Coolant question

[rsole]

Just got a 1995 1.9td fiat ducato campervan. Now.... we've been given the all clear for everything, but the coolant needs topping up.
Can you just use any old coolant off the shelf and bang it in?
Can you mix the old and the new?
Do you have to drain the old stuff first?
Does excellent coolant really mean better cooling performance?

Any recommendations? Bearing in mind we are in southern europe and so it's massively hot (sorry).

All help much appreciated. thanks.

[marshalla]

Do NOT mix the Pink/Orange OAT stuff with the older type blue/green ethylene-glycol mixes - they react together to produce a horrible jelly-like substance.

As long as you stick to one or the other, you can mix away to your heart's content.


TBH, if you're in a warm location and the level isn't desperately low, you'll get away with just adding water.

[buggalugs]

^^ Don't mix red & blue,

The coolant is more about not corroding the crap out of your head, block and radiator from the inside during the summer and not freezing and cracking something during the winter,

HTH

[rsole]

marshalla said:

Do NOT mix the Pink/Orange OAT stuff with the older type blue/green ethylene-glycol mixes - they react together to produce a horrible jelly-like substance.

As long as you stick to one or the other, you can mix away to your heart's content.


TBH, if you're in a warm location and the level isn't desperately low, you'll get away with just adding water.

Thanks for that chap. Wasn't aware of the perils of mixing! Glad i asked.

[reggie82]

You can mix red and blue if they're the same type!

Not all manufacturers use the same colours for the same types, so be careful.