Coolant Question

[mastercamper]

My owners manual calls for Havoline extended life, or any ethylene glycol based anti freeze, with only organic acid tech corrosion inhibitors, is this dex- cool?

I have some prestone gm dex cool approved, that goes in my wife's vw.

Is this ok to use? its not green.

I also have some Valvoline full synthetic, brake fluid, it says it is compatible with conventional brake fluid, any one ever use and is it really ok to mix?

Thanks,
Eric

 

[BaldEagle]

your good with your coolant. its not supposed to be green. dex cool is the spec on dII's.

 

[mastercamper]

Thanks

 

[Azdiscovery]

Do yourself a little favor and research Dex-cool on google....and the endless complaints.....

 

[pdogg]

I think the main problem with it is GM vehicles where they were told 100k coolant change interval... Certain of their engines couldn't handle it...

but in any case... we LR people are good at changing out all fluids at 30k ... oil at 3k

 

[Azdiscovery]

or when it leaks...

 

[KDamericano]

My owners manual calls for Havoline extended life, or any ethylene glycol based anti freeze, with only organic acid tech corrosion inhibitors, is this dex- cool?

Thanks,
Eric

All antifreezes are ethylene glycol based IIRC. The only differences between pink/green are in their corrosion inhibitors, which are incompatible. That means that if even if you added pink to green or vise versa, you would still be getting the exact same performance in terms of heat absorbsion. Also, I remember hearing that the crossover point is about 15%. So if you were out on a trail, or it was late at night and you had to top off with a different color coolant; quantities less than 15% would not affect your existing corrosion inhibitors. Quantities greater than that would mean you'd want to drain and refill the system eventually.

 

[Meisterbr?wn]

I had been using the orange coolant my whole life (that's what was in it when I bought it). I had it in to a well respected indie shop a few months back for a big repair (thought it was a head gasket, turned out to be the timing cover gasket) and he put the green coolant. I questioned him on it, told him I'd always put the orange stuff in and he said this was the correct kind.

I am more confuzzled than ever but trusting his judgment.

 

[apg]

All antifreezes are ethylene glycol based IIRC. The only differences between pink/green are in their corrosion inhibitors, which are incompatible.

The 'pink' antifreeze is made with propylene glycol, not ethylene. Just a few carbon atoms rearranged, but it is quite different chemically, in that propylene glycol is non-toxic to pets (and humans). Indeed, it is often used as a sweetener and dough conditioner in white bread (Go read a bread bag if you doubt it....) or in Chinese-made counterfeit toothpaste. Now ethylene glycol tastes sweet, too, which is why pets lap it up so readily - but it leads to almost irreversible kidney damage. So be very careful draining and disposing of the green stuff.

 

[KDamericano]

The 'pink' antifreeze is made with propylene glycol, not ethylene. Just a few carbon atoms rearranged, but it is quite different chemically, in that propylene glycol is non-toxic to pets (and humans). Indeed, it is often used as a sweetener and dough conditioner in white bread (Go read a bread bag if you doubt it....) or in Chinese-made counterfeit toothpaste. Now ethylene glycol tastes sweet, too, which is why pets lap it up so readily - but it leads to almost irreversible kidney damage. So be very careful draining and disposing of the green stuff.

My mistake. The orange stuff I have is ethylene glycol, though I had forgotten about the "pet friendly" antifreezes.