
Can I Mix Different Engine Coolant Types? Meaning so long as you remember to refill it, your engine should not experience any issues. Thankfully, orange antifreeze should last as long as 5-years. When this happens, oxygen may invade the system, creating a buildup that can clog and damage internal components. The cons of orange coolant manifest when it begins to run low. DexCool is a type of coolant that uses a mix of different Organic Acid Technologies (OAT) to help to help inhibit the buildup of rust and corrosion. Due to this change, GM introduced DexCool. This transition from steel and copper to aluminum and nylon started back in the 90s. Meaning they will protect metallic parts without interfering with non-metallic ones. The great thing about these is that they only affect metal surfaces. One of these acids is carboxylates, which inhibit the buildup of corrosion. Orange AntifreezeĪnd then we have orange antifreeze, which also defends against corrosion but instead of being geared towards older cars with lots of metal, it’s made for newer cars with more aluminum and nylon parts in the cooling system. Propylene glycol and ethylene glycol are what keep your engine from overheating. Silicones, on the other hand, work as a metal sealant, protecting them from different chemicals, moisture, and general wear. Phosphates are derived from phosphoric acid and help soften water and remove oil and grease. IAT is a mixture of various compounds, such as phosphates and silicones, with either propylene glycol or ethylene glycol. To protect these metallic parts from rust and corrosion, Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT) gets added to the mix. Green engine coolants are designed for use in older cars (think pre-2000), ones that contain a lot of steel and copper components in the cooling system. What Is The Deal With Antifreeze Color? Green Antifreeze Speaking of color, let’s review the difference between orange and green. Both of these cases would leave your engine exposed to total failure.Īs for color, this mostly stems from dyes added to aid in identifying its composition.


Can water be used as a coolant by itself? Yes, however, it would freeze in cold climates and evaporate in warm climates. It’s usually combined in a mixture that’s 50% water and 50% coolant. It not only ensures your engine stays within a safe operating range (coolant), but it also keeps it from freezing (antifreeze). Available here Image Courtesy:ġ.’Antifreeze in the radiator’By EvelynGiggles – radiator, (CC BY 2.The role of coolant and antifreeze is summed up nicely in either name since it does precisely that. “Antifreeze Differences and Toxicity.” ThoughtCo. The difference between red and green antifreeze is that red antifreeze lasts longer than green antifreeze. With the development of technology, different improved formulations of antifreezes were discovered such as orange antifreeze and red antifreeze. The green antifreeze was the older version of antifreezes. Green antifreeze is less stable compared to red antifreeze. Red antifreeze is more stable compared to green antifreeze. Green antifreeze is produced from IAT (inorganic acid technology). Red antifreeze is produced from HOAT (hybrid organic acid technology), which is a combination of both inorganic acid technology and organic acid technology. Green antifreeze is the oldest form of antifreeze. Red antifreeze is a developed form of antifreeze. Green antifreeze is the regular form of antifreeze. Red antifreeze is commercially known as Dexcool® that lasts longer than other types of antifreeze. When compared with green antifreeze and other older versions of antifreeze compounds, red antifreeze is more stable and it improves the water pump life. This hybrid technology leads to the production of red antifreeze. Later, the hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) was invented as a combination of IAT and OAT. Following the inorganic acid technology or IAT (described below), organic acid technology (OAT) was discovered, which lead to the production of different colored antifreeze formulations (mainly orange colored antifreeze formulations were produced by this technology).

Side by Side Comparison – Red vs Green Antifreeze in Tabular Form A coolant is a chemical compound used to regulate the temperature of an engine. When an antifreeze is used along with water, it can serve as a coolant. The key difference between red and green antifreeze is that red antifreeze lasts longer than green antifreeze.Īn antifreeze contains ethylene glycol and propylene glycol as the bases. The purpose of using an antifreeze is to lower the freezing point and increase the boiling point of the coolant. An antifreeze is a chemical compound used as an additive.
