Antifreeze Question?

Oct 19, 2004 5 Replies

I was doing service on my F150 this weekin andsaw where it was about half a quart low of antifreeze, I looked in my shop and I have almost a gallon of the orange Dextron, antifreeze that goes in my wifes car, the antifreeze in my truck is green, can I mix it, somebody told me it was not a good idea,



"Somebody" was right. The two should never be mixed. SC Tom

You can't mix them because they are different chemicals. The color is just a handy indicator to remind you. The green is Ethylene Glycol. AFAIK it isn't used much in new cars, but it used to be used a lot. (my '93 and my '90 BII and my old '91 escort all use(d) ethylene glycol) I don't remember what the orange and red coolants are, or the reasons why they are "better". I'll never be designing a cooling system so it's enough for me just to remember that there is a good reason not to mix them.

-D

||I was doing service on my F150 this weekin andsaw where it was about ||half a quart low of antifreeze, I looked in my shop and I have almost a ||gallon of the orange Dextron, antifreeze that goes in my wifes car, the ||antifreeze in my truck is green, can I mix it, somebody told me it was ||not a good idea,

Those tow coolants will combine to form a gray sludge and gum up your cooling system. Don't do it. Texas Parts Guy

My truck is a 97, I bought used, somebody must have put the green stuff in it, should I drain it and put a newer antifreeze in it, like is in my wifes car? thanks guys for the advice, sounds like yall jst saved me some troubles

||My truck is a 97, I bought used, somebody must have put the green ||stuff in it, should I drain it and put a newer antifreeze in it, like ||is in my wifes car? || thanks guys for the advice, ||sounds like yall jst saved me some troubles

I'd drain, and backflush. Then use what the owner's manual specifies, or use G-05

Texas Parts Guy

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