This means that, while it was a good indicator of the type historically, color is not a reliable predictor of what kind of coolant you have kicking around in your garage now.įor example, OAT coolants are usually orange but, depending on who manufactured it, the coolant can look more yellow or red. No one is regulating the color of your coolant. Like other OAT coolants, don’t mix it with nitrate or silicate-based antifreeze. Red coolant offers 150k miles of protection.
It can be used in any engine requiring an OAT engine coolant. This coolant is recommended for use in Toyota, Scion, and Lexus.
If you have a red coolant in your cooling system, you have an Extended Life Coolant. HOAT coolants formulations are not compatible with OAT coolants because they do contain nitrites. HOAT coolants, like the IAT coolants, require additives mixed back into the coolant system every 25k miles, or as specified by the engine manufacturer. It contains both silicates and organic acids as inhibitors.įord, Chrysler, and some other European companies recommend this type of coolant for their cars. This type of coolant mixes technology from the first two to create a low-silicate, nitrite technology. YellowĪ Hybrid OAT (HOAT) coolant is also an option. Orange-dyed coolants typically protect an engine for 600k miles, as long as they remain pure and uncontaminated. Contamination with nitrite – such as if you were to add the wrong type of coolant to the system – can drastically reduce the performance life of the OAT coolant. This is the type of coolant usually required for GM, Saab, and VW vehicles. This type of coolant uses organic acids as an inhibitor.
OrangeĪn orange coolant typically indicates that you are looking at Organic Acid Technology (OAT) coolant. If you choose to push the life of the coolant beyond that, you will want to mix in those additives as specified by the engine manufacturer. As long as you change the antifreeze every 24k miles or so, you should be fine. Now, the coolant comes diluted and pre-mixed with all the additives already in it. These additives were designed to protect engine cylinders from corrosion. You would have to dilute the coolant with water and “pre-charge” it with supplemental coolant additives. Historically, a green-dyed coolant was designed for cars and small trucks. This is because it uses silicates as corrosion inhibitors. This type of coolant is sometimes referred to as conventional low-silicate coolant. This means that if you drive an older model car, it likely still uses green antifreeze. This type of coolant is the original type of coolant on the market. If you have a green coolant, you have Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT) coolant. This guide breaks down the most common types of antifreeze by their commonly associated colors. If it was leaking a pink fluid, it meant another.Īs time went on, and more types of antifreeze were released to the market, manufacturers started added specific colored dyes to specific types of antifreeze so consumers could tell the types and brands apart. If your car was leaking a blue fluid, it meant one thing. Manufacturers started adding colored dye to the mixture in order to differentiate between the coolant and other engine fluids. The wrong one will be a huge headache later.įlushing and sealing your coolant system keeps everything running right. Picking the right one will make your engine run cleaner and more efficiently. It protects the engine and cooling system from corrosion.ĭifferent types of engines require different coolant types. The coolant keeps your radiator from freezing in the winter and overheating in the summer. In the past, coolant was sold as a pure substance that you would have to dilute with water at home before you put it in your car. One thing to bear in mind with modern coolants: The jugs you buy at the store are pre-diluted. Nearly all engines use a 1:1 ratio of coolant: water. Don’t let the names trick you up.Įngine coolant is a mix of ethylene glycol and water. This guide breaks down antifreeze types (and their colors) so you know what kind to put in your baby.Īntifreeze is coolant. The mechanics of your engine are complicated and little things, like antifreeze, make a huge difference in how the vehicle runs. If any of these questions have crossed your mind, you’re not alone. Are antifreeze and coolant the same thing?
0 kommentar(er)
