Antifreeze Qestion???

[MAVPR]

Hey all, about to do a coolant change and just want to clear something up......

I have green antifreeze in my 97 gts atm. I went to my local car store to pick up more green to find that they only have red. Now I have read that if you are changing to red then you should flush the system, that is why I wanted to stay with green.
The guy working there however said the only negative effect is that it may not last the full 5 years but it will still last longer than the green so you have nothing to lose. Even if I put the red in, I would be changing every 2/3 years anyway just to be safe.

So my question is, is he right? Is that the only negative effect of not flushing before refilling with red antifreeze?

A boring question I know but some advice would be appreciated
Thanks!

 

[dave6666]

TOM....................?

I went with the red from green, but did do a simple tap water flush. If you are pulling your block drains (like you should...) and don't mind undoing your lower hose (which eliminates twisting out the drain plug), then a flush is simple. Drain the best you can, fill with water, run car some, re-drain.

 

[BOTTLEFED]

For the most part your clerk was right.
I know there are some differences in protection from corrosion between the red and green but if you get as much of it out as possible then the minimal amount left in there should have almost no effect whatsoever.

Yet it is very easy to get most of the old coolant out. What I did when I did a flush was to drain the old green fluid out.
Disconnect the heater hose coming in to the core and get a garden hose with a nozzle on it that will fit flush into the hose.
Spray it until clean water starts flowing out the lower radiator hose. This will flush out most of the old fluid since this hose goes into the top of the block and the water must run through the system to the bottom radiator hose. Fresh tap water will replace the old fluid in the system.
Next reinstall all the hoses and refill with some clean water.
Run the car until you reach operating temp and turn off the car and let the it cool back down.
Then drain out the water and you're ready to start filling with the new stuff. The amount of tap water in the system will not effect your new coolant and will be better than leaving old fluid in there, plus you are power flushing any residual particles too heavy to drain out on their own.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Gotta call louder, Dave.

All the above is correct. However, the difference between green and red is this: green antifreeze additives are designed to coat the surface immediately and therefore the corrosion protection is used up right away. The freeze protection, of course, is not since that is a function of the glycol, not the additives. In time the coating comes off the metal surfaces, leaving them exposed to corrosion, and then the coating additives float around and cause water pump seal wear. This is why you should be religious in changing green antifreeze.

Red antifreeze (pink, orange, yellow, etc.) have newer technology additives that stay in solution and only attack corrosion sites when needed. Therefore the additive is in "standby" until needed and why the product can claim 150,000 mile/5 year life. Plus, the additive type does not harm pump seals.

Don't worry too much about mixing the green and red liquids. If you want to really make a day of it, get a bottle of the stuff that cleans the cooling system walls, since you really want as much of the coating off as you can.

 

[MAVPR]

Great info guys, Thank you all!!!