Anti-freeze Colour

[Guest ratherhaveanewone]

Have just, thanks to a thermostat change going wrong, changed the anti-freeze, the old stuff was red, the new stuff is blue. My owners manual tells me (sod's law - only managed to read this after I'd done the change) not to mix different types of anti-freeze or colour.

 

I can understand the mixing of types however

 

a - whats the significance of colour ?

b - am I ok to put the blue stuff in my Galaxy's radiator ?

 

John

[Masked Marauder]

Blue antifreeze is standard life, 24000 miles or two years

 

Orange/red is extended life antifreeze, 100,000 miles or five years.

 

They use different chemicals for anti-corrosion etc. Whilst they can be mixed, it is best not to as the active ingrediants can react reducing the anti-corrosion properties.

[Guest ratherhaveanewone]

Thanks, reply couldn't have been any clearer, the rate this heap is going 2 years will be well good enough

 

John