Please help - May have added wrong coolant to my BRZ
 

Hey Guys,

I just bought my certified pre owned BRZ (20k miles) from the dealership on Friday. When I got home I noticed that the coolant was at the low mark in the reservoir. Not thinking anything of it, I filled it with some coolant that I used in my other car that I traded in.

After doing a bit of reading I saw that Subaru uses its own brand of coolant for the BRZ. The manual Says to use Ethylene Glycol based, non silicate, non-anime, non-nitrite, and non-borate. From what I can tell the coolant I added is ethylene glycol based but I don't know about the other chemicals in it (see pictures below).

I'm a bit paranoid because I also read somewhere that if you mix 2 different types of coolant bad things could happen. Do you think I will be ok with the coolant I added, or should I have it flushed and replaced with the genuine Subaru coolant?

subaru manual
http://www.joomag.com/magazine/subar...10946?page=302

http://s30.postimg.org/roy40e2lt/20150704_214814.jpg

http://s30.postimg.org/djsayktkh/20150704_214912.jpg


upload pic

Generally speaking you should avoid mixing different coolant formulations (usually indicated by different colors), as that decreases the overall lifetime of the coolant.

Seeing as you've already added it though, I wouldn't worry about it. I doubt there'd be any seriously harmful effects (ie precipitates, etc).

For the future, get yourself a jug of Subaru Super Coolant (blue in color). Best price when I bought it was on Amazon.

I have read that there are basically 3 types of coolant on the market:
1. Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT) which is the "old school" prestone type
2. Organic Acid Technology (OAT) which is the DexCool/VW style
3. Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT)--this is used by most Asian and European cars, including Subaru


The following was from Popular Mechanics as to whether you can add DexCool to other types of coolant.


Can you mix DEX-COOL™ with other antifreeze products?

Improper mixing of coolants has the potential to cause corrosion issues. Valvoline recommends using the correct antifreeze/coolant for your particular application.

- See more at: http://www.valvoline.com/faq#sthash.soU7pPm6.dpuf


You should never mix DexCool with a HOAT or IAT type coolant.

Mostly what I have read is that if you mix regular coolant with the super blue you should not expect it to last the 100,000km of the blue and need to change it at regular coolant interval until you go back 100% to super blue.

Drain and flush with distilled water ASAP

Nobody knows! So far you learned- its okay, flush it, just change it sooner, it will corrode your engine and I'm sure many more contradicting answers are on the way!

I guess I'd better play it safe and just get it flushed. Being that I bought this car "certified pre owned" from the dealership, you would think they would check all fluid levels for me before it left the lot. Oh well, live and learn I guess :iono:

I suggest you drain, flush and re fill with the recommended coolant.

Why?

So you won't worry about it anymore ........:)

Humfrz

Humfrz has got it.

Being cautious type, I'd recommend you heed his advice. Besides, you've just mixed chemicals together, no one really knows exactly what's going to happen.

Yeah dexcool is orange stuff normally used in General Motors. I would highly suggest having a shop do a full coolant and engine flush. Once u mix coolants that dont mix they dent to gel or solidify.

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There is certain coolants u can mix. Like g05 and the red/violet color but not sure on orange and blue

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Despite being a different color (yellow), the Zerex G05 coolant is actually very similar to the BMW and Subaru coolants. Both use HOAT technology and have nearly identical spec's. They are very different from the orange Dex-Cool coolants used by GM and VW.