Coolants that say they can be mixed with any color…How safe is that??
Depends on the make.
Don’t do it with Hondas as their coolant is silicate-free. Subarus are also picky (phosphate, non-amine type) so I stick with Subie coolant.
10-4 Copy that. Thanks
I would not mix different type or colors of coolant. Especially DEX COOL, the GM type. My Toyota had extra long life coolant and I’m stickcing with that. My Nissan has the green generic ethylene glycol from Prestone. We stick withthat too.
Its safe to do. Those coolants are also silicate free so you can use them in Honda’s and GM vehicles.
Copy that keith. Someone stated earlier that they have been running the bargain brand (green) i a honda with no problems
I wouldn’t mix them. From the Ford web site:
“Do not mix different colors or types of coolant in your vehicle. Make sure the correct coolant is used. Mixing of engine coolants may harm your engine’s cooling system. The use of an improper coolant may harm engine and cooling system components and may void the warranty.”
And just Ford has used multiple types over the last several years:
http://www.fordparts.com/Products/Chemicals-EngineProducts-Coolants.aspx
Note all the warnings with the various colors, including two different and incompatible ‘green’ ones.
Ugh!
What always worries me about these warnings is the $ connection. Meaning sticking with a certain product puts $ in a certain pocket…
True, but I still wouldn’t mix. If you want to use Prestone, then drain the old stuff, run clean water through it, drain, then fill with Prestone and water.
Confession: i already dumped 3/4 of a gallon of bargain brand coolant in a 06 toyota that has the red stuff in it
Your coolant ought to be replaced every three years or so. This is a routine driveway project. Drain the old stuff, flush once with water, and you can use any suitable coolant. Mixing? At your own risk.
Flush how? Pour water in where the thermostat sits???
Unless you know for sure, I would stick with the manufacturers recommended fluids with no mixes.
Using the wrong fluid can cause expensive damage on some cars.
As a general rule I never mix coolants.
I was actually going to start a post of this nature a while back…I have recently been getting angry at the dizzying array of coolants out there…and they are not compatable…not all of them…there is no “Any Color” coolant…
For instance in VW’s…They call Dexcool…DexKill… The coolant in modern V-Dubs is called G12…it is Pink…so is Dexcool…so its not as simple as a color chart anymore…maybe never was…
Definitely look in your owners manual these days…it will tell you what you can use…These aint the good ole days anymore when coolant was green…Trans fluid was Red…etc.
Blackbird
There are newer coolants that are compatible with ALL types. I’ve been using them for a few years now. Never had a problem.
You had a question on how to flush a cooling system. This is one of the easiest services an owner can do, simpler than an oil change. Drain the old coolant and add tap water through the opened radiator cap. Close it and run the engine to operating temperature, then drain again. Refill with fresh coolant in a 50/50 mixture.
There are many web sites that can provide you with more detail, as if any more is really necessary.
Thanks! Im guessing do like you say and be sure the engine gets warm enough to open the thermostat and circulate
I had a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander that came with DexCool. I never had a problem with the DexCool so I didn’t have to add coolant. I think the manual said that the DexCool was good for one million years or one billion miles. However, before I sold the Uplander to my son, I completely flushed the cooling system and put in ordinary coolant. This was a three years ago and the standard coolant has worked just fine. I think regular coolant with a three year change is better than this long life DexCool.
When I change my coolant, I always use the universal typ, I drain the old coolant from the radiator AND the block. Then I refill with the new coolant that I premix with distilled water at a 2:1 ration of coolant to DW. I do NOT flush the system with tap water as I think that will introduce more contaminates than it removes. The small amount of remaining old coolant will not hurt anything, and it never has for me.
However, when I used to flush out the system, I used flush chemicals until I noticed that I always had a lot of problems with the cooling system right afterwards. I stopped using the chemicals and have had very few problems since.