Radiator Fluid... What kind is best? (anti-freeze)

[Studduck]

My "birdcage" light is on (the yellow/orange one left of the steering wheel)

what kind of radiator fluid would be best to put in my car? I have a 1990 supra turbo.

 

[oscolivar1]

i know people who use the coolant from toyota or other versions (red coolant) with the redline water wetter( solution that helps it cool better). keeps car very cool.
i just use coolant thats alrdy mixed, 50/50 prestone or w/e...
i never reach the half way mark on the temp gauge.

do u know what color of coolant u have?
if u dont flush it out and fill her up. If u dont buy rdy mixed coolant, 50/50 of coolant and distilled water
there are some coolants out there i believe that u can just add even if its not the same color.

what do u guys use with the red line water wetter?
sorry for thread bash..

 

[lagged]

as long as you dont add dexcool youll be fine.

 

[oscolivar1]

as long as you dont add dexcool youll be fine.

oh yea i forgot to add that....
i heard bad things about that.
do a search on that and see bad results that showed up on SM

 

[MKIIINA]

add water wetter (lucas, redline, etc) and it helps alot! if you are just going to dump water in the overflow (which is pretty much ok as it wont change the mix too much) make sure its distilled.

 

[johnathan1]

Use Toyota red coolant, the green has a tendency to erode...just ask IJ.

 

[starscream5000]

What is the chemical makeup of the toyota red coolant versus regular green kinds?

 

[oscolivar1]

i thot toyota red was just regular old coolant but red.....
thx for new info on the green one eroding more.

 

[starscream5000]

I doubt the only difference is food coloring ... I don't exactly know though, but i'd say the ingredients are different.

 

[oscolivar1]

green or red w/e...
im prolly still gonna stick with the 50/50 prestone green....

 

[yaitsme]

More technical info on this subject here than I can pronounce!

(Dr. J ... Mr. Central - just let me know if I need to stop linking to that site .... it's just so damn easy, and I want to allow credit where it's due, not just cut & paste over here.)

 

[johnathan1]

What is the chemical makeup of the toyota red coolant versus regular green kinds?

I forget, ask IJ.

 

[GrimJack]

Personally I like the red stuff because it's easy to figure out what's leaking when you see red.

Mind you, I guess the nuclear green / yellow of prestone does the same.

 

[Clip]

Personally I like the red stuff because it's easy to figure out what's leaking when you see red.

Mind you, I guess the nuclear green / yellow of prestone does the same.

that, and when you start growing a thumb on your forehead.

i use a 60/40 or 70/30 mix of distilled water and prestone antifreeze. always heard that water cools better, especially with water wetter. during the summers ill usually flush everything and just run distilled water with water wetter.

and that prestone premix stuff is too damn expensive for me. you pay 8 bucks for a gallon of coolant (premixed) when you can buy a gallon of pure antifreeze for like 3 bucks and get two or three gallons of coolant out of it.

 

[tookwik4u89]

I use the Toyota Super long life (pink) coolant, already premixed. If you live close to me....I'll give you some.

 

[bwest]

More technical info on this subject here than I can pronounce!

(Dr. J ... Mr. Central - just let me know if I need to stop linking to that site .... it's just so damn easy, and I want to allow credit where it's due, not just cut & paste over here.)

I was about to link to the same url (glad I checked). but incase someone misses it...http://www.mkiiitech.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=859

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Staw away from the green - it loves to eat metal.

 

[johnathan1]

I am using the green coolant right now, and have been for a while. I want to switch to red (or pink, I guess), but if I don't get ALL of the green out, won't it react with with the red coolant, and form like...clumps? How would I make sure all of the green coolant is out?

 

[mattjk]

actually, color has nothing to do with anything, it's just dye, however you want to avoid certain nationalities of coolants. Japanese seems to be the best as it contains no silicates which can be gritty and harm pump seals and break down and cause slush and corrosion due to it's acidity.

American coolants contain silicates, european coolants contain organic acids like VW orange coolant, and other german makes are hybrids.

Just stick with what is safe. toyota red.

Dex-cool is the devil.

 

[johnathan1]

Ah, good info.