The tell-tale puddle of colored fluid: If your car leaves behind a colored puddle on the driveway, this is a dead giveaway of a coolant leak. If the needle is moving upward or downward, it’s an indicator of a compromised cooling system. Higher than normal temperature on the gauge: If your engine is operating at the optimal temperature, the needle of the gauge will be in the normal range. Usually, this results from a coolant leak and should be checked. The coolant light coming on: This indicator points to low coolant levels as well as the engine running too hot. However, even before you hit these marks, your car may give you signs that it needs a coolant change. However, the anti-corrosive factors in it do eventually wear down, and that is when you need a change.Īs discussed above, IAT coolants have the shortest lifespan of about 2 years, while both OAT and HOAT offer about 5 years. Whether it’s made of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, in itself antifreeze does not expire. This may cost you a few bucks, but it will certainly be less expensive than a complete engine overhaul. Instead, take the trouble of checking with the local mechanic or repair shop. If the bottle description has you stumped, don’t take the risk of adding any odd coolant to the reservoir.
Coolant color manual#
So, always read the bottle’s description and match it with coolant specified in the owner’s manual of your vehicle. The only thing that the different hues are good for is to prevent the inadvertent mixing of two types of products. These antifreeze mixes need to be changed every 5 years and are specified for most cars manufactured after 2002 by Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo and VW.Īs you may have noticed, color is certainly not a reliable indicator of the type of coolant that you are getting. HOAT products are usually referred to as “global” and you will almost always find a label on the packaging which reads, “Meets or exceeds G-05 specifications”. Typically, dyed yellow or orange, HOAT products are also available in a range of other hues such as pink, purple and blue. These coolants are widely available and used in most GM cars and trucks manufactured after 1995 as well as in vehicles manufactured between 19 by Audi, Honda, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Nissan, Porsche, Saab, Toyota and VW.Īs their name suggests, these coolants combine the best of IAT and OAT products to offer superior corrosion resistance for aluminum parts and rustproofing for iron components.
OAT antifreeze mixes are usually orange, yellow or red but also comes in other colors, such as blue, red and very dark green, depending on the variant and the manufacturer.
Originally marketed as “permanent” or “long life” antifreeze, OAT coolants, or Dex-cool as they are commonly known, have to be replaced every 3-5 years.Īnother important difference is that unlike IAT coolants, OAT products use propylene glycol as the base, so they are less harmful for pets, kids and the environment in case of a spill or boil-over. These coolants turned into the norm around the late-nineties and are still going strong in many newer cars all across the world.Īlthough devoid of both phosphates and silicates, OAT coolants offer similar corrosion resistance as the green antifreeze mixes.īut the anti-corrosive compounds in these solutions are slow-acting, which gives the product a longer life span.Īlso, it is specifically designed to offer anti-corrosive protection to the aluminum and nylon parts in newer model cars. When selecting the fluids for your car, it’s always a good idea to consult your owner’s manual first to see what your car’s manufacturer recommends. So, you will find coolants and antifreeze solutions from nearly all major auto manufacturers that are designed to handle the anti-corrosive needs of the engines in their vehicles. This led to red, green, blue, yellow and orange fluids.Įvery one of these is meant to address the specific requirements of various engines and their components. However, newer vehicles and their advanced engine components raised the need for more effective antifreeze solutions that would offer greater protection. Up until the mid-nineties, ethylene glycol-based, bright green antifreeze mixes were the norm. The primary variation in antifreeze solutions is based on the anti-corrosive factors used in them. In terms of the major component, antifreeze mixes are available in the standard ethylene glycol-based form or the non-toxic propylene glycol-based version.
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