Rick's Free Auto Repair Advice

Posts Tagged: antifreeze

Antifreeze versus coolant

What’s the difference between antifreeze verus coolant? There’s no difference between the terms antifreeze and engine coolant. The main ingredient is ethylene glycol (95) and that never wears out, so car owners have come to think of it a lifetime fluid that never needs changing. They couldn’t be more wrong. What they don’t understand is that the remaining portion of the mix contains additives like anti-corrosive agents and water pump lubricants and those DO break down and wear out. Engine coolant does more than protect against freezing, it literally prevents … Read More

Engine coolant – Warning for Chrysler vehicles

Using the wrong engine coolant – Chrysler Using the wrong engine coolant in your new Chrysler product can cause big problems. A Chrysler technical service bulletin (07-004-12) contains a coolant warning. The warning pertains to all 2013 and new Chrysler vehicles except those equipped with the 2.2-liter and 2.0-liter diesel engines. The new coolant is purple Organic Additive Technology (OAT) and is specifically NOT compatible with other coolant technologies. The purple Chrysler coolant is good for 10-years or 150,000 miles. Topping off or adding any engine coolant other than the … Read More

Is DexCool bad

The truth about DexCool coolant Mechanics say they hate DexCool and blame it for all kinds of problems. Most aren’t the fault of DexCool. Here’s the REAL scoop on Dex-Cool and coolants in general. First some coolant history Most of the older green coolants were silicate based. The coolant’s job is to prevent freezing and cooling system corrosion. In the case of the green coolants, the silicates deposit a thin film of anti-corrosive material on metal surfaces to “PASSIVATE” them. There are two problems with silicate. First, it’s somewhat abrasive, … Read More


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