pink or blue anti freeze???

[diane1]

morning!.....

my car needs topping up!......its a ford puma....(never did get that key from under the dashboard )

ive been told to get pink....but ive only seen blue!......

does it matter.....??....

 

[Burnerman]

Hello Diane
Its best to top up like for like, as not all antifreezes mix.
As a general rule, the red ones last for 5 years, the blue only 2 or 3.
Its not the antifreeze properties that fail, rather the corrosion inhibitor that fails. very important on your engine!
Use a 50% water / antifreeze mix.
John

 

[diane1]

.......i may be being dumb here.....(watch it!!!!!)

how do i know what colour was in before.......???......just looks like water to me in the tank thing....

 

[Burnerman]

It sounds like your antifreeze mix has been strongly diluted then, as Ford have used a red antifreeze for some years now.
Any motor factor can supply you with what you want, and they may even offer to test its strength for you, once the level has been topped up to the Max mark and the car has been run for a while to circulate the coolant.
Ideally the coolant should be changed every 5 years to prevent the corrosion problem that i have mentioned...but many people don't bother.
John

 

[diane1]

thankyou!!....x

ill go get it sorted.....(they only had blue in morrisons last night.......isnt that where everyone shops for car stuff??..... )

 

[Burnerman]

Only when Tesco's fail!
Head for a motor factor for the real stuff....more expensive than what you think, too
Have a good day
John

 

[Mickymoody]

It should be the red/pink antifreeze for Fords, and should NOT be mixed 50/50 with water, as it's oil based. The blue type is the one that is diluted with water.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-GENUINE-FORD-ANTI-FREEZE-ANTIFREEZE-1LTR-/330354794733

 

[JohnD]

that link says "Ford Anti Freeze PURPLE in Colour"

and they charge Postage: £3.49 for a litre

What year is your Puma? The correct colour varies by year of manufacture.

I'd agree about a motor factor. Look in the yellow pages. There will be one local to you. Even Halfords sell it, with a "3 for the price of 2" offer at the moment. They also do a budget antifreeze tester at £1.99.

If your bottle looks like it is full of plain water, I agree it may have been topped up far too much and perhaps it needs a drain and refill, so you probably need a 5-litre bottle which will work out cheaper. If it was me I would be considering a thousand pounds to replace a cracked block, or a couple of hundred for a burst radiator, and changing the fluid before the weather gets any colder.

I don't know if the blue stuff would mix, or do any harm, in an engine that is supposed to have red. My car uses green antifreeze, which comes in a white (not clear) container. ("Blue?" You weren't looking at washer fluid, were you?

I am guessing you do not get your car serviced at a reputable garage, they like to check antifreeze strength as it gives them the chance to charge you for a top up.

 

[diane1]

...im supposed to get my car serviced???



my lovley puma is a 1998...and was serviced very regularly, until i moved in March!

im getting it all sorted today!....thankyou for your help!..

 

[JohnD]

1998 seems to be the changeover date to the red antifreeze, so I don't know which side of the barrier yours falls, but if the manual says red...

You may be able to get 5 litres of red for about £20

 

[andyandy2]

It should be the red/pink antifreeze for Fords, and should NOT be mixed 50/50 with water, as it's oil based. The blue type is the one that is diluted with water.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-GENUINE-FORD-ANTI-FREEZE-ANTIFREEZE-1LTR-/330354794733

So what should this red anti-freeze be diluted with then ??

 

[diane1]

thanks for all your help guys.....

went to proper car shop..(just round the corner....full of guys...i should go there more often....... )

they said i should really get the system drained then re filled.....so iv booked it in for Monday!...having the oil n fillter changed too.....all for £60......which i think seems pretty reasonable!

 

[matthull]

I was just about to go out today and buy some antifreeze for my N Reg mk1 clio. Was going to buy any antifreeze to put in it. Only had the car about 8 months and the water looks brown so i thought i'd drain and flush the engine out and put new Antifreeze it. BUT now i have read this, Can i buy any antifreeze?

 

[JohnD]

An N reg will be OK with ordinary green antifreeze. If the water looks brown it probably has some rust in it, so its an advantage to drain it first.

New antifreeze has anti-corrosion additives but it is only warranted to last a couple of years. Certainly if yours hasn't had a refill in over ten years it is due for some fresh. A 50% dilution is usually correct but there will be instructions on the bottle and your user handbook will tell you how much you need. A 5 litre container will work out better value than several 1-litre bottles, and you can keep the remainder for topping-up.

 

[Burnerman]

There seems to be a right old can of worms opened here....
The mainstay of general antifreeze is Monoethylene Glycol, or MEG.
Typical colours are blue, green and yellow.
However, more modern types, from around 1998 I think, have tended to be organic additive technology or OAT.
Typical colours are orange, red or purple.
All can be diluted with water - deionised water is deemed the best but few bother.
OAT and MEG solutions shouldn't be mixed. They may become gelatinous if they are...but this rarely occurs.
OAT solutions are deemed to be best as in laymans terms they protect the water pump better and leave fewer crusty deposits. The chemical reason runs deep, and not necessary here.
As you are meant to replace the coolant every few years anyway, it makes sense to use one brand, and stick with it.
John