why is my G12 coolant green?

[selmer]

hi,
I brought some G12 to a shop and flushed my coolant 2 days ago. Now I found the coolant in my car is green. Is that because the shop did not flush the coolant completely and mixed the G12 with old coolant? Should I bring my car back immediately?

btw, I found the oil temp. needle will drop from 1/2 to 1/4 after a long run, but sometimes it will go back to 1/2. What's the problem there?

[Poopie]

g12 is pink as far as i know. They didn't use your fluid you brought them. Instead they used generic stuff. I would complain.

[2001S4CT]

they probrally kept the g12 for them selves since its so expensive and used cheap coolant. Go back and ask for your G12 back then go home and flush it yourself

[986Jim]

You can mix G12 and regular coolant its not a problem but all the coolant in your system is now only as reliable as the regular coolant is which is 3 years 60,000 km now?

[gdawg'05a4]

You can mix G12 and regular coolant its not a problem but all the coolant in your system is now only as reliable as the regular coolant is which is 3 years 60,000 km now?

If you mix G12 with the green/regular stuff, it'll gel up. Not good for your coolant system...

[986Jim]

If you mix G12 with the green/regular stuff, it'll gel up. Not good for your coolant system...

And also, G12 mixed with anything creates mud in your cooling system.

No it wont, that's internet lore. You can mix them it's just fine. My boxster runs G12 and I had my coolant tank crack in the trunk. I was stuck and added green in and it's fine. I called my buddy who is a Porsche tech and he also said it was fine. I did decide to search it on the net and googled it for a while just to be sure and found a bunch of people saying it would gel etc. but no actual proof of that.

Eventually I ended on a site for a compnay that makes different coolants and they even said it was fine to mix them just that the G12 mixed with standard coolant will only have the boiling point and corrosion resistance of what the green has.

Search it if you have a lot of time on your hands, you will find the info just as I did.

I did eventually flush the coolant in the boxster after about 9 months (took forever for me to get around to it) and replaced it and the coolant came out kind of a wierd color with the green/pink mixed. But it was fine.

All the info you could want: http://www.geocities.com/dtmcbride/h...ntifreeze.html

Don't mix traditional coolants (blue, yellow or green) with Organic Acid Technology (OAT) (orange, red, pink) or HOAT (yellow) coolants. The OAT will cause precipitation of silicates in the green type and corrosion protection is greatly reduced.
Most experts say it is OK to replace non-2-EHA OAT coolants (e.g. VW G12) with 2-EHA (e.g. Dex-Cool)
According to Car Talk SAE (the Society of Automotive Engineers) said that you can mix up to about 15 percent traditional coolant in your OAT coolant before you have any real effect on the corrosion inhibitors.

Corrosion inhibition is the main problem. Most manufacturers use G12 etc beacause it lasts longer and keeps warranty problems from creeping up during a normal 5year warranty period (or so depending on model) after that it's the owner responsibility to replace it and not the manufacturer. It's all about saving money overall and lower reported problems during the first year and then during the cars warranty period which is what "reliability" is based on. So they recommend you not mix them so that they don't get a warranty claim down the road that they can't wiggle their way out of.

[surreal]

No it wont, that's internet lore. You can mix them it's just fine. My boxster runs G12 and I had my coolant tank crack in the trunk. I was stuck and added green in and it's fine. I called my buddy who is a Porsche tech and he also said it was fine. I did decide to search it on the net and googled it for a while just to be sure and found a bunch of people saying it would gel etc. but no actual proof of that.

Eventually I ended on a site for a compnay that makes different coolants and they even said it was fine to mix them just that the G12 mixed with standard coolant will only have the boiling point and corrosion resistance of what the green has.

Search it if you have a lot of time on your hands, you will find the info just as I did.

I did eventually flush the coolant in the boxster after about 9 months (took forever for me to get around to it) and replaced it and the coolant came out kind of a wierd color with the green/pink mixed. But it was fine.

All the info you could want: http://www.geocities.com/dtmcbride/h...ntifreeze.html


Corrosion inhibition is the main problem. Most manufacturers use G12 etc beacause it lasts longer and keeps warranty problems from creeping up during a normal 5year warranty period (or so depending on model) after that it's the owner responsibility to replace it and not the manufacturer. It's all about saving money overall and lower reported problems during the first year and then during the cars warranty period which is what "reliability" is based on. So they recommend you not mix them so that they don't get a warranty claim down the road that they can't wiggle their way out of.

Don't listen to this, your car will be fucked up in a few months if you don't use g12. It is made for our system. If you put anything else in it the seals and hoses will swell and fail you will have a big mess. I know first hand the differences between coolant additives, i had to study them last semester. I'm an automotive student and i know whats up. Your buddy who is a Porsche tech is full of it i don't think he should even be working on hondas. I'm sick of people posting nonsense on here and then people looking for help get guided in the wrong direction and end up spending more money and time. sorry i had to vent

[orttauq]

No it wont, that's internet lore. You can mix them it's just fine.

Ok, so I guess the 100 cars a year that come to my service department with sludged cooling systems because they mixed brands are just virtual and don't really exist! You're "porsche tech" buddy is sorely mistaken and probably needs to go back to tech classes if he's under that assumption.

Corrosion inhibition is the main problem. Most manufacturers use G12 etc beacause it lasts longer and keeps warranty problems from creeping up during a normal 5year warranty period (or so depending on model) after that it's the owner responsibility to replace it and not the manufacturer. It's all about saving money overall and lower reported problems during the first year and then during the cars warranty period which is what "reliability" is based on. So they recommend you not mix them so that they don't get a warranty claim down the road that they can't wiggle their way out of.

This statement makes little sense in a number of ways. Why would G12 keep warranty issues down as opposed to other coolants if it doesn't make a difference what coolant you use or if it's ok to mix them? You're also saying they:
"don't recommend mixing them so that they don't get a warranty claim they can't wiggle out of".
Makes no sense. If you do use the worng coolant in your system, your warranty for ANY cooling component is VOIDED. This isn't a recommendation, it's manufacturer requirement. And if they wanted to avoid so many warranty claims, they would suggest mixing coolants so that they didn't have to fix problems under warranty! You're logic of the purpose of requiring a customer to use the proper G12 coolant is completely wrong. You said that G12 lasts longer, so theres a single benefit right there! Not to mention the IMPORTANT reasons the manufacturer requires it..

[986Jim]

Ok, so I guess the 100 cars a year that come to my service department with sludged cooling systems because they mixed brands are just virtual and don't really exist! You're "porsche tech" buddy is sorely mistaken and probably needs to go back to tech classes if he's under that assumption.

No I believe you that this happens, but not for the reasons that you think. Sludge in the cooling system (just like our oil) can happen even when you use what the manufacturer recommends. The manufacturer recommends we change the oil every 10k and how many of us do this because we all know that it will lead to sludge problems? Just about everybody on this board.

So there is also a good chance that gel and sludge can build in the coolant system even when you don't mix them and use what the manufacturer recommends right? SO saying what they recommend really doesn't mean a whole lot now does it after what they recommend we do with our oil?

That still doesn't mean that mixing green and g12 will cause it to gel. It wont. Heat, improper maintenance on the car etc will. If your car is running lean it creates a lot more heat than normal, the coolant system has to work double time to cool the car, thats a problem for the coolant. Contamination in the coolant system is also another contributing factor.

The major problem with mixing the coolants is that green will break down when green coolant breaks down, G12 will break down when G12 breaks down no matter what. So when you mix them, you can only assume your coolant is as long lasting and good as the weakest link, the green coolant. So if you were to mix green with G12 and drive for 5 years 100,000 miles guess what? You would get GEL and breakdown in the coolant system. This would happen if you use only Green coolant as well. This is where this misconception comes from. People add green to G12 as assume on the high side that its ok for as long as G12 is. Voila warranty issues with gel etc.

This statement makes little sense in a number of ways. Why would G12 keep warranty issues down as opposed to other coolants if it doesn't make a difference what coolant you use or if it's ok to mix them? You're also saying they:
"don't recommend mixing them so that they don't get a warranty claim they can't wiggle out of".
Makes no sense. If you do use the worng coolant in your system, your warranty for ANY cooling component is VOIDED. This isn't a recommendation, it's manufacturer requirement. And if they wanted to avoid so many warranty claims, they would suggest mixing coolants so that they didn't have to fix problems under warranty! You're logic of the purpose of requiring a customer to use the proper G12 coolant is completely wrong. You said that G12 lasts longer, so theres a single benefit right there! Not to mention the IMPORTANT reasons the manufacturer requires it..

I never said it didn't matter what you use. G12 lasts longer and has better anti-corrosion ability that is definitely true but I did say its ok to mix them.

They design warranties and cars so there will be as little impact on the manufacturer as possible. So cars are designed to use components that will create the least number of failures inside the warranty period. Thats simple economics. G12 fits the bill here nicely, low failure rate that is within the window of just about every warranty available.

As you know green coolant does not do this (3year, 40000miles?), so on the long term warranty and failure will be higher. It is simply an inferior product to G12 coolant which is why most high end manufacturers use G12 (and even low end now).

Reliability as we see it as consumers means number of failures in the first year and number of failures in the first 5 years. So cars are designed to reduce these failures specifically so the product is as reliable in the first year and subsequent five years as possible. This is for marketing and also warranty related reasons. They want to sell their product now and in the future and want to spend as little per car servicing them for free as possible.

So if you mix your coolant, lets just assume for this argument that it is perfectly safe, it will lower the coolants life span. If you have a problem now you take the car in. There is little proof that you added it or that a tech mistakenly added it. If the dealership denies the claim then it goes to court and the big bad car company is defending itself against a poor owner who has been taken advantage of so the manufacturer looses every time. I have personally been there with VW, trust me I know and they lost.

So obviously they want you to use the best product and recommend that because it is the best product for your car and also for their interests. Not because you can't mix the two together, that has nothing to do with it. If you do, just make sure you replace the coolant within the lowest lifespan for whatever happens to be in there.

Does that make more sense?

I've tried it first hand. Took a cup of G12 pink and mixed it with prestone green...it turned into gel.

You can run what ever you want in your car, no one can tell you what to do. I'm just sharing my first hand experience and having done a test of it. I certainly wouldn't want gel in my coolant system.

Lol.. and how exactly did you conduct this test? I would love to hear the specifics of it. Apparently you're smarter than their chemists. Please do share how this test took place.

Prestone says of this product specifically:

Prestone® Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is compatible with ANY antifreeze/ coolant – regardless of color – for use in ALL makes and models of cars and light duty trucks. This patented formula provides a high degree of performance durability and carefully balanced protection against temperature extremes and rust corrosion of all cooling system metals, including aluminum.

[n7plus1]

thats bs....gl

[gdawg'05a4]

To the OP: G12 is pink. The shop must have used what ever coolant they had on hand and kept the G12 for themselves. I would go back and show them what G12 looks like and compare to what they put in your coolant tank.

[dirtybrd]

Did you specify that they use G12 or did you just request a coolant flush? BTW, if it was done properly I would stay with the green as it's more readily avail. I run the green in my car.

[selmer]

Did you specify that they use G12 or did you just request a coolant flush? BTW, if it was done properly I would stay with the green as it's more readily avail. I run the green in my car.

I brought 3 pink G12 (bought from ECS) and requested them to flush the old coolant and put in the G12 for me.
I watched them putting the G12 in and they have given the half bottle left back to me.

I think they haven't flush the cooling system completely (maybe)........

so how to flush the coolant myself?

[I Audi5K I]

that is crap....they totaly boned ya dude...complain, get your money back, stick with the green, then poo on their front door (note: poo after you have your money back)

[Papachristou]

they kept your g12 and put in the cheap stuff

[A4ringedONE8T]

Damn guys, your all wrong, he didnt get ripped off. There are two types of G12 coolant, one which is pink and one thats labeled "All Season" which is greenish/blue. Both are G12!!

[orttauq]

Damn guys, your all wrong, he didnt get ripped off. There are two types of G12 coolant, one which is pink and one thats labeled "All Season" which is greenish/blue. Both are G12!!

WRONG! G12 is always pink. Anything blue or greenish blue from VW is g11 or G10 which superceeds to G11, which BTW is not compatible with G12 at all!

And also, G12 mixed with anything creates mud in your cooling system.

[jrau13]

Never knew that...^^^^but know I do.

[wolfdog]

It's green because it absorbs red wavelengths ><

[old guy]

Here ya go: Clicky click

[A4TUNE]

Audi strictly recommends not to use any coolant other than G12. I would flush that immediately and pour in some pink G12.

[A4TL]

yah i'd fix that up before you end up with a completely hosed cooling system.

G12 or oem G12 is pink.

someone totally screwed the pooch

[initiala4]

Mmm I bought G12 from the dealer and its pink!

[IceMole]

Someone should also tell him there is no "oil temp needle" it's actually the coolant temp.

[Papachristou]

i thought it was all pink on the inside?

[ThreePointOhh]

they say only use g12 because of something with the metal compounds getting fucked up if you use other coolants....

[gdawg'05a4]

I've tried it first hand. Took a cup of G12 pink and mixed it with prestone green...it turned into gel.

You can run what ever you want in your car, no one can tell you what to do. I'm just sharing my first hand experience and having done a test of it. I certainly wouldn't want gel in my coolant system.

[B6Lovin]

I've tried it first hand. Took a cup of G12 pink and mixed it with prestone green...it turned into gel.

You can run what ever you want in your car, no one can tell you what to do. I'm just sharing my first hand experience and having done a test of it. I certainly wouldn't want gel in my coolant system.

i mixed mine once cuz it was a little low and i didn't have anything else with me. guess what? no gel.

[gdawg'05a4]

All you have to do is take a cup of G12 and mix it with a cup of the Prestone stuff. Wave the wand, say Abracadabra and it's MAGIC! It starts to gel!

Like I said, you can put what you want in your car.

[986Jim]

All you have to do is take a cup of G12 and mix it with a cup of the Prestone stuff. Wave the wand, say Abracadabra and it's MAGIC! It starts to gel!

Like I said, you can put what you want in your car.

Pretty well the response I expected...

[gdawg'05a4]

And that's the answer I expected from you. No use arguing with people. Put what you want in your cars and I'll put what I want in mine.