Technology has changed and yes you can mix antifreeze. Doing so may make the color look like brown sludge but the sludge is coming from the rust or other particles in the radiator over time which is why it's important to do a flush to your system on regular maintenance intervals but it's not from a chemical reaction via the mix.
If you can find a reputable technician with the proper coolant flushing machine that connects to the intake and return lines, it is worth it to pay him/her to do a complete flush. It is expensive but cheaper than destroying the cooling system. I bought a 2008 VW Rabbit 2.5 with unknown coolant in it and I didn't want to take any chances. I supplied a local technician whom I've known for over 30 years with 12 quarts of new coolant and watched him flush the system. The new went in as the old came out. It didn't take long to do and I didn't have to worry about disposing the poison chemical. Although the coolant is rated to last 5 years/50k miles, I plan to do it again @ 30K miles. I also paid him to do a complete brake line flush. I changed the motor oil and the ATF with filter myself. My new-to-me Rabbit now has all new fluids in it. Life is good!
Not a chemist but the reaction between the two coolants causes a chemical reaction that forms a precipitant - ie a solid from the reaction of two liquids. Those solids are they pushed through the system and eventually form a clog which then leads to overheating issues. Again - not an expert on the matter, just retelling what I’ve been told
I had green coolant on my 2004 Ford f150 lightning and put a little red and it caused a sludge to come out. Its not overheating but i think i need to flush it out and put green again. Does anybody know why this happened? Is it bad to mix green and red?
I’m color-blind and there was algae on everything anyway so I have no idea what was in my Pontiac van. Previous owner probably changed from GM Dexcool so when I followed the label/manual by adding Dexcool I probably mixed. It had leaky hoses and and layers of algae on everything so I had it flushed and the service station refused to use Dexcool. That’s when I realized it may not have had Dexcool when I started. It had only been mixed less than a month at the time so I feel better now, assuming your advice applies to mixing Dexcool with whatever standard propylene glycol (green?) coolant might have been in there. Thanks! Now, I asked what kind I needed to buy for topping it off and the service writer just shrugged and said “the universal kind.” I really wish they could have told me EXACTLY what was in there but oh well. I’m draining it anyway to replace a thermostat that’s stuck open.
I flushed about 9 gallons of water through my cooling system to get as much pink stuff out as I could. At the end the water still had a very very small amount of pink tint to it. Should I be worried about adding dex cool orange to this?
Ya whatever u do, do not mix the red and the green, I did in my GMC Canyon and about 8 months later it started overheating everyday and I couldn’t figure out the reason for the longest time. Even after a high pressure flush it was still getting hot. Finally changed the radiator and it solved everything. It creates like a jelly and will clog every hole!
RV Antifreeze is not what you want to use in an engine. It doesn't have the right properties to cool your engine. Safest route is to go with Prestone or another good quality coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled water.
I was putting green in my 02 avalanche until I learned the red is better cause before my trucks voltage gage would go up an down an sometimes cut off I assumed I needed a tuneup..but since putting the red my engine is so quiet an smooth..I've had the truck 3 yrs an never had a tuneup either😁
That happened to me. I took it to a shop for a flush. The brown goop looked like caramel. They put in the pink coolant. It's been a year and the coolant still is bright pink, it looks and smells like new. So I'm good for now, right?
So I have a Mercedes and I used peak European blue coolant but I also have peak violet European coolant I put a little of violet with the blue coolant but not even a cup full way less should I be worried ?
I have a toyota that had red fluid in it ( zerex) and a few quarts of yellow supertech was put in it. Will this harm vehicle. Am getting it flushed but worried about head gasket or something
So is it ok to mix the same color?? I recently bought a 2019 Yamaha Mt09 but it's low on coolant, is it ok to add the same color coolant or do I have to drain it?
I have a vehicle driven about 2 miles with mixed coolant 6 months ago. The radiator busted, the guy who serviced the car previously added coolant different than the color painted on the radiator, I went with the color on the radiator just to get it 2 miles home. Anyway, it has not been driven, but it has been sitting. I want to flush the system and replace the radiator now. Do you think I will run into any problems? Does the coolant require heat to "gum up," or is just a chemical reaction that occurs at ordinary temperatures? I'm planning to super clean out the system, replace the radiator, add coolant, and then hope for the best, but I would appreciate some visibility before I get started...
So does this means that irrespective of brand as long as some color can be mix? My Ford Fiesta was a second hand car that came with pink coolant and I just topped it up with a bottle of Propylene Glycol based pink coolant too, is anything amiss here?
I made that mistake on my 21 ram 3500 now looks like I have grease on my reservoir even after flush. Do not mix coolants and no my head gasket is fine.
A local shop put a little bit of G12 in my Toyota while it uses Toyota super long life in it. Yet they still topped it up with G12 even though i told them not to.
Like to ask a question here ,but first before i do , here in the UK ,its (june 2021) and VW dealership informs me they are stopping sales on G13 for there G12 Evo coolent thats the one they are selling now. so my questing , no one seems to have heard of that way of changing coolant iv asked ,the method of taking off the return and running it out that way to me that makes perfect scene, can you or someone drop me a reply as to the flow speed ? or how long it would take that way ? also should you get the engine warm first so stat is open ect ? and do you need to put the clear water in, instead could you put your new mix which will be 8L quantity straight in stopping after 8L ?
I'd just pull Stat out and put it back together and remove return line and run a big amount of water threw system till its clear then let water drain out then re attach return line and fill up and bleed off air
I have a 2016 vw jetta uses the pink g13 coolant and I put a little of the Peak euro cars coolant Violet , it was an accident and I should have known better but it says Violet and dumped a good little amount of that coolant on there, so you think it will be a serious problem?
mixing G12 pink with G13 pink is OK? or you should not mix the two?....I am asking because I have some leftover G12 pink liquid and my car takes normally G13
If you had a foreign or American yellow antifreeze worked. I now have a newer honda that takes blue and i doubt honda changed anything from my 1997 to 2006 make up of the engines.
It's not misleading. If the Prestone Corguard coolant is silicate free, you might be able to mix it with VW coolant, but VW vehicles also have certifications that the coolant must meet. Same as engine oil. If the certification isn't met, you may have issues with corrosion prevention as well as lubrication (of components in the cooling system like the water pump).
The only coolant the coolant manufacturer says you can’t mix is Dex cool with ethylene glycol (green) antifreeze. Most antifreeze jugs have labels on them that say they can be mixed. The different colors normally mean extended life antifreeze. It is confusing but that’s the information I have found on the topic.
Hope I flushed every drop of dexkill out of my Astro van good enough... Moron lube tech added Dexkill & I told him "wtf are you doing using that weird crap, I want normal coolant, flush it out & put nornal!!" As I recall it was flushed til clear but I cant recall if I ran the thing to run the water through the coolant system =/
Coolant is coolant ppl. Just don’t mix 2 different ones. Doesn’t make a crap if your car says only green or only orange. It’s a fluid to keep motor cool… not a science guys
This is false. VW vehicles have certifications that the coolant must meet. Same as engine oil. Sure, you can put any 5w whatever oil in your car, but a responsible car owner will only use oils that meet manufacturer specifications. The same is true for coolant. If the certification isn't met, you may have issues with corrosion prevention as well as lubrication (of components in the cooling system like the water pump).
@@speakdino10 lmao oil is different. Your talking about internals of your engine. We’re talking about coolant dude. Lmao you go ahead and spend the extra $$$ if it makes you feel better to 😂 also you’re talking about vw lol no one who has brains drives a vw lol
@@MrDillon2029 I'm talking about VW because this video is *about* VW/Audi coolant. Also, VW isn't the only manufacturer with Coolant specs. Honda, Toyota, Ford, etc all of coolant specs. I mean heck, you can use plain distilled water if you live in climates where freezing is never a threat, but coolant like the one VW specifies has anti-corrosive properties specific for VW engines. Again, using any coolant won't blow your engine up, but specifications exist for a reason. Also, " lmao oil is different. Your talking about internals of your engine." Is coolant not also running through the engine? Lol wth??? Sure coolant isn't splashing where oil is, but it still runs through the engine, turbo charger, etc.
@@speakdino10lmao you’re right specifications are there for a reason to get you to spend more money. Marketing. Because you think you have to buy a certain brand of something when in reality you don’t. Also I know every car manufacturer has their “own coolant crap. They also try and tell you only use certain brand of spark plugs, oil filter, air filter, etc. you name it. I get what you’re saying but it’s not as big as you make it out to be. Plus anything coolant is getting to is pretty easy to change or fix unlike tearing motor completely apart to do rebuild
I just picked up a new (2008 3.8 V6 Commy) Car for the Mrs, Issues with heater and radiator hoses stuffed, I replaced hoses and found previous owner has added green coolant, I have found that manufacturers recommanded Dexcool red, the radiator has a build up of what looks and feels like white grease, also found an O ring on the lower radiator fitting all spongy and split. I'm guessing the rubber damage is a side effect of the coolant mix? MAGA Make Ardern Go Away!
Hi. I used pink coolant in my mk6 golf. I changed radiator and filled it with red coolant g12. Should i use this red g12 from now on or should i switch to pink coolant?
You should not mix different colour coolants for a very important reason: *You are cutting into the profits of the greedy corporations that makes them.*
He did say flush the system however I feel like that is still not enough because I just did it today and my car overheated so I feel like I need to flush it like three times at least to feel comfortable with it all cleaning out completely
Technology has changed and yes you can mix antifreeze. Doing so may make the color look like brown sludge but the sludge is coming from the rust or other particles in the radiator over time which is why it's important to do a flush to your system on regular maintenance intervals but it's not from a chemical reaction via the mix.
You are correct
Can i mix green with blue? Coolant
This is wrong. Real wrong.
@@mramd9867 This was just done to my Acura. The answer is no. It will produce a jelly like substance clogging water pump and heater core.
@@dalepress1581 i glad I didn’t mix them. I just fill it with bottle water
If you can find a reputable technician with the proper coolant flushing machine that connects to the intake and return lines, it is worth it to pay him/her to do a complete flush. It is expensive but cheaper than destroying the cooling system. I bought a 2008 VW Rabbit 2.5 with unknown coolant in it and I didn't want to take any chances. I supplied a local technician whom I've known for over 30 years with 12 quarts of new coolant and watched him flush the system. The new went in as the old came out. It didn't take long to do and I didn't have to worry about disposing the poison chemical. Although the coolant is rated to last 5 years/50k miles, I plan to do it again @ 30K miles.
I also paid him to do a complete brake line flush. I changed the motor oil and the ATF with filter myself.
My new-to-me Rabbit now has all new fluids in it. Life is good!
Piece of junk car
Not a chemist but the reaction between the two coolants causes a chemical reaction that forms a precipitant - ie a solid from the reaction of two liquids. Those solids are they pushed through the system and eventually form a clog which then leads to overheating issues. Again - not an expert on the matter, just retelling what I’ve been told
Facts
This happened to a car I bought and ruined the engine
Best way to get that all out the system that’s what I’m currently dealing with 🤦🏾
Hey there, why do Prestone and PEAK say "can be used with any make/model" and will not void warranty?
You can use it in any make. You just can't mix coolants. So if you have a different color/type then flush it all out
Thanks. I bought the wrong coolant and was wondering if I could mix them. Hopefully they will let me do a return or exchange for the pink type.
My coolant is blue, it's possible to mix with Green or I need to train out first
Would this be the same with a ATV
I had green coolant on my 2004 Ford f150 lightning and put a little red and it caused a sludge to come out. Its not overheating but i think i need to flush it out and put green again. Does anybody know why this happened? Is it bad to mix green and red?
What if you flushed the old red coolant then replace it with green? Is it ok?
Color doesn’t really matter it’s the technology of the coolant that makes the difference
I’m color-blind and there was algae on everything anyway so I have no idea what was in my Pontiac van. Previous owner probably changed from GM Dexcool so when I followed the label/manual by adding Dexcool I probably mixed. It had leaky hoses and and layers of algae on everything so I had it flushed and the service station refused to use Dexcool. That’s when I realized it may not have had Dexcool when I started. It had only been mixed less than a month at the time so I feel better now, assuming your advice applies to mixing Dexcool with whatever standard propylene glycol (green?) coolant might have been in there. Thanks!
Now, I asked what kind I needed to buy for topping it off and the service writer just shrugged and said “the universal kind.” I really wish they could have told me EXACTLY what was in there but oh well. I’m draining it anyway to replace a thermostat that’s stuck open.
Thank you Paul! Nice video...
How about mixing the same color but different brands?
That’s what I’m looking for !!
Color doesn´t tell you a lot about specific ingredients as manufacturers can color the stuff however they want.
Make sure they are the same technology then if they are it doesn’t matter if they aren’t then don’t do it
I flushed about 9 gallons of water through my cooling system to get as much pink stuff out as I could. At the end the water still had a very very small amount of pink tint to it. Should I be worried about adding dex cool orange to this?
Is it ok to mix coolants of the same color from different brands, especially blue? Thanks
I am also looking for the answer
Ya whatever u do, do not mix the red and the green, I did in my GMC Canyon and about 8 months later it started overheating everyday and I couldn’t figure out the reason for the longest time. Even after a high pressure flush it was still getting hot. Finally changed the radiator and it solved everything. It creates like a jelly and will clog every hole!
Toyota genuine concentrate (OAT) and Penrite (aftermarket) Red Coolant concentrate (OAT) Approved OEM are fine to mixed coolant safe?
Thank you ❤
Oops, just did this :( Thanks for the information. Gotta flush as soon as I can ;)
I put RV coolant in my moms Buick is that gonna be ok for just the one time of doing it? And can you mix the regular 50/50 with it???
RV Antifreeze is not what you want to use in an engine. It doesn't have the right properties to cool your engine. Safest route is to go with Prestone or another good quality coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled water.
I was putting green in my 02 avalanche until I learned the red is better cause before my trucks voltage gage would go up an down an sometimes cut off I assumed I needed a tuneup..but since putting the red my engine is so quiet an smooth..I've had the truck 3 yrs an never had a tuneup either😁
Did you mix coolant
@Damontejackson9160 Na,I been blessed with a 2024 rover autobiography since then🎯👋🏾🛸✨️
If I mix the 2 small lines on the bottom of the radiator the oil one
That happened to me. I took it to a shop for a flush. The brown goop looked like caramel. They put in the pink coolant. It's been a year and the coolant still is bright pink, it looks and smells like new. So I'm good for now, right?
Keep adding coolant to keep your radiator healthy with coolant. It should be filled to the line.
Did you get any oil in the reservoir thank
@@havelyndavids9858 No, the brown goop is due to mixing coolants. Or using only water.
I think I'm having a similar problem but my coolant light comes aswell and I bought the wrong coolant.
@@havelyndavids9858 Take it to a shop. Coolant problems are serious.
Ethylene glycol green it’s bad to mix with Modern red antifreeze?
So I have a Mercedes and I used peak European blue coolant but I also have peak violet European coolant I put a little of violet with the blue coolant but not even a cup full way less should I be worried ?
I have a toyota that had red fluid in it ( zerex) and a few quarts of yellow supertech was put in it. Will this harm vehicle. Am getting it flushed but worried about head gasket or something
So is it ok to mix the same color?? I recently bought a 2019 Yamaha Mt09 but it's low on coolant, is it ok to add the same color coolant or do I have to drain it?
I have a vehicle driven about 2 miles with mixed coolant 6 months ago. The radiator busted, the guy who serviced the car previously added coolant different than the color painted on the radiator, I went with the color on the radiator just to get it 2 miles home. Anyway, it has not been driven, but it has been sitting. I want to flush the system and replace the radiator now. Do you think I will run into any problems? Does the coolant require heat to "gum up," or is just a chemical reaction that occurs at ordinary temperatures? I'm planning to super clean out the system, replace the radiator, add coolant, and then hope for the best, but I would appreciate some visibility before I get started...
Should be fine with a new radiator and a couple fills and drains with 5 mins running before drain and then fill with proper fluid
Sir,can I mix green ACdelco with another green coolant (from another company)?
So does this means that irrespective of brand as long as some color can be mix? My Ford Fiesta was a second hand car that came with pink coolant and I just topped it up with a bottle of Propylene Glycol based pink coolant too, is anything amiss here?
Just saved me from making a big mistake
Yea big 10-4 on that. I'm new to modern engines so this was an engine saver.
Thanks man
I made that mistake on my 21 ram 3500 now looks like I have grease on my reservoir even after flush. Do not mix coolants and no my head gasket is fine.
Thank you
Color has nothing to do with coolant chemistry
A local shop put a little bit of G12 in my Toyota while it uses Toyota super long life in it. Yet they still topped it up with G12 even though i told them not to.
Like to ask a question here ,but first before i do , here in the UK ,its (june 2021) and VW dealership informs me they are stopping sales on G13 for there G12 Evo coolent thats the one they are selling now. so my questing , no one seems to have heard of that way of changing coolant iv asked ,the method of taking off the return and running it out that way to me that makes perfect scene, can you or someone drop me a reply as to the flow speed ? or how long it would take that way ? also should you get the engine warm first so stat is open ect ? and do you need to put the clear water in, instead could you put your new mix which will be 8L quantity straight in stopping after 8L ?
I'd just pull Stat out and put it back together and remove return line and run a big amount of water threw system till its clear then let water drain out then re attach return line and fill up and bleed off air
I have an 2008 audi a4 s line. The color of the coolant is violet do I need to change it to the pink coolant?
I have a 2016 vw jetta uses the pink g13 coolant and I put a little of the Peak euro cars coolant Violet , it was an accident and I should have known better but it says Violet and dumped a good little amount of that coolant on there, so you think it will be a serious problem?
What happen??
Just to be safe, just dont do it even if others says its ok to mix it up
mixing G12 pink with G13 pink is OK? or you should not mix the two?....I am asking because I have some leftover G12 pink liquid and my car takes normally G13
any answer for your question ..... i have same problem g12+ to g13
Donate the G12 to a friend if you aren't sure it is compatible and can't use it on another vehicle. Don't risk your ride to save $10.
If you had a foreign or American yellow antifreeze worked. I now have a newer honda that takes blue and i doubt honda changed anything from my 1997 to 2006 make up of the engines.
Brown thing is called a precipitate
Prestone corgard works in all cars and all coolants. Even green coolant. Misleading title.
It's not misleading. If the Prestone Corguard coolant is silicate free, you might be able to mix it with VW coolant, but VW vehicles also have certifications that the coolant must meet. Same as engine oil.
If the certification isn't met, you may have issues with corrosion prevention as well as lubrication (of components in the cooling system like the water pump).
You shall never mix dexcool with other types.
Mixing dexcool with another coolant will cause a chemical reaction resulting in a gel like substance
Why can't you mix blue ethylene glycol with red ethylene glycol? They're both ethylene glycol so I don't understand why you can't mix them?
The only coolant the coolant manufacturer says you can’t mix is Dex cool with ethylene glycol (green) antifreeze. Most antifreeze jugs have labels on them that say they can be mixed. The different colors normally mean extended life antifreeze. It is confusing but that’s the information I have found on the topic.
I just put universal green on an orange coolant 😂
Hope I flushed every drop of dexkill out of my Astro van good enough... Moron lube tech added Dexkill & I told him "wtf are you doing using that weird crap, I want normal coolant, flush it out & put nornal!!" As I recall it was flushed til clear but I cant recall if I ran the thing to run the water through the coolant system =/
But you can’t flush all the old coolant it’s impossible
Coolant is coolant ppl. Just don’t mix 2 different ones. Doesn’t make a crap if your car says only green or only orange. It’s a fluid to keep motor cool… not a science guys
This is false.
VW vehicles have certifications that the coolant must meet. Same as engine oil.
Sure, you can put any 5w whatever oil in your car, but a responsible car owner will only use oils that meet manufacturer specifications.
The same is true for coolant. If the certification isn't met, you may have issues with corrosion prevention as well as lubrication (of components in the cooling system like the water pump).
@@speakdino10 lmao oil is different. Your talking about internals of your engine. We’re talking about coolant dude. Lmao you go ahead and spend the extra $$$ if it makes you feel better to 😂 also you’re talking about vw lol no one who has brains drives a vw lol
@@MrDillon2029 I'm talking about VW because this video is *about* VW/Audi coolant.
Also, VW isn't the only manufacturer with Coolant specs. Honda, Toyota, Ford, etc all of coolant specs.
I mean heck, you can use plain distilled water if you live in climates where freezing is never a threat, but coolant like the one VW specifies has anti-corrosive properties specific for VW engines.
Again, using any coolant won't blow your engine up, but specifications exist for a reason.
Also, " lmao oil is different. Your talking about internals of your engine."
Is coolant not also running through the engine? Lol wth??? Sure coolant isn't splashing where oil is, but it still runs through the engine, turbo charger, etc.
@@speakdino10lmao you’re right specifications are there for a reason to get you to spend more money. Marketing. Because you think you have to buy a certain brand of something when in reality you don’t.
Also I know every car manufacturer has their “own coolant crap. They also try and tell you only use certain brand of spark plugs, oil filter, air filter, etc. you name it.
I get what you’re saying but it’s not as big as you make it out to be.
Plus anything coolant is getting to is pretty easy to change or fix unlike tearing motor completely apart to do rebuild
i have a 2018 jeep compass. there’s already an orange pinkish color coolant in. is it okay to top off with purple antifreeze if they’re both for jeep?
I just picked up a new (2008 3.8 V6 Commy) Car for the Mrs, Issues with heater and radiator hoses stuffed, I replaced hoses and found previous owner has added green coolant, I have found that manufacturers recommanded Dexcool red, the radiator has a build up of what looks and feels like white grease, also found an O ring on the lower radiator fitting all spongy and split.
I'm guessing the rubber damage is a side effect of the coolant mix?
MAGA
Make Ardern Go Away!
Ura Don listen these fools. My daughter did this with extended coolant antifreeze and car is shot now always amd I mean always USE correct coolant!
👍
Hi. I used pink coolant in my mk6 golf. I changed radiator and filled it with red coolant g12. Should i use this red g12 from now on or should i switch to pink coolant?
i dont know
You should not mix different colour coolants for a very important reason: *You are cutting into the profits of the greedy corporations that makes them.*
How can you fix it ? You didn't answer the question
He did flush the system
He did say flush the system however I feel like that is still not enough because I just did it today and my car overheated so I feel like I need to flush it like three times at least to feel comfortable with it all cleaning out completely
Adding tap water will clog everything more than mixing modern coolants 🤦🏼♂️
Race cars routinely run plain water
@@robertmontgomery7158 Distilled Water tap water has impurities that clog radiators.
What about using a cool down additive (vp racing cool down ) to ur stock g12 or g13 coolent on a 2010 tsi 2.0t
i really hope my head gasket is not blow while typing this
Why would dexcol look foamy like 👶 💩
Bozo
You can definitely mix different coolants
Why do they have different colours in coolants? Does it have do with the climate.
🔴
🔵
🟢
Seals and metal used
If I mix the 2 small lines on the bottom of the radiator the oil one