Coolant is a popular term in the automobile and HVAC sectors. Coolant comes in liquid and gas form and is utilized to control the temperature or heat of a system. It keeps the thermal capacity of a system in check.
Today, we are going to discuss if different brands of coolant can be mixed or not.
Can you mix different brands of coolant?
One can certainly mix different brands of coolant. Different brands of coolant possessing the same chemical components can be mixed to prevent the car engine from rust and corrosion. Mixing different brands of coolant can be a great way to stop the car engine from overheating.
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Let’s discuss in detail if different brands of coolants can be mixed by taking a look at the coolants below.
Mixing different brands of green coolant:
Green coolant is usually used in old cars. Because these old cars possess steel and copper in their cooling system. Green coolant is applied in these old cars to protect the car from corrosion and rust. Green coolant follows Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT).
Green coolants contain phosphate, silicone, and propylene or ethylene glycol. You can mix different brands of green coolant as long as they are made with the same chemical components.
If you mix different brands of green coolant that contain different chemicals at their component, then the green coolant will start overheating your car engine.
Mixing different brands of pink coolant:
Pink coolant follows Organic Acid Technology (OAT). But pink coolant is not recommended for old cars. Basically, most of the new car models support pink coolant.
Pink coolant is also an expensive kind of coolant. Pink coolant is used to protect your car engine from corrosion and rust.
It possesses Potassium hydroxide, Ethylene glycol, Sebacic acid, Diethylene glycol, and water as its core elements. Other brands of pink coolant possessing the same core elements can be mixed together without harming the cooling system of the car.
Mixing different brands of red coolant:
Red coolant has a short life span of two years. Red coolant also follows Organic Acid Technology (OAT). It is made by mixing Ethylene glycol, Hydrated inorganic salt, Diethylene glycol, Organic acid salt, and water.
So different brands of red coolant that possess these same components them can be mixed together. It will not harm the cooling system of your car engine. Red coolant is mainly used in aluminum radiators.
Is it ok or bad to mix coolant brands?
You can mix coolant brands as long as they are made from the same chemicals and possess the same color. Coolants basically follow three technologies. They are Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT), Hybrid Additive Technology (HOAT), and Organic Acid Technology (OAT).
Different colors of coolants follow different technologies. Coolants mainly come in six colors. They are pink, red, yellow, green, orange, and blue. You can mix the same color of coolants together if they possess the same chemical components.
If you mix the coolants of the same color possessing different chemicals, it will destroy the cooling system of your car engine. It is okay to mix coolant brands as long as they are of the same color and same chemical components.
So you have to be careful when it comes to mixing different coolant brands if you want to protect your car engine.
What are the different types of coolants?
There are basically three types of coolants based on their capability. They are:
Inorganic acid technology-based coolant:
Usually, Inorganic acid technology (IAT) based coolant is applied in old cars. It possesses phosphates as corrosion inhibitors and silicates. The lifetime of inorganic acid technology-based coolant is two years at most. It comes in green color.
Organic acid technology-based coolant:
Organic acid technology (OAT) based coolant is usually used in a new variety of cars. It does not possess silicates and phosphates as IAT-based coolant does. Rather it has organic acid and azole as corrosion inhibitors.
It is generally found in aluminum radiators. The lifespan of Organic acid technology-based coolant is five years. It comes in orange and red color.
Hybrid organic acid technology-based coolant:
Hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) based coolant is a mixture of both Inorganic acid technology-based coolant and Organic acid technology-based coolant. It combines the best features of these other types of coolants to bring out the best result.
It even has silicates. It has a lifespan of five years. Hybrid organic acid technology-based coolant usually comes in orange and yellow colors.
Can you mix different types of coolant?
Mixing different types of coolant is not as simple as it sounds. There are basically three types of coolant. Inorganic acid technology (IAT) based coolant, Organic acid technology (OAT) based coolant, and Hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) based coolant.
Each of these coolants has the same purpose. They are put into a car engine to increase the capability of the cooling system of the engine. It helps the car engine to fight against rust and corrosion.
But even after having the same purpose, the chemical components of these three types of coolant are not the same. This is where the problem of mixing different types of coolant arises.
You can not at any cost mix different types of coolant as they are not made with the same chemical components. Mixing different types of coolant will only damage your car engine.
What happens if you mix different types of coolant?
The purpose of antifreeze or coolant is simple. It is used in car engines to help them fight against rust and corrosion. Even after having the same purpose, you can not mix different types of coolant. Because they do not possess the same chemical formula.
These different chemical formulas react in a negative way if they are mixed together.
If you make the mistake of mixing different types of coolant, it will cost you a lot. It will damage the radiator and cooling system of your car engine. Repairing the cooling system and the radiator is an expensive matter.
When you mix different types of coolant, it brings out a thick component. As a result, the engine overheats due to the failure of thermal capacity. So you need to avoid mixing different types of coolants if you care about the health of your car.
Things to know before mixing two different brands or types of coolant:
There are many things you need to know and consider before you two different brands or types of coolant. Otherwise, any misstep will cause engine failure and other internal complications in your car. Let’s discuss these key details below:
Model of car:
First of all, you will have to find out what type of car you possess. Older car models and newer car models support different types of coolant or antifreeze. Inorganic acid technology (IAT) based coolant can be used in older cars.
On the other hand, newer car models need Organic acid technology (OAT) based on coolant in their cooling system.
The chemical components:
Before mixing two different brands or types of coolant, you need to find out the chemical components of that coolant. You can only mix coolants that possess the same chemical components.
If you mix two different brands or types of coolant that do not share the same chemical components, it will cause complications in the cooling system of your car engine.
Two different brands of coolant can be mixed together as long as they share the same chemical components. But different types of coolant can not be mixed at all. Because they are made with different chemical formulas and components.
The color:
Even after possessing the same color, different brands of coolant can be deceiving sometimes. Different brands might change one or two chemical components of their respective coolant.
So even if some coolants seem to have the same color, you will need to make sure that they possess the same elements.
The lifespan:
Different brands or types of coolants have a different lifespans. Before you start mixing two different brands or types of coolants, you will need to make sure that the coolants share the same lifespan.
Otherwise, mixing two different brands or types of coolants that have different lifespans will create unwanted complications in the car engine later.
Final thoughts
Different brands of coolant can be mixed after taking some factors into consideration. The chemical components of different brands of coolant need to be the same if they are to be mixed. One can mix different brands of coolant to help the car engine fight against rust and corrosion.