WHY CHANGE MY COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE

 

Glycol antifreeze solutions should generally be replaced with fresh mixture every two years. Many modern cars now come filled with organic acid technology (OAT) antifreeze (such as Dex-Cool 1), which has an extended service life of five years. Although these still contain glycol, OAT solutions may not be compatible with conventional inorganic-based coolants containing glycol (e.g., with silicates, borates, phosphates) and, if changing from one type to the other, the cooling system must be thoroughly flushed with clean water.  Typically OAT antifreeze contains a red or pink dye to differentiate it from the conventional inorganic coolants (blue or green). Some of the newer technology OAT coolants claim to be compatible with all types of OAT and inorganic-based coolants; these are typically green or yellow in color.