ordinary antifreeze

[les]

There are so many antifreeze/coolants around with every additive you can think of included. Does anyone know if a simple no nonsense antifreeze is available and if so where I can find it please!

[LouiseM]

ESM sell a Comma antifreeze which is described as "traditional" and contains no methanol or alcohol - you should be able to get something similar from your local motor factors.

[les]

Thanks Louise might need to go to them, as I'm having no luck elsewhere.

[aupickup]

halfords do one as wll

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Regular BLUE antifreeze sold variously as Bluecol, Blue Star, Halfords own and mixed at 50% nowadays.

The red stuff should be avoided as it supposedly contains harmful chemicals, OATs or something.

[WHOOSH!]

The red stuff should be avoided as it supposedly contains harmful chemicals, OATs or something.

[frame][/frame]

[jagnut66]

Sorry, are we on about Porridge now?................... [frame][/frame]

[WHOOSH!]

I'm sorry it had to be done

[rayofleamington]

Regular BLUE antifreeze sold variously as Bluecol, Blue Star, Halfords own and mixed at 50% nowadays

Same recommendation from me too, although 1 part antifreeze to 2 parts water should be fine for English weather.
If money no object then 50/50 is bullet proof.

The red stuff has more additives to help lifetime (i.e. blue would be changed at 2 yrs, red at 3 or 4) however on a Minor it probably depends more on how often you need to top up...
The actual colours are just a dye, but many manufacturers seem to keep to a blue vs red product spec & blue is not used on many modern cars (as far as I know).

Some have done orange or green, but again, the colour is not the important bit. Pretty much all will use ethylene gylcol for temperature performance plus oher additives for corrosion resistance.
There are magical scare stories about the coolant turning to jelly if the wrong versions are mixed - as far as I know this is just rumours from main dealers trying to sell their own coolant and stop you buying similar stuff elsewhere.

[Matt]

You missed out purple Ray...

Thats what Ford use now