Green vs. Yellow Anitfreeze
John Keiser
antifreeze.
Can green and yellow be mixed?
I'm not sure I can tell if the antifreeze in my 2001 Escape is green or
yellow [came with either, Ford says just look] but Ford says not to mix the
two.
-
Remove -NOSPAM- to contact me.
jim
then put in the color of your choice and you will not be mixing them
together....
C. E. White
have? Is it that dirty? If you really can't tell, I'd suggest flushing the
system as completely as possible and using Prestone® Heavy Duty Antifreeze/
Coolant (see http://www.prestone.com/products/71.htm ).
What the Escape Owner Guide says is:
"Use either green-colored Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant or yellow-colored
Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant. DO NOT USE Ford Extended Life Engine
Coolant (orange in color). Refer to Adding engine coolant, in the Maintenance
and Care chapter."
From the Maintenance and Care Chapter:
"The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with either green-colored
Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant meeting Ford specification ESE-M97B44–A or
yellow-colored Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant meeting Ford
Specification WSS-M97B51–A1. To determine your vehicle’s coolant type (color),
check your coolant reservoir.
Add Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant (green-colored), VC-4–A (U.S.) or CXC-10
(Canada) or Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant (yellow-colored), VC-7–A,
depending on the type of coolant originally equipped in your vehicle. If you
are unsure which type of coolant your vehicle requires, check your coolant
reservoir or contact your local dealer.
"Do not add/mix an orange-colored, extended life coolant such as Motorcraft
Speciality Orange Engine Coolant, VC-2 (US) or CXC-209 (Canada), meeting Ford
specification WSS-M97B44–D with the factory-filled coolant. Mixing Motorcraft
Speciality Orange Engine Coolant or any orange-colored extended life product
with your factory filled coolant can result in degraded corrosion protection."
If you read all this carefully, you will see that they never say you cannot mix
the yellow and green coolants. However, if you go to the Motorcraft web site (
http://www.motorcraft.com/standard.asp?T=2&M=7&PageID=26 ) you get better
directions:
Premium Engine Coolant
- Green-colored, conventional, ethylene glycol based, universal formulation for
use in gasoline and diesel engines
- Approved for engines with aluminum radiators and/or aluminum heads as well as
conventional engines
- Provides year-round antifreeze, antiboil and corrosion protection
- Provides year-round protection in both hot and cold climates. Provides -35°F
winter to over 250°F summer system protection when used in the recommended 50%
mix with
- Do not use in model year 1999 and forward Cougar and Electric Vehicle Ranger
- Do not mix this coolant with systems originally equipped with any
orange-colored, extended-life coolant such as Motorcraft® Specialty Orange
Engine Coolant, meeting Ford Material Specification WSS-M97B44-D or the
yellow-colored, extended-life coolant Motorcraft® Premium Gold Engine Coolant,
meeting Ford Material Specification WSS-M97B51-A1
Premium Gold Engine Coolant
- Yellow-colored, extended-life, ethylene glycol based engine coolant for use
in gasoline and diesel engines
- Provides year-round antifreeze, antiboil and corrosion protection
- Only use where specified. Do not mix this product with systems originally
equipped with any green-colored, conventional engine coolant such as
Motorcraft® Premium Engine Coolant, meeting Ford Material Specification
ESE-M97B44-A or any orange-colored,extended-life engine coolant such as
Motorcraft® Specialty Orange Engine Coolant, meeting Ford Material
Specification WSS-M97B44-D
Specialty Orange Engine Coolant
- Orange-colored, ethylene glycol based, extended life coolant
- Protects water pump seals and provides high temperature aluminum protection
- For use in specified MY 1999 and forward Cougar and Ford Electric Vehicle
Ranger
- Use only where specified. Do not mix this product with systems originally
equipped with any green-colored, conventional engine coolant such as
Motorcraft® Premium Engine Coolant, meeting Ford Material Specification
ESE-M97B44-A or the yellow-colored, extended-life engine coolant Motorcraft®
Premium Gold Engine Coolant, meeting Ford Material Specification WSS-M97B51-A1
So, if you trust the Motorcraft site, you should be sure to only mix green with
green, yellow with yellow and orange (red) with orange (red).
Other references:
http://www.motor.com/MAGAZINE/Articles/021999_17.html
http://www.motor.com/MAGAZINE/Articles/081999_11.html
http://www.motor.com/MAGAZINE/Articles/021999_17.html
http://www.motor.com/MAGAZINE/Articles/062003_11.htm
http://www.amalgatech.com/technical/compatibility.htm
http://www.motor.com/MAGAZINE/Articles/112003_04.html
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/archive/topic/166431.html
http://www.delanet.com/~pparish/antifreeze.htm
Ed
Christopher Brown
But what if you want purple antifreeze? :-P
CJ
John Alt
says...
> On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 22:40:39 GMT, "John Keiser"
> <john.k...@verizon.net> wrote:
>
> >I understand OAT [red] may not be compatible with standard [green/yellow]
> >antifreeze.
> >
> >Can green and yellow be mixed?
> >
> >I'm not sure I can tell if the antifreeze in my 2001 Escape is green or
> >yellow [came with either, Ford says just look] but Ford says not to mix the
> >two.
> >
>
>
>
> The color dont matter. All antifreeze is ethylene glycol, no matter
> what color it is. The coloring is just added so you see it is
> antifreeze. Otherwise would be clear and can be mistaken for water or
> something. The only exception to this rule is that new
> "environmentally safe" Sierra brand. That is a different chemical,
> and might not mix with ethylene glycol (I am not sure).
>
> If Ford says not to mix colors, they are full of shit!
> Ethylene glycol is ethylene glycol, and the color is just an additive.
> I suppose Ford says this so that you buy THEIR antifreeze, at probably
> two or more times the price of the stuff you buy anywhere else.
>
> I have bought antifreeze when it is on sale, all my life. When I need
> it, I mix whatever brand (and color), I have. It always works just
> fine, even if I mix green, yellow, red, and blue, all in the same
> radiator.
>
You're right that they're all Ethylene glycol, but wrong about
compatibility. The additive packages in Dexcool, for instance, can react
with regular anti-freeze and cause severe aluminum corrosion and
instantly form deposits. Also note that the red stuff in chryslers isn't
dexcool or compatible with it. Isn't this fun?
To the original poster: If you can't tell, take some out and look at it.
If you still can't tell, it's time to dump it and change it. It's good
to change it every couple years anyway, and it's only going to need one
gallon.
sglasser
the regular green ethylene glycol. I never heard of yellow, though.
<m...@my.com> wrote in message
news:ls33tvccc8eju2due...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 22:40:39 GMT, "John Keiser"
> <john.k...@verizon.net> wrote:
>
> >I understand OAT [red] may not be compatible with standard [green/yellow]
> >antifreeze.
> >
> >Can green and yellow be mixed?
> >
> >I'm not sure I can tell if the antifreeze in my 2001 Escape is green or
> >yellow [came with either, Ford says just look] but Ford says not to mix
the
> >two.
> >
>
>
Mercury
"sglasser" <sally...@SPAMoptonline.net> wrote in message
news:hxuAb.5047$0U4.1...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
Michael
news:hxuAb.5047$0U4.1...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
with
> the regular green ethylene glycol. I never heard of yellow, though.
I don't think so. Prestone makes a DEX-COOL approved anti-freeze and the
only caveat I can find on their site is that if you mix regular anti-freeze
with the DEX-COOL, you will lose the extended life protection. The extended
life mix is intended for aluminum radiators, mostly. The regular Prestone
stuff is also compatible with aluminum radiators.
mike
--
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| so implicitly to party as to support a man
| whose private acts prove him to be unfit
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C. E. White
Michael wrote:
>
> "sglasser" <sally...@SPAMoptonline.net> wrote in message
> news:hxuAb.5047$0U4.1...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> > NOT SO! GM has a red antifreeze called Dexcool which is NOT compatable
> with
> > the regular green ethylene glycol. I never heard of yellow, though.
>
> I don't think so. Prestone makes a DEX-COOL approved anti-freeze and the
> only caveat I can find on their site is that if you mix regular anti-freeze
> with the DEX-COOL, you will lose the extended life protection. The extended
> life mix is intended for aluminum radiators, mostly. The regular Prestone
> stuff is also compatible with aluminum radiators.
>
> mike
Texcao also makes the claim that you could mix Dexcool with conventional
antifreeze - "Compatible with conventional antifreeze. Dilution with
conventional antifreeze will reduce extended life benefits.
ChevronTexaco recommends that this product not be diluted by more than
10% with conventional coolants."
However, there are enough horror stories out there, that I'd avoid
mixing Dexcool with other types of anti-freeze.
Ed
John
Add Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant
(yellow-colored), VC-7-A (U.S., except CA and OR), VC-7-B
(CA and OR only), meeting Ford Specification
WSS-M97B51-A1.
Then further states:
Do not add/mix an orange-colored, extended life coolant such
as Motorcraft Speciality Orange Engine Coolant, VC-2 (US) or
CXC-209 (Canada), meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B44-D
with the factory-filled coolant. Mixing Motorcraft Speciality Orange
Engine Coolant or any orange-colored extended life product with your
factory filled coolant can result in degraded corrosion protection.
Yellow is the new 100,000 mile type antifreeze for Fords.
If your vehicle requires it, don't mix with another type.
John
"C. E. White" <cewh...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3FDC857F...@mindspring.com...