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Traditional North American “green” antifreeze, the original “universal” formula that everybody used until the introduction of today’s extended-life coolants.
Generally, all makes all models universal antifreeze is 96% ethylene glycol and just 2 to 5% inhibitors. Since the product is billed as all makes, all models, it’s can’t possibly be vehicle specific, so it’s really a compromised product that provides LESS corrosion protection than the factory formula.
Different Coolant Types
Different vehicles require different coolants. There are varieties for every type of vehicle, from diesel engines to American, Asian and European vehicles. Each one is specifically formulated to keep its designated engine type running in extreme temperatures.
There is green antifreeze and orange antifreeze. … These days you can actually get yellow antifreeze, blue antifreeze, pink antifreeze and more. The fact is, mixing these liquids is not safe.
The truth is, color is not a reliable predictor for what type of coolant you have. For example, OAT coolants are usually orange, yellow, red or purple. … Then the older IAT coolant is green. Coolants that manufacturers sell can confuse matters even more, like Honda’s blue coolant.
Makers of universal coolants say their products are formulated to be compatible with all cooling systems (foreign or domestic) and all coolant types (traditional green, OAT and OAT-hybrid with silicate).
There are essentially three basic types of coolants: Traditional North American “green” antifreeze, the original “universal” formula that everybody used until the introduction of today’s extended-life coolants. … For example, OAT coolants should not be used in a vehicle that specifies the use of a hybrid OAT coolant.
Technically, you can mix coolant types, but before you go ahead and do it, let’s cover some things. … Currently, many coolant producers make solutions that aren’t Dex-Cool but are safe to mix with Dex-Cool. Make sure to read your manual and the label on the coolant that you would like to add thoroughly.
Can I mix green coolant with orange coolant? This is one of those questions usually asked after the fact, and usually engine damage has already occurred. The green and orange coolants do not mix. When mixed together they form a gel-like substance that stops coolant flow, and consequently, the engine overheats.
Well, you use the coolant that is specified in your owner’s manual. If you just need to top it up, the recommendation is still the same, however it is unlikely to cause any serious problems if you add a litre of a different type of coolant, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.
Absolutely yes. But don’t mix up two different types of coolant as it may lead to some damaging effects.
It’s perfectly backwards compatible if you want to do that. But you really don’t want to mix them, it’s not that good of an idea to mix them. If you want to have the correct coolant added for you, consider YourMechanic. They will be able to come to your home or office to perform this service.
While the manufacturers of these coolants recommend only using them in an aluminum radiator, as opposed to the copper/brass radiators, we still don’t recommend them in our all-aluminum radiators. … We recommend the traditional yellow/green coolant because it has always worked for us.
This is a mistake and can lead to expensive repairs. The two coolants should never be mixed together as they do not react well. When mixed together they can form a thick, jelly-like substance that can completely stop all coolant flow which can lead to overheating.
Never mix different types of coolant.
orange to pink or light red.” … Yes it does, I have a new Ford Escape and the coolant was pink colored from the Ford dealer.
You may have a coolant leak, a power steering leak or a transmission fluid leak. If the liquid is a water like substance and consistency with a pink color, this suggests you may have a coolant leak. There is a hose that goes from your car’s engine to the radiator that can sometimes leak.
Breaking the Old Antifreeze Habit
Classic car owners traditionally use inorganic acid coolants, the ones that are ethylene-glycol-based and bright green in color. … But using an OAT-based universal coolant will be fine in your classic car.
You should know that the term “orange coolant” has come to mean a DexCool-approved brand but that doesn’t mean it’s really true. … All DexCool-approved coolants to date use two organic acid rust/corrosion inhibitors, one called sebacate, the other called 2-EHA (which stands for 2-ethylhexanoic acid).
The new Prestone bright yellow coolant is compatible with any coolant used by any car brand or manufacturer. It says so right on the label. I have 2 gallons of the stuff, mixed 50/50 with distilled water. 2 quarts of it mixed with 2 quarts of DEX-COOL results in a lighter “orange”, clear coolant.
Dex-Cool is a specially formulated GM coolant which will not mix with traditional coolants, and was used in various GM applications up through the 2004 model year. Mixture of alternate chemicals will void the GM endorsement, will degrade coolant integrity, and possibly damage the coolant system of your GM vehicle.
VW | BASF | Colour |
---|---|---|
G12 | red/pink | |
G12+ | G30 | red/violet |
G12++ | G40 | red/violet |
G13 | purple |
Water by itself can’t do the job of antifreeze due to its lack of boiling and freezing point range and its inability to protect your vehicle’s engine. Plus, it doesn’t absorb heat as effectively. In the case of an absolute emergency, you can use water in your coolant rank.
There is no problem with just topping up the coolant. You can add the coolant without flushing out the old. However, with time, the older coolant becomes acidic. This can cause corrosion, and afterward, can cause defects in the cooling system.
The key difference between red and green antifreeze is that red antifreeze lasts longer than green antifreeze. An antifreeze contains ethylene glycol and propylene glycol as the bases. So it’s a better antifreeze to use. …
You can mix two different colors of the same kind of coolant without any problem whatsoever.
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