But while the color can be a great starting point to figure out what kind of coolant you have, sometimes the color can be misleading.įor instance, not every vehicle that has orange anti-freeze has Dexcool. While there are tons of different anti-freeze varieties out there, the two main types used for your vehicle are a traditional green anti-freeze and an orange anti-freeze that uses Dexcool. Now, I will take a closer look at why it’s not a good idea to mix different types of coolant. Using the wrong type of coolant can lead to expensive repair costs. Stay on the safe side and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. You should never mix different types or colors of coolant if you are not an expert on the chemical composition and reactions of the various types. Nothing special about "aluminum safe" glycol-based antifreeze, and folks haven't used methanol as anti-freeze since WW II.Final Thoughts On Mixing Anti-Freeze Can You Mix Different Types of Coolant? Advertising that coolant is "aluminum safe" is crazy, because it all is. Gotta be nuts to buy premixed.Įngines had aluminum components in the early '60s, and even before that. Two gallons of "50/50" or "Premixed" coolant is about $25. One gallon of anti freeze is maybe fifteen dollars, sixteen with the water. Distilled water is under a dollar a gallon. I buy "pure" or "Full-strength" coolant, and gallon jugs of distilled water. It's worth checking the coolant for voltage using a multi-meter electrolysis is evil whether it's a poorly-grounded engine component or depleted additives in the coolant. It's harder to test extended-life coolant. If you're using "regular green", you can buy test strips that show the level of acid and the freeze protection. I think Magnesium works better than Zinc, but either is better than nothing. Gonna have to check Amazon to see what's available. Although I've not done it, there are sacrificial anodes that will ward off cooling system corrosion, they're probably a smart move-but I never think of them until I'm answering a question. I think the "two" and "five" year coolant flushes are exactly the same as "3000 mile" oil changes-a tremendous waste of time, money, effort, and enthusiasm PROVIDED YOU CHECK and TEST THE COOLANT NOW AND THEN. I've got no problem going seven to ten years with it. The "Extended-life" coolants are supposedly good for 5 years. My experience is that the green is good for 4+ years without problem. I test my coolant for acid and freeze protection. "Regular" Green anti freeze is supposedly good for two years before it needs to be flushed and re-filled. I don't know how much hotter the outside temp could get, 'cause I've never overheated except when the head gasket popped on my Lumina. I'm good to 100 degrees + with my "strong" coolant. If your engine overheats because you have "strong" coolant, your cooling system is under-sized or there's some other problem. Thank God for global warming I'm now mixing about 60% antifreeze, 40% water. I ALWAYS tend to mix them "strong", more anti-freeze than water-up to 80% antifreeze because it used to get really cold here. The gaskets have been improved, the Dexcool formula has been changed.I think this is a "done" issue. Deathcool/DexKill USED to have problems with gaskets. I'd at least research the benefits of the specified coolant. If I owned a vehicle that specified a particular coolant, I'd consider using the special stuff. At this point, I lean toward non-Dexcool extended-life largely because I've gotten lazy about coolant flushes, and the non-Dexcool costs less than Dexcool. Good God, there is so much WRONG or at least outdated information in this thread.įor the original poster: I have used "ordinary' green, I've used Dexcool, I've used non-Dexcool extended-life and I've used "less-toxic" Propylene Glycol (Sierra brand) antifreeze.ĪLL of them have worked JUST FINE.
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