Page 1 of 1
ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:19 pm
by 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!
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:57 pm
by 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.
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:11 pm
by les
Thanks Louise might need to go to them, as I'm having no luck elsewhere.
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:12 pm
by aupickup
halfords do one as wll
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:53 pm
by 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.
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:28 pm
by WHOOSH!
JOWETTJAVELIN wrote:The red stuff should be avoided as it supposedly contains harmful chemicals, OATs or something.
[frame]

[/frame]
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:41 pm
by jagnut66
Sorry, are we on about Porridge now?...................
[frame]

[/frame]
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:15 am
by WHOOSH!
I'm sorry it had to be done

Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:12 pm
by 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.
Re: ordinary antifreeze
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:58 pm
by Matt
You missed out purple Ray...
Thats what Ford use now