Red or Green Anti-Freeze…Does it Matter?

Back in the "good old days" anti-freeze was anti-freeze. It was simple, if your vehicle needed coolant you could visit any automotive parts store, or even many department stores, and purchase the quality anti-freeze that would work in just about any car.

That is not the case today. Veteran automotive technician Dick Zeitler is a regular guest on the Rochester Today show with Andy Brownell on KROC-AM for a program known as AutoTech 101.  The latest show aired Monday (Nov. 3) and included and informative discussion about anti-freeze.

Dick explained that it's important to make sure that you follow the manufacturer's recommendation for the type of anti-freeze you put in your engine. Using the "green stuff" in an engine that requires the "red stuff," or vice versa, can result in costly repair bills. To complicate matters even further, Dick also noted that some newer cars are using a blueish type antifreeze.

The damage occurs because using the wrong type of anti-freeze can result in corrosion problems depending on the materials used in the vehicle's coolant system.  As an example, Dick recalled working on a vehicle with a heater core that had major corrosion and stopped functioning because the wrong anti-freeze was used for a relatively short period of time. Repairing the problem required removing the entire dashboard and an enormous bill for labor.

Listen to the entire show through the above YouTube post and remember to subscribe to the KROC-AM YouTube Channel.