Color of Antifreeze/Coolant

RedTaco4x4

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Durham, NC
I've been looking for several days now on here (to make sure it wasn't covered), google and other places on the differences between the different colors of antifreeze/coolant. What is the difference and can you mix colors? Some sources say yes, some say no. What's the deal? Opinions? My 2000 Range Rover 4.0SE has pink in it now and is a little low. The pink is hard to find at the autostores and those places say sure, mix away with any other color. Land Rover of Cary says stay with pink and don't ever ever mix. I'm getting the whole system flushed tomorrow, so adding doesn't matter anymore, but for future reference, it might be nice to know what I can and cannot add to the cooling system.
 
I know of someone who added the green when their car had pink in it and they had to replace I think the thermostate. I have heard that you shouldnt mix them because it will clog up.
 
several manufacturers have their own blend of coolant, more for "exclusivity" than an actual need for a certain composition, but the reasons given are to help control electralisis (sp? ) due to the many dissimmelar metals used in todays engines.

GM uses Dexcool, (aka Dexclog) supposedly good for 5years 100k or something like, in reality, it breaks down much sooner, and depending on the metal composition of the engine it's running in, can sludge, crystalize, or just evaproate ( and man does the residue stink !!! )

Mopar has their own, Ford has thiers, Toy, yadda yadda

many GM dealerships, AFTER the warranty has expired, will flush and refill with regualr ole green that you've been using for years.

Mixing Dexclog and green will cause a sludge issue, clogging up heater cores, thermostats, Rads, and some cooling passages, not always, but it happens.

Anyone familiar with the ZINC coupler used on GM engines for the heater hose connection, the one that corrodes and leaks like crazy.

Know why it is there and made of the material it is?

Kevin
 
doesnt zinc attract the corrosion?

I know boat motor mfg's place a zinc plate on the out drive. I have been told that its there to protect the rest of the motor from corrosion (ie being in salt water.)
 
'zactly the same principal here

This piece is the sacrifical anode of the cooling system, without it, the heater core, and or Rad (both made of thin aluminum) would corrode and leak in short order.

More fun when the factory zinc piece has been replaced by a steel aftermarket one, let the games begin !!

Kevin
 
dont use anything that says long life on it, it causes a shit ton more corrosion on aluminum parts, we quit using at work cause of this
 
If it's pink you gotta put pink back in it or you are looking at some serious problems. BMW uses dark green and it's a royal PITA to flush the whole system 4 or 5 times to get the mixed stuff out. Volkswagen also uses pink stuff so that might be a cheaper place to get it if you can't find it at an auto parts store. Definately don't mix anything with the pink though.
 
Back
Top