Topic: Mixing Radiator Fluids

[DarkSlySol]

I was wondering is it really that bad to mix antifreezes with the Dex-Cool? The manual makes is seem like it will mess up the engine, which i think its just them wanting you to buy the stuff the dealer uses.

[Sol Asylum]

Why don't you try it and report back to us?*


* I will not be responsible when your coolant turns to a gelatinous goo

[lil goat]

Don't do it you will regret it, they sell Dex Cool at any auto parts store. If you try it the only thing that will happen is you will get to have your radiator flushed and the dealer will look at you like you are a moron, because you would be.

[chuckdoc]

You will make jello but just in consistency, not in taste. 

[DeepBlueGXP]

[GXPsy Rose]

You will make jello but just in consistency, not in taste. 

 

If you notice when you purchase antifreeze, that there are different colors?

Here's one clue....don't mix different antifreeze colors....it changes the color, hence changes the antifreeze. 
My son on his 1975 TR7, saw he needed some in his radiator, bought some coolant (a different color than what he had in it).........needless to say, he had to have his radiator flushed.  I gave him credit for realizing he needed to top his coolant off, but he learned the hard way not to mix coolants.  He's still in the learning phase but getting better.  It's funny though when he asks his mom about car maintance before he asks his dad 

[DarkSlySol]

I was just wondering and wanted some clarification on weither you could really mix the "any brand, any color" fluid.

[lil goat]

If you notice when you purchase antifreeze, that there are different colors?

Here's one clue....don't mix different antifreeze colors....it changes the color, hence changes the antifreeze.  
My son on his 1975 TR7, saw he needed some in his radiator, bought some coolant (a different color than what he had in it).........needless to say, he had to have his radiator flushed.  I gave him credit for realizing he needed to top his coolant off, but he learned the hard way not to mix coolants.  He's still in the learning phase but getting better.  It's funny though when he asks his mom about car maintance before he asks his dad  

I am laughing cause someone let him buy a TR7   I am a huge Triumph fan but not that one,3,4,6 or 8 no 7's

[GXPsy Rose]

I was just wondering and wanted some clarification on whether you could really mix the "any brand, any color" fluid.

You can NOT MIX colors, as for brands I don't know, (but we don't mix brands anyway)
red with red, green with green, or you'll get JELLO & you can't eat this jello

I am laughing cause someone let him buy a TR7  I am a huge Triumph fan but not that one,3,4,6 or 8 no 7's

For his 16th Birthday I gave him a fully "rust"ored FHC TR7. (he's now 25, still has the TR7 & it still runs)  He wanted a BIG BLK TRUCK, I couldn't afford to do that.  I bought the TR7 off of EBay for $179.50, had been sitting for over 10 years due to "electrical" issues.  Jeff & I did the complete restoration, engine, upholstery, paint etc.  I told him I couldn't give him the BEST looking truck, mustang or camaro in the high school parking lot, but I could give him the BEST LOOKING TRIUMPH & it was..(of course it was the only Triumph in the parking lot   ).  Also being a mom, I did have an ulterior motive....2 seater, stick, NO BACKSEAT, 4 cylinder, he's not a contortionist and he's over 6 ft tall (aka chuckdoc x 2  ) ...
The electrical system was upgraded from "Lucas the Prince of Darkness" to Delco....but than again anything would have been an upgrade 
If you're a true Triumph owner, you never have more than 1...hence we have a TR6 & TR8. 
TR7 is like a TR8.....only half the engine    aka THE WEDGE.....THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

[Sol Asylum]

I too have a TR7 but then I like to work on cars, I also have a TR3A.  The thing about the 7 is depending on which model years and which factory built the car you might get a good (relative term) or junk one.  If you don't know which year/factory to avoid just get the convertible, they were late in the production run and came form the better factories.

[Chemist]

I've been doing some reading on this, and offer the following.

The major component of "classic" anti-freeze/coolant was ethylene glycol ( HOCH2CH2OH ). This remains the major component in "modern" coolants such as Dex-Cool. It has been joined with the dimer of this compound, diethylene glycol ( HOCH2HC2OCH2CH2OH ), and some sort of organic acid or acid salt. These latter components act as anti-corrosion agents, replacing the silicates present in "classic" coolant preparations.

I did a brief survey of the anti-freeze aisle the last time I was in AutoZone. With one exception, the list of major ingredients are the same. (The exception was the use of propylene glycol ( HOCH2CH(OH)CH3 ), which is only one carbon unit different from the ethylene glycol, funtionally equivalent, however.

I have a mixture of brands (all orange, all "extended life") in my car, as I popped an upper hose three times in an hour at the Texas Mod Meet.  I drive without worries on this front.

My great guess on the "jello" issue is one of not enough water, low overall coolant levels and high heat causing crystallization of the glycols, but this is at this point SPECULATION on my part. It is my hope to get a set of my lab students to work on this "jello" issue and see if we can reproduce the effect in the lab. My internet research (yes, I _know_ you can believe everything you read on the internet ) leads me to believe that in most if not all of the "gel" cases, the coolant level was well below standards. This provides a larger surface area contact within the system between air and coolant, giving more opportunity for deposits to form.




The above is the thinking of a career chemistry educator, but a theoretician. Please do not act or fail to act solely on my thoughts and opinions as expressed above.

[Ben L]

Why would anyone want to mix different types and not use what is specified?  Except strictly in the interests of scientific inquiry.  But not in the car you drive.

[chuckdoc]

Ben, it is just for scientific curiosity that chemist is going forward in vitro not vivo!  As one who is addicted to mythbusters, I await Chemist results.  I am glad we have our own Adam and Jammie all rolled into one.

By the way, I love Chemist but hated organic chemistry.  If I never see another benzene ring equation,  I will live happy.

[chuckdoc]

Chemist, try mixing dexcool with water under pressure and heat.  Go over 220

[lil goat]

When it happened to me all I had was green and needed red so I put some red jello in to turn it red, that wouldn't hurt anything would it.

[Chemist]

Ben, it is just for scientific curiosity that chemist is going forward in vitro not vivo!  As one who is addicted to mythbusters, I await Chemist results.  I am glad we have our own Adam and Jammie all rolled into one.

By the way, I love Chemist but hated organic chemistry.  If I never see another benzene ring equation,  I will live happy.

They've essentially eliminated benzene reactions from the MCAT, not that that fact keeps me from torturing challenging my students with the subject.

Chemist, try mixing dexcool with water under pressure and heat.  Go over 220

My first thoughts were along that very line. It is the pressure component that will provide the biggest challenge. May have to get a good high pressure globe built up. $$ for "fun" research is sometimes hard to come by, though.

[Critterman]

Ask the White House they seem to have an unlimited supply, or can just make more.

[Chemist]

Ask the White House they seem to have an unlimited supply, or can just make more.

Sorry, I'm not selling my birthright for THAT mess of porridge.

[lil goat]

I have been poking around the internet it would seem they have changed the green formulation, and removed the jello so it is now safe to mix them, I even found a law suit suing GM because Dex Cool causes some sort of issue. OK some one dump some green in some red and see what happens (Chemist).

[Chemist]

l.g.,

My reading led me to the same conclusions. There is something that _used_ to be there that caused the bad reaction. There is nothing there _now_ that _should_ do so.

I do hope to do some work on this in August.

--Chemist

[DarkSlySol]

i found something that is cuts the life of the coolant by 60%

[Critterman]

i found something that is cuts the life of the coolant by 60%

Explain please!

[DarkSlySol]

According to the DEX-COOL manufacturer, however, "mixing a 'green' [non-OAT] coolant with DEX-COOL reduces the batch’s change interval to 2 years or 30,000 miles, but will otherwise cause no damage to the engine."[9]

According to internal GM documents, the ultimate culprit appears to be operating vehicles for long periods of time with low coolant levels. The low coolant is caused by pressure caps that fail in the open position