Antifreeze

[GingerMagic]

Hi everyone, I have a bit of a dumb question but hopefully I will get a sensible answer.....

I need to top up my antifreeze on both mine and the wifes car, do I;

a) Just buy some more blue stuff and top it up?
b) Drain the system and use the pink stuff instead?

I don't think I can mix blue and pink so I would need either one or the other.

What is the difference, apart from the colour obviously....

[lozz]

The pink stuff is O.A.T

its sort of an anti rust stuff,

it don't matter what you use..it will still do its job..as long as you don't mix..blue with pink etc.


the pink stuff is cheap..
igot some here...- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291289374084 free post too.

[lozz]

more info here https://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/tech-ar ... freeze.pdf

[GingerMagic]

Thanks Lozz, I know Jasper5 was saying the pink stuff is better - its around £12 for 5L of the concentrated stuff at Europarts, which should easily do both cars.
I'll probably just take the lid off the expansion tank and pop one of the radiator hoses off to dump the old stuff out.

Cheers.

[lozz]

Tbh. ijust replace with whats in already.

if Blue..put blue in.

they do a clear stuff now.. Asda ithink or Tesco iseen it in..that mixes with anything. (anti/freeze not vodka )

[Doggy]

Just to confuse matters still further - red / pink stuff is OAT as stated above, blue is ethylene glycol and the two don't mix.

However original spec PSA stuff is blue, but it's OAT.

I researched it in the summer when I did my cambelt/water pump etc. and used red OAT stuff, been OK since.

[8Jb9]

Don't go by colour alone. Basf glysantin G33 (original pug) is OAT and blue. G30 is recommended aftermarket and OAT. It's pink.


Both are on ethylene glycol basis (as opposed to propylene glycol). OAT is the anti-corrosion additive/mix, and combining different types of additives can convert it into jelly or create sediments.

Read what it says on the package, don't go by colour.

[GingerMagic]

Oh, well I looked inside the expansion tank and I saw green - which I figure is a weak shade of blue.

I subsequently bought the blue stuff, put it in earlier tonight so lets hope its okay??

Whats the worst that can happen.............

[Bailes1992]

The ready mixed yellow Prestone stuff you can get in tesco is compatible with both types of coolant.

[8Jb9]

Oh, well I looked inside the expansion tank and I saw green - which I figure is a weak shade of blue.

I subsequently bought the blue stuff, put it in earlier tonight so lets hope its okay??

Whats the worst that can happen.............

G33 is funny when it comes to colours. It looks greenish blue, yet when you shine a light at it it reflects orange... Weird.

Before mixing my coolant with G30 I took out a sample and mixed it 1:1 with the G30 I had at hand. Since I saw no jellification and no precipitates I added the amount I needed. Q8 recommends replacing the fluid after 1 year if mixing with other brands, and I would expect that to be the case for others as well. ...At least as a "best practice", not "do this or your engine will die tomorrow".

Have a look at these two folders for a bit of (commercial) tips:
Coolant 101
Coolant product finder