This is a very popular tool in repair shops today and will recycle your antifreeze. You can have the cooling system cleaned with a coolant filtration system. So what should you use? Manufacturers will tell you to stick with what is in there. They will do you no good in your passenger car because the lubrication and metal protection additives are separate in large truck cooling systems. These coolants will usually say 'low-silicate' and 'final charge' or 'fleet charge' on them. These should not be confused with the pink or red HOAT coolants used on imported vehicles because they are designed specifically for trucks. Both pink antifreeze (no, not the same stuff as used in the toilet in your camper at the lake house) and red are sold for truck use. You will find other types of antifreeze available for heavy-duty trucks. The blue is also for alloy-based engines, but with a different pH level, and is equivalent to the G-11 rating. The pink and red are specifically designed for alloy engines and both meet the required G-12 coolant specification. Most of these are available under the brand name Pentosin in 1.5-liter bottles. Volkswagen, Audi and other European vehicles use antifreeze that can be blue, pink or red in color. ECD can be attributed as the cause of many premature coolant system failures. This electrical charge degrades both rubber and metal parts in the cooling system from the inside out. ECD is the process by which the motion of coolant and water through your engine creates an electrical charge similar to a galvanic battery. The use of OAT and HOAT coolants can extend the life of rubber coolant hoses, because they conduct less electrochemical degradation or ECD than the conventional green antifreeze.

Normally, HOAT coolants are specified for vehicles newer than 2002, specifically Mercedes, Volvo, Ford, VW, Audi, Chrysler, BMW and Saab. Hybrid antifreeze has added silicates for aluminum protection and is advertised as having a five-year change interval. Manufacturers often refer to this antifreeze as 'global' and will indicate on the bottle that it meets or exceeds the specification 'G-05' for most European cars and G-11 or G-12 for Volkswagen and Audi. One way to know for sure if you are getting HOAT will be by the packaging. This coolant is usually dyed yellow but comes in other colors like green, pink, blue, red and orange, which leads to a lot of confusion. OAT coolants are currently readily available from most auto parts stores. Manufacturers are now recommending your OAT coolant be changed every five years. In addition to its use in 1996 model year and newer GM cars and trucks, OAT is also used in 1996 to 2001 Audi, Land Rover, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Kia, Jaguar, Saab and Porsche. OAT, when spilled or lost due to a boil-over, is much less harmful to the environment. It is made from a propylene glycol base, which makes it less poisonous than conventional IAT for children and pets. Usually (but not always) dyed orange or yellow so you could tell the difference between OAT and IAT, this coolant has similar corrosion protection to the green stuff however, it is designed to be slower acting, hence the extended-life moniker. But because of the additives in the Dex-Cool orange antifreeze, you do not want to substitute the old reliable green coolant. GM introduced Dex-Cool in 1995 as an 'extended life' coolant, though most GM car owners and repair shops are finding that Dex-Cool is good for only about three to five years before it needs to be replaced. Chrysler used green IAT fluid until 2001, as did Ford (with the exception of some 1999 models that used OAT blue coolant which must be purchased from Ford).Ĭommonly referred in GM vehicles by the brand name, Dex-Cool or to other manufacturers as propylene glycol.

IAT coolant was used in GM vehicles until 1994.

Manufacturers recommended that you change the green IAT antifreeze every 36,000 miles or three years. Ethylene glycol is its base chemical, and there are silicate and phosphate additives that make it compatible with copper, brass, cast-iron and aluminum cooling system components. This is the common green stuff original equipment manufacturers have used for over 70 years.

Using dexcool coolant in a audi