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Mixing car antifreeze |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 718
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Mixing car antifreeze
Is it ok to mix different coloured antifreeze in the radiator or not?
I have dipped the radiator and the liquid inside is a light blue colour but from what I have read it should be the red one for the model I have, (Nissan Micra 2008) so should I top it up with red one or the blue? It's all very confusing as different websites say different things, some saying colours should never mixed others saying it's all a load of baloney. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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I believe the red / orange die is used to show that it's long life ( 10yrs+) That's not to say that someone hasn't replaced it with blue stuff at some point ( a lot cheaper and if car won't be around in 10 years then makes sense ?) I wouldn't mix them together though, or add water.
Best bet is to look in the manual, I know ford sell there own coolant for example. If it came with 10yr red coolant then some one has replaced it with traditional stuff so I'd just top it up with that, especially if it's leaking. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 718
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Quote:
I believe the red / orange die is used to show that it's long life ( 10yrs+) That's not to say that someone hasn't replaced it with blue stuff at some point ( a lot cheaper and if car won't be around in 10 years then makes sense ?) I wouldn't mix them together though, or add water.
Best bet is to look in the manual, I know ford sell there own coolant for example.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 15,465
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Get some Prestone ready to use http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/ca...4607&0&cc5_902 , helpfully it's available from Tesco and Asda. I used it in my VW Polo ( which already had red coolant in ) and topped it up with this. It's totally universal, can be added straight in to whatever's in you car safely.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Quote:
I have checked the manual and it says nothing about what colour to use, it just states that it should be OAT antifreeze for use in mixed metal engines. I have just added about half a cup full of de-ionised water to the expansion bottle, hope I haven't done the wrong thing
![]() http://www.coolantexperts.com/coolan...ew/oat_coolant |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 24,307
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Itll be fine. 1/2 a cup of water wont thin the antifreeze mix to any extent. Next time always top up with a 1/2 and 1/2 mix no matter how slight. Any quality brand antifreeze will suffice.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 193
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Colour means sod all with antifreeze these days.
Red, pink, orange, purple, green, blue, clear are all colours you may find. Put the correct spec in, read your owners manual to see which spec is required. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 718
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OK, thank you all for your replies, it is all still very confusing,there just doesn't seem to be a definitive answer to the problem, as suggested, some say never mix them and others say it makes no difference nowadays, which is what I was finding when looking on-line.
The prestone antifreeze as suggested by SeasideLady seems to be safest option. Unless someone comes on to say that it's bad idea and confuddles my brain all over again
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,763
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If you aren't sure which antifreeze is already in your car the best thing to do is to completely drain the cooling system, flush it out and then put in the manufacturer's recommended coolant in the correct dilution with water.
If you aren't capable of doing this work yourself then take your car to a garage. Make sure they tell you what antifreeze they've put in, though, in case you ever need to top it up! |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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personally on an older car with blue antifreeze I'd say it's a safe bet to put normal blue antifreeze in it. Any thing is better than running it too low or using water ( which will eventually make it too dilute). Where I live we don't get much below 0 very often, most anti freeze specs are much lower than that.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,658
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By radiator do you mean water reservoir?
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#12 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 718
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Quote:
By radiator do you mean water reservoir?
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3,640
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Quote:
Is it ok to mix different coloured antifreeze in the radiator or not?
I have dipped the radiator and the liquid inside is a light blue colour but from what I have read it should be the red one for the model I have, (Nissan Micra 2008) so should I top it up with red one or the blue? It's all very confusing as different websites say different things, some saying colours should never mixed others saying it's all a load of baloney. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Never seen red in a Micra! It's either green or blue...doesn't matter which! Fit a 50/50 mix into the expansion tank but don't overfill it! I've been a Nissan mechanic since 1974! |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 718
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Quote:
Never seen red in a Micra!
It's either green or blue...doesn't matter which! Fit a 50/50 mix into the expansion tank but don't overfill it! I've been a Nissan mechanic since 1974! It seems such a complicated thing to find facts about, a lot of different opinions on this, is it really a such a big problem if the wrong stuff/colour would have been used ? Thanks to all that replied too. |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Quote:
Hi Waj_100, thanks for the reply, I shall get some blue stuff asap and get it mixed in.
It seems such a complicated thing to find facts about, a lot of different opinions on this, is it really a such a big problem if the wrong stuff/colour would have been used ? Thanks to all that replied too. My MX5 has a label on the expansion tank with the type of antifreeze. My Focus has the signature orange ford stuff in it. Fortunately I know the service history of both vehicles. I wonder if Nissan make an OAT based blue coolant ? |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3,640
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Quote:
Hi Waj_100, thanks for the reply, I shall get some blue stuff asap and get it mixed in.
It seems such a complicated thing to find facts about, a lot of different opinions on this, is it really a such a big problem if the wrong stuff/colour would have been used ? Thanks to all that replied too. For the small amount that you will be using it will not ,make any difference what is fitted at present. |
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