Quote:
Originally Posted by 940 owner
Hi Dave,
I just spoke to the garage and they said they can see why you said that but that they use a pink universal antifreeze not the red one
What are your thoughts on this, are they in the clear?
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OK, first thing is it looks red to me - however, the expansion tank is in shadow so it's possible it's pink inside.
That said, you need further clarification of exactly what sort of universal antifreeze they used - "pink" isn't a good enough description.
If they can confirm it's ethylene glycol then yes, they would be in the clear but don't say the words "ethylene glycol" to them, ask them what sort of antifreeze this pink one is.
If they say "Universal" it's the wrong answer!
I know EuroCar Prats were selling a "Universal Pink Antifreeze/Coolant" that has now disappeared from their website. Looking at the nearest one they have listed, they classify it as red and universal and the label then says "Organic Acid Technology".
I think you need to ring your garage back and get the answer to exactly what sort of antifreeze this "Pink Universal" stuff is.
One other thought, based on the assumption that this pink stuff is ethylene glycol, when was it last changed?
Ethylene Glycol needs to be changed every 2 years, even 3 years is stretching it as it can turn acidic and attack the solder used in older radiators. Even radiators with plastic end tanks have solder, as the cores are often soldered into what radiator people call the "end plate" that is then "crimped" into the plastic end tank.
However, going on the photo, you still had plenty of coolant so the HGF is either down to OAT antifreeze or just bad luck.
From what i've also just learned, the OAT coolant was developed for all-aluminium engines as it is less corrosive to the aluminium.
However it's not recommended for older iron engines and presumably by extension of that, not for mixed metal engines either.
From the research i've done into similar problems, for others, it's pretty obvious that there is no such thing as a universal antifreeze as very often adverse reactions can occur causing excessive acidity or alkalinity. not to mention the gel which i've since discovered is caused by the silicates in the ethylene glycol being caused to drop out by the acids in the OAT antifreeze.