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Antifreeze
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:35 pm
by 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....
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:27 pm
by 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.

Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:45 pm
by lozz
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:06 pm
by 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.
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:15 pm
by 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

)
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 10:08 pm
by 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.
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 10:31 pm
by 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.
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 10:37 pm
by 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.............

Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:45 am
by Bailes1992
The ready mixed yellow Prestone stuff you can get in tesco is compatible with both types of coolant.
Re: Antifreeze
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 1:49 pm
by 8Jb9
GingerMagic wrote: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