Anti freeze

[Polarbear]

Winter is coming and anything liquid cooled obviously needs anti freeze.

I know you shouldn't mix blue and red, OAT and glycol based ones as it can turn to sludge (Is that even true or an urban myth?)

So, in various vehicles I have different anti freezes. Rather than carry red, blue and green (what the fcuk that is I have no idea) what does the BCF think about this stuff?


Prestone Antifreeze / Coolant Ready To Use 4L

https://www.toolstation.com/prestone-antifreeze-coolant-ready-to-use/p91520

Its says you can mix with any antifreeze which would suit me. It's not even that expensive but I just have this niggling doubt about why everyone wouldn't make universal antifreeze if it was so good.

Anyone in the anti freeze industry who can shed a light on it?
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[-]

Is there not any already in then? What are you using just water at the moment?

I've never added more in the winter, as what's in there should be already OK.
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TZR250 2MA road, TZR250 1KT road, TZR250 2MA race, TDR250, YZF-750R Boost colours.
Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 Sport R, VW Transporter T5 GP LWB Shuttle 140ps DSG.

[A100man]

I have definitely sen the 'sludge' gel stuff that can occur - dreadful mess it made. I'm not sure how it came about in my case as I was topping up blue with blue I thougt (in my hobby car). Researching this they say that colour is not even a guide. My view therefore will always be to drain and refill where possible. or top up with conc. of exactly the same type.
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Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600

[Polarbear]

[Ice Burger]

I was going to suggest just using prestone, antifreeze technology is to a point where it shouldn't take planning.

I always just go with their universal antifreeze, it will safely mix with anything, no dramas.

[Sister Sledge]

I'm pretty much in the same boat here and one of my winter tasks was replacing the antifreeze in mine. I know about possible mixing problems and I was simply going to flush whatever's in mine and make sure to remember what I put in. I guess that might be a wise idea for you too?
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CCM 404 DS

[Courier265]

I use antifreeze all year round, don't really understand why people don't.
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CBF500 - 2 x Inazuma 250

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[Easy-X]

[Fizzer Thou]

The other question about anti-freeze are the percentages of the fluid when mixed with water or the de-ionised variety as I prefer to use.

The ready mixed stuff is an expensive way to buy water and is quite often of the 50/50 mix,which is all very well if you have temperatures during the Winter of minus 30 centigrade.But anti-freeze is known to be not that good at removing heat away from hot spots in the engine,particularly from around the cylinder head.

Tony Scott,the well known engine builder for Honda Britain,ran a test on a few his products and found that there was a loss of efficiency when the ratio of anti-corrosion inhibitors was too high.As it is not known for MotoGP teams to run any,as 100% water is the best for cooling,then it is better to run a ratio in a road bike of 70% distilled water and 30% anti-freeze/anti-corrosion inhibitor for temperatures that go to at least minus 10 degrees centigrade.

Whatever you do,do not,as some plonker did that I read about,use 100% anti-freeze.The engine was destroyed
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Robby]

Two thoughts come to mind here.

First, why are you worrying about this? You change the coolant on a vehicle when it gets there in the service schedule, and it's easiest to use whatever is currently in there. If the system isn't leaking it shouldn't need topping up between services. If it does, top up with distilled water (assuming less than a litre lost between services).

Second, if you're trying to simplify the job so that all of your vehicles use the same coolant, then you'll need to drain flush them all, and fill them all with universal.

Changing coolant is such a rare job that it's best left until it needs doing, then done right. It isn't expensive, but the consequences of getting it wrong will be.

[Polarbear]

I'm just looking at the convenience of having 1 anti freeze for all the engines without changing them all.

My boat has a coolant capacity of about 100 litres due to a large skin tank so I'm not draining that without a reason. The other vehicles have different anti freezes so it was whether the Prestone anti freeze that can be mixed with any other was any good. It just saves me having 3 different ones around.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[MCN]

It's not even as simple as red green blue.
Mostly ethelyn glycol can mix with ethelyn glycol the colour is not to be trusted as it comes in all colours.

The 50 50 is ok if it has min 2% inhibitor.

The other concern is nitrate build up if a-freez
not renewed at intervals. They say 2 years.
But there are coolant that last much longer up to 5.

Cats like it.

Ethylene too.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.