038M, which were referred to as
"heavy duty" based on the low-silicate content. These partially formulated coolants
contained buffering compounds and corrosion inhibitors, but did not provide liner pitting
and scale protection. To provide total heavy-duty cooling system protection, a mixing

process was required to add SCA. This mixing process provided opportunity for human
error, which often resulted in liner or block pitting from under-concentration during initial fill
or SCA dilution during top-off of the cooling system. Because of these issues, the use of
partially formulated antifreezes is unacceptable.
Fully formulated antifreezes are ideally suited for topping off cooling systems, but do not
eliminate the need for additive replenishment. Routine additive replenishment has always
been required to offset normal additive depletion processes.
During normal additive replenishment, it is possible to achieve an additive concentration
that is higher than desired. This is because Cummins Inc. recommended replenishment
rates have been aimed to compensate for coolant loss. If no coolant loss is experienced,
gradual Extender/SCA concentration increase is possible. Overconcentration can be
avoided by monitoring with a test kit.
However, the use of test kits to maintain a concentration near the minimum side of the
acceptable range has never been acceptable nor recommended. This practice is
responsible for many pitting failures and should not be followed.

Coolant Performance Characteristics
Table 1 below lists the various types of coolants and the performance characteristics of
each. As mentioned earlier in this section, only fully formulated antifreeze/coolant meeting
Cummins Engineering Standard 14603 is recommended for use in Cummins® engines.

Table 1 - Coolant Type versus Performance
Characteristics
Light Duty

Low Silicate and
SCA

Fully Formulated

D-3306

–

D-6210

Buffering

Yes

Yes

Yes

Corrosion Protection

Yes

Yes

Yes

Foam Control

Yes

Yes

Yes

Silicate Limit

No

Yes

Yes

Liner-Pitting
Protection

No

Yes

Yes

Scale/Deposit
Control

No

Yes

Yes

–

No

No

ASTM Specification

SCA Precharge
Required

Light Duty
Silicate Gelation

Primary cause

Low Silicate and
SCA
Can occur with SCA
overdose

Total Dissolved
Solids Buildup in
Coolant

–

Can exceed 5 percent

Extended Service
Interval Capable

No

No

System Top-Off

SCA added with
antifreeze/coolant

Fully Formulated

SCA added with
antifreeze/coolant

No
Remains below 3
percent
Yes
Antifreeze/Coolant
only

Topping Off and Dilution of Cooling Systems
Coolant loss can lead to dilution of corrosion and liner-pitting protection additives due to
incorrect top-off practices. This is the root cause of most cases of liner-pitting. The top-off
process is simplified by the use of fully formulated antifreezes and coolants because SCA
addition is not required when topping off the system. Even small leaks at the hose clamps,
radiator cores, cylinder head gaskets, and water pumps result in significant coolant loss
over time. Dilution of critical additives is avoided, regardless of the amount of coolant loss,
by using fully formulated products for system top-off.

Standard Service Interval Coolant versus Extended
Service Interval Coolant
Both types of coolant follow the same general test schedule:



Test at least twice a year for additive and glycol levels
Test coolant at 240,000 km [150,000 mi], 4000 hours, or once per year, whichever
occurs first, to determine if the coolant must be replaced.

The advantage to using an extended service interval coolant is that typically the coolant
only needs additive replenishment and filter change once per year, compared to the
standard service interval where the additive and filter is replenished at each oil change
interval.
Section 2 of this bulletin details the standard service interval and Section 3 details the
extended service interval.

Additional Information
If you have any questions about information in this bulletin or would like more information,
please contact 1-800-DIESELS.

Section 2 - Standard Service Interval
This section outlines the recommended maintenance practices for cooling systems when
using a standard service interval.

WARNING
A small amount of coolant can leak when servicing the coolant filter with the shutoff valve
in the OFF position. To reduce the possibility of personal injury, avoid contact with hot
coolant.

WARNING
Coolant is toxic. Keep away from children and pets. If not reused, dispose of in
accordance with local environmental regulations.
For an engine using standard service interval coolant, the additive and glycol levels must
be tested once every 6 months.
The following steps are required to comply with Cummins Inc. recommendations for initial
filling and maintenance of cooling systems.








Fill the cooling system with premixed fully formulated coolant or with a 50/50
mixture of high-quality water (see Section 9 - Water Quality Requirements) and fully
formulated concentrated antifreeze. The fully formulated coolant/antifreeze, either
ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, must meet Cummins Engineering Standard
14603. Cummins Inc. recommends using Fleetguard® coolants containing DCA4
chemistry; however, Fleetguard® coolants containing DCA2 chemistry are
acceptable.
Top off the cooling system as needed using only fully formulated antifreeze/coolant
meeting Cummins Engineering Standard 14603.
Change the coolant filter(s) at every oil change. The coolant filter must meet
Cummins Engineering Standard 14315.
Replenish depleted coolant additives at every oil change or as needed by replacing
the coolant filter(s) with the correct filter(s) or liquid SCA. Very large cooling
systems can require additional liquid SCA if standard coolant filters do not provide
sufficient SCA replenishment. Consult Cummins® Filtration Technical Assistance
for detailed Fleetguard® product information and assistance for filter sizes and part
numbers at 800-223-4583 or www.Cumminsfiltration.com.
Test the coolant twice a year for freeze protection and additive levels.
Refractometer measurements provide the most accurate freeze protection