Car coolant

[Am333rcr]

The bird has let the coolant run low and is stuck she put a bit of cheapo blue toget her going.

It's a wee diesel skoda 2013. I think it is red stuff that's in it Do you think it would be OK to mix them don't dink will take that much? . Is it the type of inhibitors they use so they had different colours.?

Will do a full change but don't have time just now

Cheers

 

[dobbslc]

Some coolants don't mix well but it'll be better than no coolant!
Flush and change asap.

 

[Mee]

As Dobbsic, oat and not oat often do not mix, so drain, flush, and refill with fresh.

Prestone is one which will mix with either.

 

[Am333rcr]

Thanks again

After being told it was blue stuff.

I got it was "Pretty pink stuff"like before .

Panic over

 

[Mee]

The problem is over time and a few heat cycles it can form a jelly like substance which blocks the system and is a nightmare to get out.

 

[Mee]

Quite possibly was G13, but I don't know what he put in his, all I know was I had everything off the block to clean it out and it was like jelly.

 

[dobbslc]

There's a lot of worried posts on the Toyota Surf forum about mixing coolant and cracked cylinder heads.
When I did my head I just bought 10 litres of genuine Toyota coolant and used that, it'll last for ages and 3 years later still looks new. (I don't do many miles though)

 

[Mee]

From memory my last Toyota company car required changes at 80,000 miles or 7 years, and their 4X4's required changing to 50,000 miles or 5 years

 

[hotrodder]

FWIW while there are some conventions colour is pretty much meaningless when it comes to identifying coolant flavours. For example my daily driver takes G48 which is a HOAT coolant with silicates that, depending on brand, is dyed various different bluey greens and sometimes bright blue just like old fashioned IAT stuff