Red & Blue anti freeze

[Hursty103]

Why should the two never be mixed. I didn't know this. I topped up with blue anti freeze when my coolant light came on. The liquid in the bottle was more rust coloured than anything else.

Have i done any damage bymixing the two.

Regards

[Gsi3.2]

only if they react with each other...

they are chemically formulated completely differently..if the car has blue from new it's okay to top up with blue.. if they had red it must be red..

you can change from one to the other, but you HAVE to flush the system first..Blue gives vastly inferior protection to the red..personally, i'd flush the collant system out and refill with red very soon..

[Hursty103]

Is there an how 2 on this?

[Gsi3.2]

on how to drain it?..removing the bottom radiator hose is a favourite, and flushing it through with a hosepipe till it runs clear..

[spatch]

Blue gives vastly inferior protection to the red..

In what way? - frost protection or corrosion etc. To be honest I have only seen blue in Halfords.

Cheers

[Hursty103]

Surely there would of been a reation by now if there was going to be one.

[rushy]

Dont know what lump you have mate, but the blue one has been known to corrode the ally heads of the 2.2 petrol's with coolant leaking from the spark plug area. Vx only sell the red now so i'd stick with that.

[Hursty103]

Its a 2.2 dti

[Gsi3.2]

In what way? - frost protection or corrosion etc. To be honest I have only seen blue in Halfords.

Cheers

the red has far better corrosion protection for alloy engines and alloy components within engines..it is formulated with 'acids' to stop the corrosion forming....

and halfords.. there's the problem..... you need to use a motor factors.. far far cheaper and they sell the real mccoy..

[Gsi3.2]

Its a 2.2 dti

you will need the red...