pink radiator fluid

I think you guys should upgrade to that new "clear" blood they are giving people in exchange for their "red" blood. Its been said that it DON"T stain your clothes when you cut yourself and get it on your shirt or pants.

 

x2

Not surprisingly, there's an incredible amount of misinformation here...just stay with factory fill if you aren't interested in the details and be safe.

If you are interested: all anti-freezes are glycol based, there's no difference in the anti-freeze/coolant.

The difference is the anti-corrosive package in the coolant. Old-fashioned 'green' coolants typically have a silicate-based package that causes problems with water pump seals and such in systems not designed to handle it. So switching to green should be accompanied with opening a savings account for future repairs, if done right.

The pink, along withe many other long-life coolants, uses an OAT anti-corrosive package (similar to Dexcool, but probably what's called a hybrid unlike Dexcool). In addition to not causing problems with water pumps, OAT doesn't deplete in use while silicates do. They last essentially forever.

The only reason they want you to change is because they expect the factory fill to become contaminated with crap that ignorant service techs put in at top-ups. If you do your own servicing, you can control that.

 

I wouldn't think it necessary for a fill with a pre-packaged anti-freeze mix. All Water Wetter does is make the fluid 'slippery-er' so it coats surfaces better, glycol does that and as well provides anti-freeze.

Interestingly: no liquid is better than water for taking away heat, so if you're interested in maximum heat control use pure water with Redline and an anti-corrosive additive package you can get at truck stops.

Problem is, you don't have an anti-freeze...so only do it if you live in the desert that never gets below 30F or so.

 

thanks. i hadnt heard anyone else havin problems with it but didnt want to ignore it and have problems. my bro in law told me that. he has a ford f250 and it had it in there and he said the pink stuff caused his motor to blow and said i should take it out asap

 

Interesting, wonder why it caused his motor to blow.

Here's another article that talks about the differences between the different types of coolant.
http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/us120426.htm

 

Interesting to note that Toyota's pink long life includes some phosphate. My understanding was the EU had banned phosphates in antifreeze as a pollutant. Would be interesting to know if the same stuff is used in Toy's sold in the EU.