Antifreeze compatible with everything...

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Sat 11 Nov 2006 22:05
Antifreeze compatible with everything... - Ian D
In this weeks Autoexpress magazine there is a full page ad for "Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/coolant up to 150,000 miles/5 year protection" and the ad says it is "Good for All cars, All models, and mixes with All colours of antifreeze".

It seems too good to be true, a coolant compatible with the traditional bluecol, the red OAT, Subaru's green/yellow stuff, VW G11, G12 and the purple G12+, etc etc etc

Anyone know about this stuff, is it really that good??
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Sat 11 Nov 2006 23:09
Antifreeze compatible with everything... - Dave N
The key words are "good for" and "up to".

It hasn't been tested to the various manufacturers standards, so you don't know how good it is. Almost all antifreeze wil "mix" with other types, but it can affect the efficiency.

Their website recommends draining the system and flushing with water before filling with Prestone.
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Sun 12 Nov 2006 00:43
Antifreeze compatible with everything... - Aprilia
Prestone is pretty much the most common brand of aftermarket antifreeze in the USA - a bit like Holts/Bluecol in the UK. Due to the number of unkowns involved in the selection of materials in your engine, and the relatively low cost of antifreeze, I reckon its best to stick to OEM stuff.
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Sun 12 Nov 2006 11:15
Antifreeze compatible with everything... - Hamsafar
Exactly, ribena will 'mix with' all colours on antifreeze, doesn't mean it will perform well or taste nice.
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Mon 13 Nov 2006 22:00
Antifreeze compatible with everything... - diesel.weasel
There are two types of anti-freeze commonly available, Monoetheleyne Glycol and Ethanol. These should not be mixed, as they are incompatible and will stay seperate in the system. As far as service life of antifreeze goes, I check it every 3 months and re-dose accordingly. In my own car I change it every 2 years but at work (I am an industrial diesel engineer) we can run this stuff almost indefinately as long as you frequently monitor it's condition. My preference is a 50/50 mix, stronger than really needed as this gives protection down to -40 degrees celcius.

DW
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