Pink is for the newer VAG engines. G12 coolant should be stamped on the coolant bootle.
I need to get engine coolant for my car - warning light came on this morning.
Is the coolant specific to the car or do you just use a generic coolant?
I drive a '03 Audi A4 1.8T petrol
Thanks
RS2K, you do what you want with your own car but dont give poor advice.
Hey, come on. I didn't mean to start an argument....
Anyway, I didn't get around to getting the coolant over the weekend, but I hardly drove the car either.
I drove it once or twice on very short runs and I didn't get the coolant warning.
This morning I got a couple of 'Engine Management System' warnings!! along with the coolant warning
All the book says is to bring it straight to Audi dealer.
Is this related to the coolant and will topping it up solve the problem or is this a whole new issue?
i.e. do I need to book it into a dealer?
Engine manufacturers recommend using 50% water to antifreeze by volume. They also recommend that the water should be pure water, such as deionized or distilled water.
People commonly add tap water (which contains minerals, dissolved oxygen and chlorine) to concentrated antifreeze. These chemicals can quickly use up the corrosion inhibitor additives in the antifreeze. Furthermore, more often than not the final engine coolant (antifreeze/water) mix is not within the recommended range, dramatically shortening engine and cooling system life.
Not all water is created equal. Deionized or distilled water contains fewer undesirable chemicals and minerals, which results in optimum coolant life and performance. Deionized water is recommended for shop blending, but prediluted coolant is the best choice (preferred) because it ensures quality, saves time, and eliminates mixing mistakes.
Are all antifreezes basically the same except for color?
No, antifreezes differ in more than color. Antifreeze is made using ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. Antifreeze producers use a number of different corrosion inhibitor packages (with descriptions such as heavy duty conventional with SCA, low silicate conventional without SCA, OAT, and hybrid OAT). Antifreezes can be the same color but use different inhibitor packages. Each unique antifreeze chemistry formulation performs differently
Can I top off my radiator filled with green antifreeze with antifreeze of a different color? Color does not necessarily indicate what kind of corrosion inhibitor is contained in antifreeze. You have to read the label. Mixing different types of antifreezes can reduce their corrosion protection and can actually lead to corrosion problems. Engine manufacturers recommend a 10% limit on mixing coolant types. If you need to add more than 10%, it is recommended that you flush your radiator system and replace the antifreeze.
What do all the different colors of antifreeze mean and what should I be using?
In the past, most antifreezes were green. Now, manufacturers use a variety of colors in their antifreeze product lines. Green generally, but not necessarily, indicates an automotive or light duty formulation. Orange antifreeze generally means extended-life type of antifreeze. It is ethylene glycol-based like most green antifreezes but contains different corrosion inhibitors.
The various manufacturers use colors to identify their products in a bit of marketing gamesmanship; however, there are no hard rules governing the use of these colors. Equipment manufacturers and consumers should have an ability to identify their approved fluid. In addition, color has been used in antifreezes as a safety measure to discourage accidental ingestion.
Since the mid-1990’s, the proliferation of coolant colors has caused considerable confusion. All engine coolants use a glycol base but include different performance additives that inhibit (control) scale/ corrosion. Believe it or not, all of these coolants are clear, water white before dye is added.
DO NOT mix BASF's Glysantin G-05 coolants with any VW G-12 or any of the Dex Cool clones. At least not in your VW.
VW's G-12 coolant is silicate and phosphate free, as are the Dex Cool coolants. The G-12 coolants are known as Organic Acid Type or OAT coolants.
Glysantin is a Hybred Organic Acid Type or HOAT coolant. What his means is that it has the same basic chemistry as an OAT coolant, but it does have some silicates in it. Daimler-Chrysler, Toyota, and Ford want a small amount of silicates in the coolant.
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