Wrong coolant mixed

[raspire]

My wifes just told me the coolant light came on the car today. When she checked the engine for it it was below minimum.

Shes gone a topped up with long life red which is eth glycol based, OAT but the car is A b8 vw passat and should have G13 which is glycerin based I believe.

When I check the coolant tank now, the colour of the liquid is brown. Is this a major problem?

We have the car in the garage on Friday for a separate problem. Can this last till then and ill ask them to flush it when they are there.

Not sure how bad the brown liquid is. It wasnt brown previously so its not rust or anything car is 2018 model.

[SimonTheSailor]

Don't think you are supposed to mix them because a gel can form, so not as free flowing anymore. Think it'll need to be drained and flushed pretty quick but await other people's comments ......

[raspire]

Yeah it does seem more of a thicker fluid now

[raspire]

G13 - TL 774 J was in the car

And TL 774 D Comma Superlong life Red

is what it was mixed with

[Puddles of Oil]

If you mix Red OAT anti-freeze with some (not all) of the older style anti-freezes it turns into brown jelly and sets. You need to spoon it out of the engine and flush it through with hot water (ask me how I know). To be fair to your wife a lot of bottles of anti-freeze have printed on them 'Universal, mixes with a ll other anti-freeze' when they don't.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

You might want to get the garage to investigate where the original coolant has gone too, rather than just flush and refill it. It must have a weep somewhere.