coolant mixture indicator

Jun 30, 2003 3 Replies

You know that little thing you can buy from the hardware store which allows you to siphon a small amount of coolant (antifreeze/water) from the rad and the needles shows you how cold a temperature is before the coolant will freeze? CAn this device enable you to know the water/antifreeze mixture in your RAD?? Last time I read the package label at the hardware store, it doesn't seem to show this.



After couple of water/antifreeze refill to top up the reservoir tank, I think that I no longer know the true percentage water/antifreeze anymore in my cars rad. So I am looking for a way of figuring this out. Will this device enable you to read off the water/antifreeze mixture percentage? Or are there other devices made specifically for this?


I believe the Prestone Anti Freeze Tester available in most US auto parts stores does have the mixture percentage as well as the amount of protection provided.

From my dealer rep... the same tester is used for both dex-cool and glycol..

Are you trying to make a distinction between water/antifreeze and antifreeze/water? The little coolant tester simply measures specific gravity, and ideally the 50%-50% mixture is the best protection. The readings are similar for ordinary coolant or Dex-Cool.

---Bob Gross---

Here's what I do, pour 1/2 gallon of straight antifreeze into coolant recovery tank, Label a clean gallon jug

50 / 50 antifreeze mix, pour remaining antifreeze into labeled jug, and top off with water. Next time system is low, top off with 50 / 50 mix. The " straight " antifreeze in recovery tank works its way into system over time. The testers are fine, if coolant is old, and throughly mixed, test before a top off, not after.

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