You’re topping off your car’s coolant and notice you’re out of the usual green stuff. But you just have the pink antifreeze on hand. So, can you mix pink and green antifreeze for a better result, and what is the right thing to do? Everything will be revealed in this article:
Contents
What Does Antifreeze Do In Your Car?
Antifreeze is a chemical mainly composed of ethylene glycol that reduces the freezing point and prevents the freezing of fluid in car engines. In addition, antifreeze also contains other additives that lubricate parts and components to minimize rust and corrosion.
Compared to the coolant fluid, antifreeze is a concentrated liquid and must be diluted with water when used. This chemical is used in car cooling systems, allowing engines to run smoothly even in harsh conditions. The colors of antifreeze are created with the common colors below:
Green antifreeze
This is the traditional color of antifreeze that uses inorganic additive technology (IAT) as the chemical base. Accordingly, in addition to the main ingredient ethylene glycol, green antifreeze also has additives such as phosphate or silicate to prevent corrosion. In recent years, propylene glycol has begun to gradually replace ethylene glycol because of its greater safety and effectiveness.
Pink antifreeze
This color has appeared since 1996, using organic additive technology (OAT) with ingredients that do not contain silicates or phosphates like traditional green antifreeze. Typically, orange or pink antifreeze has a lifespan of over 5 years (equivalent to 150,000km). However, the disadvantage of this antifreeze is that it cannot be used on older vehicles with copper or brass radiators because they easily cause leaks.
Light yellow (G-5)
This chemical was first used in 1984 with a production formula based on hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) and a blend of OAT and other chemicals. Traditional inhibitors (silicate, phosphate,…).
Drivers should also be careful to use the color of antifreeze as recommended by the manufacturer to protect their car from unnecessary damage to the engine.
Can You Mix Pink and Green Antifreeze?
The antifreeze color is something like food coloring. It does not indicate any difference in the properties of the coolant. It’s just that different companies use different colors, so consumers know which product they are using just by looking at it.
For example, Honda sells blue coolant, Texaco and Shell produce the green variant, while Prestone sticks to the fluorescent yellow. If the coolant is orange, it has been produced by General Motors. So, color is just an identifier, and you can mix coolants of different colors without any problem.
However, what you should be careful about is the type of coolant. Colors don’t indicate the type, and mixing two different types will reduce the efficiency of one or the other type.
What Happens If You Mix Different Coolant Types?
There are mainly three types of coolant. They have slightly different ingredients from each other, which affects their efficiency and lifespan.
Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT): With a bright green color, IAT was the coolant of older vehicles up to the mid-90s. This type has silicates and corrosion inhibitors known as phosphates. It has a life expectancy of 2 years.
Organic Acid Technology (OAT): Available in orange and red colors, OAT is the coolant of newer models. Instead of having phosphates and silicates, it has neutralized organic acids and azoles as corrosion inhibitors. This type lasts about 5 years.
Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT): As the name suggests, this type is a mix of traditional and OAT coolant types. It comes in orange or yellow colors and has a lifespan of up to 5 years.
If you mix one of these coolant types with another one, it will weaken the corrosion inhibitors of the stronger one. However, it won’t be a problem if you mix a small amount of traditional antifreeze with OAT. According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the amount of IAT could be up to 15%.
Also, if you go above this threshold, there is no need to rush to drain out the coolant. It could take a year or more for the negative effects to kick in. Nevertheless, if you mix up more than 15% IAT with OAT, drain it out during your next car servicing or oil change schedule.
Know more about the truth in this video:
FAQs
What is pink antifreeze used for?
Pink LDR provides universal cooling system protection down to -30°C and is an ideal choice for VOLKSWAGEN, MERCEDES, and GENERAL MOTORS vehicles. To ensure easy quality tracking, its pink color is identical to that used by the manufacturer.
Can you mix antifreeze with water?
Yes, you absolutely can. Antifreeze is concentrated and must be mixed with distilled water, usually 50:50 to provide optimal freeze protection, boil-over protection, and heat transfer capabilities. Using pure antifreeze can actually lead to a higher freezing point and reduced cooling efficiency.
How long does pink antifreeze last?
Pink antifreeze initially lasts up to 100,000 miles or 10 years as a factory fill. After this first change, it then needs to be replaced every 60,000 miles or 5 years.
Conclusion
Can you mix pink and green antifreeze? Absolutely yes. But don’t mix up two different types of coolant as it may lead to some damaging effects.
