antifreeze: blucol, car plan

Hello,

I had not realised that Car Plan and Blue Col were owned by the same people. Does this mean that their antifreezes are the same product and only the label on the bottle is different?

The disadvantage with the blue car plan is that it needs changing every two years but it does say on the bottle you can dilute it to

25%, 33%, or 50% mixtures depending on the protection required. What protection do you need in Britain? At first, I was thinking -18C would be enough. After all, when has it ever dropped to -18C but now I think more about it, I wonder whether if you are driving in cold conditions whether wind chill could make the temperature seem to be -18C?

I see there is a new (is it? - it's new to me) red car plan which lasts five years. That sounds like a labour saver! I read the bottle in a shop but it doesn't go into specifics about dilution; it says use up to 50%. The chap in the shop said to buy a 2L bottle and mix to

33%. Would this be ok? Otherwise I could buy a 5L bottle for twice the price and mix to 50%.

Daft question but is it ok to store antifreeze? If I buy 5L and use 3L can I keep the remaining 2L (out of reach of children and pets) and use it in five years time? I know you can't store brake fluid. There's no issues like that with antifreeze are there?

I need to change our antifreeze because (i) it's old and due replacement and (ii) the level seems low. What is the most likely culprit for this loss: a pinhole leak in the radiator?

Thanks, Stephen.

Reply to
Stephen
Loading thread data ...

Stephen gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It's anti-freeze.

Not unless several laws of physics are repealed first.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic. It absorbs moisture from the atmosphere once open. Strangely, this is less of an issue for products intended to be diluted.

I can't see from here.

Reply to
Adrian

Stephen was thinking very hard :

Wind chill is how cold a human would perceive the temperature to be be, not the actual temperature as measured. It is only the as measured temperature that need concern you, as radiators do not suffer from wind chill.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

The depth of cold is not the important factor in the uk at least. the thing to have is the correct concentration to avoid internal corrosion (which is also the reason it needs to be changed periodically. Buy the right stuff (as recommended by the maker), mix it with the right water (distilled or tap as recommended) and put it in, change when specified. If you have a leak fix that first.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Well I did say it was a daft question. Now that you have explained I realise exactly how daft it was ;)

Reply to
Stephen

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.