Organic acid technology OAT engine coolant is usually orange in color, but it can come in other colors like dark green. Always double-check the label to ensure you do not accidentally grab a color that is a different coolant type.
OAT uses organic acid to help protect your engine from corrosion. As a more modern formulation, OAT coolant only needs to be drained and changed every five years or every 50, miles. Hybrid organic acid technology is one of the three main categories of engine coolant, and it has several subcategories. HOAT coolant was traditionally yellow. You can find HOAT coolant in yellow, orange, green, pink and blue.
HOAT uses both silicates and organic acid to protect your engine and combat corrosion. It should be swapped out at the same interval as OAT coolant: every five years of every 50, miles.
Phosphate-free HOAT is usually turquoise in color. This NAP-free formula, made with ethylene glycol, contains organic and inorganic corrosion inhibitors to protect your engine. It does not contain phosphates, such as nitrite, nitrate and borate.
It is also a low-silicate formula. The coolant is usually either pink or blue. Due to heat transfer issues, Asian car manufacturers require the use of this type of coolant. Silicated HOAT is usually recognizable by its vibrant purple color. It uses silicates and organic acids to inhibit corrosive action in your engine. Its formula is free of nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, borates, amines and imidazole. Instead, it uses silicate, organic technology.
The coolant offers protection for five years or , miles in the case of light application. In the case of heavy applications, this formula protects for three years or , miles. If you are committed to DIY engine coolant maintenance, make sure you keep track of your miles and your time. Proactive maintenance means a happier car, a happier driver and a happier wallet. Note, if your car has been retrofitted with newer or different parts, this could affect the type of coolant it needs.
Always do your research to ensure your car is kept in the best running condition as possible. The best engine coolant for your car depends on the vehicle type, age and place of manufacture. Know the make and model and year of your vehicle will help you select the right coolant.
Choosing the wrong product can result in poor performance or worse instant engine failure. Follow these tips to make sure you make the right choice. Different colors of coolant correlate with different car compatibility.
There are other brands designed for specific car types and country of origin, which can have a variety of colors that can be confusing. It will tell you what type of coolant is best to use in your vehicle. The formulas suggested at your dealership and your owner manual will probably be original equipment manufacturer OEM approved, but there are likely aftermarket equivalents to choose from as well.
Softened tap water will do the trick. Creating a coolant that is either too weak or too strong can result in poor performance. Your car type may dictate whether pre-diluted or coolant that you can dilute yourself is best. We stand by our products with a percent satisfaction guarantee, and we are a known name in the industry when it comes to cooling systems and lubrication. Each one is specifically formulated to keep its designated engine type running in extreme temperatures.
Since coolant technology has evolved so much in the last few decades, if you own an older vehicle you need a formula with a special additive to allow chemistries old and new to work together. Each color is a unique formula that should not be mixed. The below chart will help you decipher which fluid is in your vehicle. It needs to be changed every two years or 24, miles, making it far inferior to newer formulas.
One of those newer formulas is OAT. General Motors vehicles use this formula and normally require a change after five years or 50, miles. Plenty of others like BMW and Volkswagen do the same thing.
Not every manufacturer does this though. All GM cars use something called Dex-Cool from the factory. Ford meanwhile, uses Motorcraft. Years ago coolant was always sold as pure coolant, and you'd have to dilute the fluid yourself with water. When owners mistakenly added green coolant to systems that contained Dex-Cool system, blockages frequently occurred.
In other respects, Dex-Cool is an acceptable coolant but must never be mixed with other antifreeze types. For your late model car, domestic or foreign, going to the dealer parts counter for antifreeze may be your best bet.
Your car came from the manufacturer with the type of coolant it requires. For its lifetime, this same coolant type should be used. Skilled auto parts specialists can also provide this information for you should you need to purchase antifreeze.
To be safe, all you need to do whenever some antifreeze is required is to purchase the type specified for your specific vehicle. What if you are somewhere out in the boondocks and your cooling system springs a slow leak? Should this happen, you can always add distilled water to your cooling system. You could even add clean water from a nearby creek if you are desperate.
But this is a temporary fix until you get back to civilization. Because adding that water will degrade freeze and boil-over protection. So you should soon have the system leak checked and the coolant mix either corrected to restore protection or the system flushed and refilled. Also, when adding coolant, you should always use a pre-mixed blend of antifreeze. Most cars will already have a blend installed.
So your addition of this blend of fresh coolant will not significantly disrupt the freeze and boil-over temperatures. Adding the wrong antifreeze to your cooling system can result in coagulation of the coolant and clogging of the radiator or the complete system.
If severely clogged, the system cannot be easily flushed and may need a costly complete disassembly for decontamination. Your first service work on this car should be a complete cooling system drain and flush with the correct new coolant installed. So taking this step would be extremely wise on your part. Table of Contents.
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