Coolant

[hilary_1987]

Does anybody here use the red coolant like the manual says to or do you use the green coolant? I was reading my manual the other day and it's going on about how red coolant should always be used, mines always had green as long as I've had it, don't know if I can be arsed flushing it out and using red.

Some people say it makes a diff others don't notice it. What do you guys reckon?

[guy 27]

it would of come from the factory with red, someone must of changed it to green at some point. keep it with the green unless you want to flush it well and change it back to red.

[hazrd]

i may or may not be making much sense here (but id like to be corrected so i know lol) but isnt the red coolant the specification for that year (ie 2002) but as the engine gets older u can use a different spec - in this case the green stuff

sorry if thats confused anyone :crazy:

[guy 27]

made no sense at all there. (i get what you mean :P )
GM has been using red coolants since around 1998 i believe.

they colour coolants differently due to their chemical make up.
If you mix them they can start to gel up and in extreme cases it can block hoses, radiator or even seize the water pump.

If you wanted to you could run any colour in the systems (regardless of age) without causing any major damage as long as you completely flush the system from its previous coolant.

There is a blue coolant out on the market and if that is mixed with any small amount of red or green coolant it will form little parts of gel like substance.

hope that made some sense.

[Mr & Mrs Vectra]

I asked one of the guys at work what colour he was running in the missus Y26.... and he said purple. On further explanation he said it was a mix of red and green. Go figure????

My last mechanic was adamant that mine should have red despite the handbook saying (HN2217) otherwise.

I think stick to whatever is in your handbook/what Holden reccommend. I've heard that the other can adversely affect head gaskets, engine alloys etc.