Almost all experienced owners can easily advise on a vehicle. But, despite this, the question of whether it is possible to interfere with antifreeze of different colors remains always relevant for beginners. Gone are the days when water was poured into a car. Therefore, every self-respecting car owner is obliged to understand what antifreeze is, whether red, green, blue is mixed together and why this liquid is needed at all.
What is antifreeze
When the engine is in the car, a huge amount of heat is generated. For the purpose of cooling, a radiator was invented, which is a kind of heat exchanger. The engine cooling process is carried out using liquid. In its role, ordinary water or special compounds - antifreezes can act. From the name of the latter it is clear that this is an antifreeze liquid. It is made on the basis of water with the addition of industrial alcohol and additives.
The main quality that antifreeze is valued for is its low freezing temperature. So, the concentrate should be diluted with distilled water. Before mixing, the freezing temperature is eighty degrees Celsius. For example, the mixture will turn into ice at -40 ° if you combine one to one water and an antifreeze concentrate (red). The price of the latter, by the way, is an order of magnitude higher than that of the finished diluted refrigerant.
It should also be noted that when freezing antifreeze expands less than water. This is a huge plus for forgetful car owners. For example, you did not have time to drain antifreeze from the radiator, and the weather pleased us with the most severe frost at minus fifty. Water, frozen, would increase in volume by nine percent. And antifreeze increased only one and a half times, reducing damage to a minimum.
Accordingly, the boiling point of coolants is much higher than that of water. So, in the latter, it fluctuates within one hundred and twenty degrees. The antifreeze concentrate has a boiling point of 197 ° (when mixed with water, it will decrease). Therefore, do not forget to fill it in both winter and summer. After all, each driver saw how cars “boiled” on the road.
Types of Antifreeze
In the auto goods store, the multi-colored antifreezes will be striking in the first place. Red, green, blue and even yellow - almost all the spectra of the rainbow. Which one is right for you is worth sorting out. Knowing the species will give you the answer to the question of whether it is possible to interfere with antifreeze in different colors.
Depending on the composition, coolants are divided into means:
- with salt base (colors: blue, green);
- with acid (red).
The manufacturer changes the color of antifreeze so that car owners do not confuse them. Each manufacturer makes the color as they wish. However, there is a classic version of the color of antifreeze, which most manufacturers adhere to.
Coolant color:
- TL is blue. It is closest in composition to antifreeze.
- G11 - green, blue or blue-green.
- G12, G12 +, G12 ++ - red and all its shades to purple.
- G13 - yellow, purple and so on, it is worth noting that this type of antifreeze is painted in all colors of the rainbow.
What do all antifreezes have in common
It is worth starting with the fact that the composition of all coolants is approximately eighty percent the same. This is distilled water and industrial alcohol. And to the question of whether it is possible to interfere with antifreeze of different colors, I would like to answer positively, but what about the remaining twenty percent? And these are additives that determine the behavior of the coolant in a given situation.
Thus, if you mix, for example, antifreeze blue with green, then by eighty percent they will be the same.
What is different
As already mentioned, all coolants are distinguished between additives. That is, they are combined with distilled water and industrial alcohol. Additives are primarily necessary in order to eliminate the negative effects of the main components. After all, water and ethylene glycol, combined, are a powerful destroyer for metal surfaces.
Conditionally additives can be divided into two groups:
- Protective. These additives inside the metal parts form a thin film, which does not allow them to subsequently collapse. Most often used in G11.
- Corrosion resistant. The process of this additive is very interesting. This antifreeze does not form any protective film. But as soon as a hotbed of rust appears, it is immediately blocked by additives that will not allow it to spread. Used in G12 and G12 +.
In fairness, the G13 with hybrid additives should also be mentioned. In principle, it is already clear from the name that this type is a combination of two effects: anticorrosive and protective.
And now, when answering the question of whether it is possible to interfere with antifreeze of different colors, we already understand that its shades do not matter. Be sure to pay attention to the additives that make up the coolant.
How to choose antifreeze by car make
When replacing antifreeze , first of all, you need to look at the technical specifications of your vehicle and the specifications for approval. The latter have their own code, which will also be indicated on the tank with antifreeze. Based on this, you can choose antifreeze according to the make of the car.
There is a conditional table of a selection of coolant, depending on the year of manufacture of the vehicle.
The choice of antifreeze according to the date of manufacture of the careleven | Release until 1996. |
12 | Auto 1996-2001 years of release. |
12+ | Release since 2001. |
13 | In sports and cars used in extreme conditions |
We remind you that the table is conditional, therefore it is possible to correctly select the OX only in accordance with the specified specification for admission.
Under what conditions is it better to pour antifreeze
Replacing the cooling fluid, as well as other consumable fluids for the car, is a seasonal occupation: related to the repair or updating of the radiator and cooling system. Auto mechanics also recommend changing antifreeze after acquiring a used car. And before this event, the question arises as to which antifreeze is better in which situations.
As already mentioned, depending on the additives used in coolants, they are divided into G11, G12, G13. The choice is small, but it is.
G11 antifreezes are considered the cheapest. They contain a minimum amount of additives. Roughly speaking, the liquid is identical to our domestic antifreeze.
Class G12 antifreezes are the exact opposite of G11 in value. They are one of the most expensive coolants. This high price has a logical explanation. These antifreezes have excellent anti-corrosion properties and heat transfer capabilities.
G13 antifreezes are the most environmentally friendly coolant. It is not toxic and at the same time combines all the positive qualities of the two previous types of antifreeze. Therefore, most manufacturers of our time prefer such liquids.
Is it possible to mix antifreeze from different manufacturers and colors
It happens that you need to go on a long trip, in the radiator of coolant like a cat cried, but you did not have time to buy a new one. And the savior-neighbor in the garage can borrow, but he has a different color. What antifreeze can be added?
The choice of coolant determines its chemical composition and the presence of additives. Accordingly, in order to add antifreeze, you need the same one that is now in the car. The color of the coolant has nothing to do with it, since it is just a dye that has no relationship with the antifreeze content. Such compliance is required in order to save your vehicle, because additives have an aggressive reaction to each other. Unfortunately, it does not appear immediately, but only after a while.
What happens if you mix different refrigerants
If you added antifreeze of a different composition and color to the cooling system in order to get to the house, and when you arrived at the place, you removed this mixture and replaced it with the right one, then there will be no negative effect. But operating the car in this way for a long time will not go unnoticed by your radiator.
Currently, manufacturers of coolants have begun to produce antifreezes that are similar in content. Therefore, when replacing or topping up, first of all pay attention to the composition. It is assumed that the content of additives in the coolant is the same, and the colors vary. At the same time, the same color does not guarantee you the possibility of complementing one another with another due to the different composition.
Advice
Do not forget that every manufacturer has the right to give his antifreeze any color, not paying attention to its type. Therefore, the question of what colors antifreeze can be mixed is asked only by a beginner.
Do not choose coolant by price or color. For example, antifreeze concentrate red (the price of which is from 200 rubles and more per liter) from different manufacturers may have different additives in the composition. And this, as you know, is fraught with poor performance, sometimes serious damage to your car.
It should be remembered that the sale of antifreeze is available in the form of a concentrate and liquid already prepared for use. The first, before pouring into the car, you will need to dilute with distilled water, and the second, as you already understood, you do not need to mix with anything. Which one to choose, purely for you, based on practicality.