Can you mix antifreeze

desgnr wrote:
> My 97 Camry has Green Antifreeze in it & is a little low.
> I have some Yellow Prestone ,can i use it?
>
> Is it safe to mix colors ?
===========
Depends on the level of care you choose for your vehicle.
Adding one kind of Prestone to another will not create any immediately
observable defects, but over longer periods of time I have found
nothing better than the Toyota red coolant mixed with distilled water.
-----
History:
Years ago, I had never heard of using anything but Prestone (green) or
generic antifreeze, so I regularly changed it using the garden hose,
for my 1977 Toyota pick up truck. The thing always ran a little on the
hot side. Asked the local radiator shop how to fix this, their answer:
get a newer vehicle. So, for example, driving through the desert, I
would watch the coolant temperature gauge as much as the speedometer,
and slow down on long hills in hot weather as needed.
After my third water pump, how shall I say this delicately, spewed its
guts, and the truck was towed home, I decided to spring for the Toyota
water pump, and also purchased the Toyota coolant. Thermostat was
special order, so I found one at AutoZone made in Israel, their
"better" grade. Moral of story, now the truck runs at the right
temperature for the first time, and I've changed the thermostat
before, so I credit the coolant. I had to run about two gallons
through the system (plus distilled water each time), filling, heating
up, draining, filling again, to get the old coolant out, even though
the old water pump had been removed. On the truck, I just kept
removing the lower radiator hose.
The Camry never gets anything but Toyota coolant and distilled water,
- factory manual recommends "more the fifty but less than seventy per
cent coolant" so I measure in sixty per cent. Radiator tubes are clear
and clean, unlike the truck which has had several radiators replaced
due to crusty build up.
Again, if you sell the vehicle in a couple of years, it doesn't
matter. If you keep them for twenty to thirty years or more like I do,
it makes a big difference.
By the way, I've never seen the Camry run even the tiniest bit hot on
the gauge under even the most extreme conditions.
 >> Stay informed about: Can you mix antifreeze 

On Oct 17, 12:38 pm, Daniel <nospampls2....RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote:
> desgnr wrote:
> > My 97 Camry has Green Antifreeze in it & is a little low.
> > I have some Yellow Prestone ,can i use it?
>
> > Is it safe to mix colors ?
>
> ===========
> Depends on the level of care you choose for your vehicle.
> Adding one kind of Prestone to another will not create any immediately
> observable defects, but over longer periods of time I have found
> nothing better than the Toyota red coolant mixed with distilled water.
> -----
> History:
> Years ago, I had never heard of using anything but Prestone (green) or
> generic antifreeze, so I regularly changed it using the garden hose,
> for my 1977 Toyota pick up truck. The thing always ran a little on the
> hot side. Asked the local radiator shop how to fix this, their answer:
> get a newer vehicle. So, for example, driving through the desert, I
> would watch the coolant temperature gauge as much as the speedometer,
> and slow down on long hills in hot weather as needed.
> After my third water pump, how shall I say this delicately, spewed its
> guts, and the truck was towed home, I decided to spring for the Toyota
> water pump, and also purchased the Toyota coolant. Thermostat was
> special order, so I found one at AutoZone made in Israel, their
> "better" grade. Moral of story, now the truck runs at the right
> temperature for the first time, and I've changed the thermostat
> before, so I credit the coolant. I had to run about two gallons
> through the system (plus distilled water each time), filling, heating
> up, draining, filling again, to get the old coolant out, even though
> the old water pump had been removed. On the truck, I just kept
> removing the lower radiator hose.
> The Camry never gets anything but Toyota coolant and distilled water,
> - factory manual recommends "more the fifty but less than seventy per
> cent coolant" so I measure in sixty per cent. Radiator tubes are clear
> and clean, unlike the truck which has had several radiators replaced
> due to crusty build up.
> Again, if you sell the vehicle in a couple of years, it doesn't
> matter. If you keep them for twenty to thirty years or more like I do,
> it makes a big difference.
> By the way, I've never seen the Camry run even the tiniest bit hot on
> the gauge under even the most extreme conditions.

Its wasnt the coolant making it cooler it was likely the thermostat.
My radiator coils are clean 16 years later, using tap water can clog
them, using more than 50% antifreee can make it run hot, and GM, Ford,
etc etc say "use their stuff" and who makes "their stuff", of course
other manufacturers, and your warranty is not violated using them. And
what Toys rip off markup at the dealer, it all adds up.
 >> Stay informed about: Can you mix antifreeze 

Honeywell claimed that the new Preston (All-Makes) can be mixed.
However, Valvoline filed a complaint with NARB, saying it's not
substantiated. For example, "Ford and DaimlerChrysler specifically
warn consumers against mixing OAT antifreeze/coolants with the HOAT
antifreeze/coolants that are put in at the factory."

http://www.gohtsn.com/article_321.shtml

Coolants can use: organic acid technology, hybrid organic acid,
silicated, phosphated, and who knows what else. Asian imports use weak
pump seals. So pick a single type of suitable coolant without
silicates and use it. (Some European cars require low-silicate
coolant).

So I'd use Toyota Red with distilled water or Peak Global with
distilled water. The newer Toyota Pink (kind of 1/2 GM Dexcool w/o
2EHA) showed significant metal weight loss in lab tests (corrosion),
so I'd stay away from it even if it has the 5 year extended interval.
The Prestone All-Makes has 2EHA acid, which is a potent plasticizer
that may eat some types of gaskets. Unless you know for sure your
Camry isn't affected I'd stay away from that too.

http://www.peakantifreeze.com/peak_global_lifetime.html





On Oct 17, 7:03 am, "desgnr" <des....DeleteThis@verizon.net> wrote:
> My 97 Camry has Green Antifreeze in it & is a little low.
> I have some Yellow Prestone ,can i use it?
>
> Is it safe to mix colors ?
 >> Stay informed about: Can you mix antifreeze 

On Oct 18, 1:11 am, johngd... RemoveThis @hotmail.com wrote:
> Honeywell claimed that the new Preston (All-Makes) can be mixed.
> However, Valvoline filed a complaint with NARB, saying it's not
> substantiated. For example, "Ford and DaimlerChrysler specifically
> warn consumers against mixing OAT antifreeze/coolants with the HOAT
> antifreeze/coolants that are put in at the factory."
>
> http://www.gohtsn.com/article_321.shtml
>
> Coolants can use: organic acid technology, hybrid organic acid,
> silicated, phosphated, and who knows what else. Asian imports use weak
> pump seals. So pick a single type of suitable coolant without
> silicates and use it. (Some European cars require low-silicate
> coolant).
>
> So I'd use Toyota Red with distilled water or Peak Global with
> distilled water. The newer Toyota Pink (kind of 1/2 GM Dexcool w/o
> 2EHA) showed significant metal weight loss in lab tests (corrosion),
> so I'd stay away from it even if it has the 5 year extended interval.
> The Prestone All-Makes has 2EHA acid, which is a potent plasticizer
> that may eat some types of gaskets. Unless you know for sure your
> Camry isn't affected I'd stay away from that too.
>
> http://www.peakantifreeze.com/peak_global_lifetime.html
>
> On Oct 17, 7:03 am, "desgnr" <des... RemoveThis @verizon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > My 97 Camry has Green Antifreeze in it & is a little low.
> > I have some Yellow Prestone ,can i use it?
>
> > Is it safe to mix colors ?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I guess I have been lucky
 >> Stay informed about: Can you mix antifreeze 

On Oct 17, 10:03 am, "desgnr" <des....TakeThisOut@verizon.net> wrote:
> My 97 Camry has Green Antifreeze in it & is a little low.
> I have some Yellow Prestone ,can i use it?
>
> Is it safe to mix colors ?

I dont know about mixing colors but 2 years ago I used Prestone 5 year
silicone free antifreeze in my `02 Camry-4 (95,000 K) I always used
distilled water as well.

You can buy distilled water at the grocery store or get it from your
de-humidifier (if you have one in the basement.)

I used a 70 % mix anti-freeze to water ,as I was going up to northern
ontario where the temps drop down to -45*F at times in the winter;lets
just say it gets da*m cold uip there.

I have put about 50,000k (30,000 ) miles on it since then and havent
had a problem of any kind with the cooling system.

The antifreeze tested at -45*F And still does,so I was happy with
that.......

In two years I will replace the antifreeze again and maybe the rad
hoses if they need it.

This gives me a one year safety margin over the 5 year antifreeze.

But rather than mix colors why not just replace the whole rad fluid ?
its not that expensive in the US.

ed/on
 >> Stay informed about: Can you mix antifreeze