Green antifreeze, where can I get it?
Discussion
TVR keith said:
The antifreeze is green and don't want to put blue antifreeze in it as we are told that it will turn brown.
I've never thought about this, but it sounds like nonsense! I thought all anti-freeze was the same - a solution of ethylene glycol - and the colour was from dye, put there so you can tell the system has antifreeze in it. It comes in various colours: blue, green, even pink in new Fords. So you can put anything in it.
I'm ready to be told I'm wrong though!
You do get different types. For example... Alfas have two sorts of Paraflu, one is blue and the other red, and you can't mix them. One is ethylene glycol and I think the other one is... something else. Different models have different coolants recommended as standard, not sure how important that is or whether you could drain down the radiator and replace with the other one.
ray_von said:
Just been wondering about this. Am I right in assuming that colour isn't important as long as the anti freeze is ethylene glycol based.
To be honest though with my limited knowledge I thought it all was glycol based
The colour makes no difference if all you want is something to stop your cooling system from freezing or corroding. To be honest though with my limited knowledge I thought it all was glycol based
A few years back you used to be able to buy the cheaper Methanol based cr@p, that was different. I believe that was killed off due to the damage it did to seals on the "new type" ally/plastic rads.
The concentration is the important thing, putting too much in tends to find leaks you didn't know you had.
I have used Bluecol for more years than I care to admit to, it has always been the best you could buy for as long as I can remember.
All ethylene glycol based anti freezes mix with no problems.
yep def UNIPART.....but i will let you into a little secret chaps,if you go to a vauxhall dealer and ask for there standard antifreeze pink/red in colour,you will pay standard money,but you are getting a high quality 5 year coolant,i use this stuff all the time its great,also leaves a nice obvious stain if you have a leak.
All antifreeze is not Ethylene glycol. Caterham make a big thing about using the correct Comma product (which also used to be the Rover 5 year product)for the K series which I believe is propylene glycol - different fraction I suppose but that's where my chemistry ends!
The reason given was something about a more even heat distirbution and better heat transmission properties. Mixing the two was not recommended.
They may have had to be particularly careful since cooling is not one of the K series' better attributes!
Colour tends to be the way to distinguish between the different sorts.
The reason given was something about a more even heat distirbution and better heat transmission properties. Mixing the two was not recommended.
They may have had to be particularly careful since cooling is not one of the K series' better attributes!
Colour tends to be the way to distinguish between the different sorts.
Edited by dkl on Wednesday 6th December 22:28
Not all anti freezes are the same, the older types normaly blue/green do not last as long and can seperate and cause sediment build up. With new vehicles this can be a big problem as it can block heater cores and radiators.
The later stuff is much better at preventing sediment build up and also has better cooling characteristics.
I had a bad experience with my chim, When I bought the vehicle I flushed and changed to the pink type. At the time I was working away alot and during a service I asked the garage to change the rad as the core looked quite bad.
I recieved the vehicle back, put it in the garage for about 3 weeks. On return from an overseas trip I took it out for a steady drive one sunny sunday morning and then parked it on the drive ticking over, within about 2 minutes there was an almighty bang and steam poured from under the bonnet................ Once I had gathered myself together I opened the bonnet, what I found was not nice, The one end tank on the radiator had parted company with the rest of the assemble and the bottom hose had blown itself apart.
The cause of this issue is that the small bore pipe from the swirl pot to the expansion tank had become blocked. The cause of the blockage was imcompatable anti-freeze.
Please be careful when changing / mixed the anti freeze.
The later stuff is much better at preventing sediment build up and also has better cooling characteristics.
I had a bad experience with my chim, When I bought the vehicle I flushed and changed to the pink type. At the time I was working away alot and during a service I asked the garage to change the rad as the core looked quite bad.
I recieved the vehicle back, put it in the garage for about 3 weeks. On return from an overseas trip I took it out for a steady drive one sunny sunday morning and then parked it on the drive ticking over, within about 2 minutes there was an almighty bang and steam poured from under the bonnet................ Once I had gathered myself together I opened the bonnet, what I found was not nice, The one end tank on the radiator had parted company with the rest of the assemble and the bottom hose had blown itself apart.
The cause of this issue is that the small bore pipe from the swirl pot to the expansion tank had become blocked. The cause of the blockage was imcompatable anti-freeze.
Please be careful when changing / mixed the anti freeze.
sjpalmer1 said:
... When I bought the vehicle I flushed and changed to the pink type. At the time I was working away alot and during a service I asked the garage to change the rad as the core looked quite bad.
I recieved the vehicle back, put it in the garage for about 3 weeks. On return from an overseas trip I took it out for a steady drive one sunny sunday morning and then parked it on the drive ticking over, within about 2 minutes there was an almighty bang and steam poured from under the bonnet................ Once I had gathered myself together I opened the bonnet, what I found was not nice, The one end tank on the radiator had parted company with the rest of the assemble and the bottom hose had blown itself apart.
...
I recieved the vehicle back, put it in the garage for about 3 weeks. On return from an overseas trip I took it out for a steady drive one sunny sunday morning and then parked it on the drive ticking over, within about 2 minutes there was an almighty bang and steam poured from under the bonnet................ Once I had gathered myself together I opened the bonnet, what I found was not nice, The one end tank on the radiator had parted company with the rest of the assemble and the bottom hose had blown itself apart.
...
Was that because you used the pink type or because the garage used something different?
Bob
the vauxhall one as all the right properties for high output alloy engines,infact it far exceeds what the RV8 can give it,but yes there are alot of different specs,by the way that green unipart coolant is nothing special(standard).euro car parts are a good outlet for various specs of coolant.
unfortunately,you will always get corrosion on the aluminium parts no matter what coolant you use,when you mix up you should also use distilled water(less furring up)50/50 or 40/60 antifreeze/water mix.you cannot stop corrosion its just something we have to live with.its not a good idea to mix coolant types,as been said already.
Edited by That Daddy on Thursday 7th December 13:22
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