It may be a question worthy of prolonged scorn :-), but since I grew up, I' ve assumed that the cheap blue stuff that you add water to isn't much good. But now I'm wondering if things have moved on a bit. I've a Ford and SWB O has a Volvo. Do I really have to buy own brand stuff for both, or are th ey similar enough to be mixed, as long as you buy something good? How diff erent can they be?
You can mix them, it's unlikely there's any difference between the two.
One thing I did find out recently is that a lot of the generic cheap stuff (eg. Carplan, supermarket own brand) is a much cheaper quality product than the stuff supplied by OEMs and some of the fuel company branded stuff - the OEM / fuel company stuff is a 'global' specification, so will work properly at much lower temperatures (and usually cut through grime better) than the cheap stuff.
The original stuff used to cause havoc in the cooling system - but I doubt you'd find it easily these days.
Common stuff falls into two categories - ordinary and long life. The long life stuff (OAT) is said not to be suitable for older cars with copper rads. It's generally pink. The ordinary - usually blue - should be ok with everything, but would need changing every year or so.
Ignore me... I saw 'blue stuff' and 'water' and assumed screenwash!
The minimal cost saving that might be had by using one type for two different vehicles is not justified IMHO.
The correct Ford anti-freeze for most of the range has a life of 10 years; generics might be three or less.
Chris
Stick to the corect stuff and replace it on schedule, you can be in a world of pain if it is wrong.
I just oversaw daughter flushing and changing the (red) antifreeze on her 2003 Transit connect today. It was suggested (by the car spares place and from the vehicle reg) that she use 'Comma Super Longlife Red Concentrate'. It was about 20 quid for 5l?
We drained, refilled with fresh water, ran it a bit, drained again and re-filled with pre-mixed fluid (at 33% af) and ran it to hot to clear any airlocks etc (which it did as soon at the stat opened).
We also checked to see what was recommended for her 2001 Corsa and it was the same stuff. ;-)
I also wanted to make sure the Aldi coolant tester I bought a while back was calibrated ok. So, we poured one capful of antifreeze and two of water into a jar, mixed and tested it and it suggested that would give us the suggested -20 DegC protection. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
I've assumed that the cheap blue stuff that you add water to isn't much goo d. But now I'm wondering if things have moved on a bit. I've a Ford and S WBO has a Volvo. Do I really have to buy own brand stuff for both, or are they similar enough to be mixed, as long as you buy something good? How di fferent can they be?
If you mix organic and inorganic coolants, you can cause silicates to precipitate. There is a "universal" top-up that is purported to cause minimal harm, but is probably more expensive. Stick to what the manufacturer recommends. They know all the different metals in engine jacket, water pump, thermostat, sensors, and so on.
Snag is products recommended when your car was built may not still be available or may have changed formulation, despite having the same name. Even more so with older cars.
Even worse with oils. The latest whizz bang very expensive oil may be ideal for a modern car, but may be very lacking and can cause premature wear in an older design.
And the makers of such products don't seem keen to give you the full picture.
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