Mixing pink and green anti freeze

[Jamisonj1]

Any problems?
If so, what?

 

[rustred]

you need to read the jug information, color dont mean much.

 

[DERM]

My experience is most the time it will turn black and be almost impossible to test with a float type tester.

 

[old]

If it is the old darker green type don't do it!! It can/will jell and then in turn not let the coolant flow and that in turns makes the engine over heat and then blow up due to heat

 

[Hoenes]

I've had a lot of problems with dexcool (GM orange) turning to jelly in
the reservoir. It has it's own stop leak built in. No good. I drain,
flush out, and go back to all green. Maybe modern day dexcool is better.

 

[JustIn Case]

When you say pink do you mean like RV antifreeze? The
main component in it is propylene glycol. Thats what
makes it safe for RV water systems etc. Propylene glycol
is largely non toxic and in MANY products we humans
use. Automotive anti freeze main ingredient is usually
ethylene glycol (TOXIC). They are vastly different
products and I sure wouldnt mix them, not sure what
would happen.

 

[Stephen Newell]

I wouldn't. The pink antifreeze is for the greenies and the green is for everyone else. They are two completely different products. The pink stuff is made of organic materials where the green is ethylene glycol.

 

[ss55]

Sounds like a good opportunity to flush the cooling system and refill with fresh antifreeze - all of one type.

 

[Michael Soldan]

The orangy-pink coolant is probably dexcool vs the green. These products are designed for various applications and mixing them is not a good idea. Dexcool is
designed for aluminum radiators and plastic components. Mixing glycol antifreeze may cause corrosion in aluminum or plastic materials. Read the information on
the container, as one poster said now is a good time to drain all and use only one product if it is compatable to your cooling system

 

[DoubleO7]

Are you asking if you can or already did?

I would not mix them on purpose.
If I mixed them by mistake, the cost to drain it out and flush out the rest would be spending pennys now
with only the right stuff vs spending hundreds later.

 

[Dave G9N]

(quoted from post at 09:35:13 11/12/23) I wouldn't. The pink antifreeze is for the greenies and the green is for everyone else. They are two completely different products. The pink stuff is made of organic materials where the green is ethylene glycol.

rganic chemicals and organic vegetables are two different animals.

Organic chemicals are mostly carbon and hydrogen containing compounds, often containing some oxygen and or nitrogen.

Organic food is a complicated and expensive set of rules and regulations that seek to avoid bad ju-ju.

First, I will parrot the words from the link below that might make a difference to old tractors about the pink automotive stuff

OAT works great in systems that were built for it but does poorly in old-style radiators that use lead solder. It tends to attack and eat (destroy) the radiator from the inside-out and works too slowly to protect the radiator from corrosion. However this doesn t happen overnight, it might take some time until your radiator is damaged.

IAT is usually found in a bright green color

OAT coolant color ranges from pink, orange, bright red, red, blue and dark green.

HOAT coolants are found in yellow, turquoise, pink, blue or purple colors

Pink RV antifreeze is contains the organic chemical propylene glycol (EG) and most automotive antifreeze contains ethylene glycol (EG). The mix ratios for EG and PG is different for the same freezing point. PG drinking water antifreeze for RVs lacks the additives for foam and corrosion. Chemically EG and PG are very similar.

Pink automotive antifreeze has OAT or HOAT additives and green has IAT additives. Rather than repeat a lot of mumbo jumbo about all the good and bad juju here (as if I actually understood it), I will refer you to a website that has a reasonably short summary:

https://fuelandfriction.com/weekend-warrior/the-different-colors-of-coolant/

 

[JMOR]

how about this one?

....and Dexcool and old time green anti-freeze as well as this "universal" all have ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol.. It is the additives that are different. as has been mentioned IAT, OAT, HOAT and this 'universal" list additives as proprietary.
Interesting posts though and interesting opinions/observations/saw on the 'net' or heard somewhere.

 

[4play]

Just buy universal antifreeze, use it for refilling or top offs, It is extended, it has diesel additives and its additives allow for more than 3 times the life of traditional green. Much like synthetic oils, they are far superior in protection and life span vs traditional/conventional fluids. I have not used "green" coolant in close to 20 years or so, no reason to carry more than one.

 

[dhermesc]

Agreed. Dexcool hasn't been very impressive and GM has had mountains of coolant issues for decades - the after market intake manifold gaskets should be writing GM a check once in the while.

I would drain, flush and refill with Preston's yellow that mixes with all colors. I would take their product over GM's Dexcool any day of the week.