Coolant

[JimT]

Hi all.

Had my coolant changed and noticed its red.
The car had blue last time.
Does it matter? Or it ts the coolant just dyed for marketing purposes?

Thanks

 

[midlifecrisis]

Hi all.

Had my coolant changed and noticed its red.
The car had blue last time.
Does it matter? Or it ts the coolant just dyed for marketing purposes?

Thanks

It's dyed so you don't drink it. It's also down to what it's made of. Red is ethylene glycol based, which uses Organic Acid Inhibitor Technology (OAT) . Blue is Monoethylene Glycol based that does not contain nitrates,amines or phosphates so will corrode the aluminum block. Green is used mainly for diesels...I think...yellow is just suspicious.

 

[JimT]

Thanks for info.
So what are we thinking it should be for a granturismo?

 

[conaero]

QP and GT is blue. You will need to drain it (bung on side of rad at the bottom) flush with water and refill with blue 60/40 water

 

[JimT]

Bugger!! red no good presumably? Will it do damage? Been in since December.
Had the mot and the garage changed it as they tested it and said it had lost its strength.
They deal with these sort of cars so I assumed it was OK.
Was ok double checking. Bloodyhell!!

 

[conaero]

Just flush it out, do not mix them, that will turn to jelly.

I put in 4L coolant and 3L water

The bung is plastic so it’s not tightened just turn it till it resists. Any harder and it will strip.check it dies not leak

 

[JimT]

Ok thanks.
Pleased I checked.

 

[conaero]

Which garage did it?

 

[Zep]

It should be said that colour doesn’t nessesarily mean chemistry. Glycoshell Longlife is the factory fill and it is blue. It is a monoethylene glycol OAT antifreeze to CUNA NC 956-16. Paraflu Up is a monoethylene glycol OAT antifreeze to CUNA NC 956-16, but it’s red. So it’s not a slam dunk that it’s the wrong stuff.

If you aren’t sure then the sensible way is to drain and flush, then put the correct type (not colour) in.

Almost all antifreeze is monoethylene glycol based, sometimes shortened to just Ethylene Glycol. Where it gets sludgy is when you mix IAT (Inorganic Acid Tech) and OAT (Organic Acid Tech) which is very much to be avoided.

 

[happydaze]

Why not go back to whoever did the change, and find out if is the correct coolant or not? If they can show that it is correct, fine. If they cannot, then ask them (nicely) to drain and flush the system, and add the correct coolant.

As Zep says, colour doesn't always mean everything. A bit like people...

 

[JimT]

Thanks guys

Spoke to garage.
Very helpful indeed.
They only put 2 litres in. So my mistake there. Which is strange as its red.
Would have thought it would be more purple / blueish still.

As long as specs are the same them all good.
They have contacted the supplier more more info.
Not fair to name and blame.
Will update when know more.

 

[jasst]

My GS had a purple ish fluid when I bought it, as I had to fit a new rad I flushed it and filled with VW G13 spec as I had some, this only requires changing every 5 years which to my mind was a bonus as opposed to changing the blue stuff every 2 years.