In short, they’ll get thick and gum up the system. Since there are so many different anti-freeze types, the exact results of mixing anti-freeze will vary depending on what anti-freezes you mix, but the short answer is that you should never mix different types of anti-freeze.įor instance, if you mix green and orange anti-freeze, the two different types of additives will mix and coagulate. What Happens if You Mix Different Types of Anti-Freeze? Keep in mind that adding a different kind of coolant to a vehicle under warranty can void the warranty. If you can’t find the exact coolant that your vehicle uses, stop by the dealership or flush the entire system before adding the new coolant. They are all glycol-based, but the additives that they use make a big difference. The differences between these coolants vary, but it almost always comes down to the types of additives used in each anti-freeze. This largely comes down to your vehicle’s manufacturer and what kind of coolant they decided to put in the vehicle. While green and orange anti-freeze products are by far the most common, you can also find vehicles that use a pink, blue, or gold anti-freeze. If you don’t know, go ahead and flush the entire system before potentially mixing the wrong type of coolant. If you’ve never flushed the coolant on your vehicle, you can check the owner’s manual, if you have changed the coolant, you might be out of luck. Always double-check what kind of coolant is in your vehicle instead of relying solely on the color. Moreover, just because you open the hood and see orange coolant, that doesn’t mean you have Dexcool. The only problem is that Dexcool didn’t always work as advertised. This is a much longer service life than regular anti-freeze, so you can see why its popularity surged. GM manufactured Dexcool and promised that you’d only need to flush your system every 150,000-miles if you used it. Orange coolant is often a product named Dexcool. Remember that these intervals are for the manufacturer-recommended anti-freeze, so if you’re using something else, you can expect that the service intervals will change as well. So, before you go flushing your system, take a peek in the owner’s guide and see what it says! That’s because modern vehicles are getting better and better and sealing their cooling systems, which allows the fluid to last longer between changes. Green anti-freeze doesn’t last as long as orange coolant, but you should double-check your vehicle’s recommended service intervals before heading to flush out the coolant every few thousand miles. Green coolant is by far the most common type of anti-freeze in vehicles. If you can’t find out for sure what kind of anti-freeze is in your vehicle, it’s best to complete a coolant flush so you know for sure what’s in there.Īlways check the specifications of what type of coolant your engine type requires! Green Coolant Always double-check and triple-check which kind of coolant is in your vehicle – don’t just rely on the color. And if you add Dexcool into your regular orange anti-freeze, you’re asking for a problem.
But while the color can be a great starting point to figure out what kind of coolant you have, sometimes the color can be misleading.įor instance, not every vehicle that has orange anti-freeze has Dexcool. While there are tons of different anti-freeze varieties out there, the two main types used for your vehicle are a traditional green anti-freeze and an orange anti-freeze that uses Dexcool. Now, I will take a closer look at why it’s not a good idea to mix different types of coolant. Using the wrong type of coolant can lead to expensive repair costs. Stay on the safe side and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. You should never mix different types or colors of coolant if you are not an expert on the chemical composition and reactions of the various types. Final Thoughts On Mixing Anti-Freeze Can You Mix Different Types of Coolant?
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