Different coolant types? How did we get here?

[TJ Hopland]

Short version.....

Why do we have so many different and apparently incompatible coolants these days?  Wasn't there more or less just one for the first 75 or so years of motor vehicles?  I do sort of remember hearing that some big industrial stuff like say 71 series Detroits used something different than cars due to some unique design aspects and the fact that they were usually worked hard.  Am I just not well informed and there was lots of options?   How about those outside the USA was there primarily one kind or were there several depending on models or maybe country of origin?

How can there be that many types?  I don't think anyone is really doing anything that different with engines.  These days they are all made from the same mixed types of materials and all being worked a lot harder a lot more of the time than say the stuff we are usually talking about here.  I could see there being a need for something 'better' than classic green to deal with the different materials and working conditions of modern engines but do we really need 5 or more differences?   Or is it just a scam to try and get you to buy it from the OEM and then a scam for the aftermarket people to charge more for a different color product in a different jug?

Longer version....

A couple days ago my now 10 year old daily driver that has always had dealer service started yelling at me that the coolant was low.  I actually feared critters had been snacking on the wiring again but when I found where to check it (remember when you used to do that at the radiator?) it was low.  Always having dealer service I wasn't sure what it wanted or if I had any.  The bottle tank thing where you fill it under the hood had some writing on it that didn't mean anything to me.  Pull out the owners manual and it says the same thing and implies certain doom if you even think about anything but the factory stuff. 

I look on my shelf to see what I have and read the labels to see if any of them mention what the book says.  This is where I can't believe what I have 'in stock'.   Yes I have the classic green and Dexcool for the less old GM stuff in my fleet, no surprise there is no mention of what I am seeking on the label.  Have a jug I don't remember buying that just says universal 'compatible with everything *'.  Look for the * and it pretty much says it works unless it doesn't and has no specific meets this spec.  I think I bought that when I was rescuing someone and figured anything would be better than nothing now I'm thinking this should just go to the hazardous waste site.   

Dig a little further back on the coolant shelf and here comes a jug that seems to be Mopar related which makes sense because not that long ago I did have a Chrysler product and it was from the Mercedes era so maybe this is the stuff?  Nope.  Dig further and I have a jug that seems to be Asian oriented, has a list of meets or exceeds but nothing like what I am looking for.  Go even deeper and the next one says Europe and appears to have the right sort of identification scheme but it ain't the same number.   Label does cover my brand and year range could this be it?

Decide to hit the internet and just a search for the term the manual used and I get this Europe brand I had on the shelf but I also get classic green, and Dexcool so hmmm.  Try parts store sites by entering my car and kinda the same thing which must be where the internet got its results.  I then try just asking the internet is what I have the same as what the car is asking for?   It seems to clearly say its not and kinda like green vs dex the base materials are different and don't mix well.  I then decided I just needed this problem solved and did what the manual said, went to the dealer and asked for what the manual said.  They said ya they don't make that anymore but this is what replaced it which kinda sounds like it combined the features of at least 2 different coolants into one.  $39 for a gallon but hopefully that will last me a couple years.


So my stock was at least 5 different and apparently incompatible types not counting different brands and straight vs mixed.   I guess I know how I got them all, its either stuff I have owned or stuff I ended up with helping others.  I know many years ago I had the same issue with motor oil.  My oil shelf looked like a parts store with all the brands and grades.  On that front I figured out that I could standardize on 5w-40 diesel oil that like most diesel oils also carries a API gas rating.  The 'new' car that is now 10 years old still gets what it asks for which is a 0w oil but everything else from cars to tractors to small engines seems quite happy with the 5w-40.  I'm in a freezing climate so the 5w is critical for winter operations.         

[Clewisiii]

I can only give this example. Years ago we had a chevy S10.  An incompatable coolant was used that actually ate the engine gaskets. This was a huge mess replacing the head gasket but also trying to flush out the coolant that turned to a slime from the melted gasket.

 

[TJ Hopland]

Yes exactly why I wanted to try and get the right stuff to top it off.  Since I bought the car new and its only been at the dealer it should have the factory stuff in it. 

Is it the materials that are used like the gaskets that force different coolants?  It doesn't seem like for the most part anyone is using anything that unique.  Anyone with a Cadillac that is 10 or less years old?  What do they use?  Is it still Dexcool?  Since that came out in the 90's I assume its been replaced by a newer version or something different by now?

I'm not normally a conspiracy theory planned obsolescence sort of person but stuff like this sorta seems like its gotta be to increase the chances of failing and because stuff just isn't repairable anymore throw it away and buy a whole new car.   

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Napa still has the good ol green stuff.  The rest is trash.

[Big Fins]

Yes, the good old green Prestone. But it doesn't 'fits all' anymore. Price the coolant at your local parts store, big box store, whatever, then price the correct coolant for your specific vehicle at the local dealer. Very little difference in price.

You get brand specific product that is designed for the cooling system in your vehicle. Putting anything questionable in the tank could yield catastrophic results. Remember the HT4100 ghosts? Like drawing blood for an analysis and having it tested for warranty work, the wrong brand product will go a long way in voiding your new car warranty. When a dealer has to replace an engine they obtain and test all of the internal fluids to see if they are compatible with that brand specification.

[Jim Miller]

I do my cars every two years and use the green coolant mixed with distilled water. But now I read there are different formulas for the green coolant. Low silica content, high silica content, etc. So do I use the store brand or spend extra for a high end like Zerex original green.

[Big Fins]

For the older cars with cast iron engines and copper/brass radiators, I just use the original Prestone.

For the newer cars/trucks with engines using differing metals, I go with what the book says to put in it.

You have to be a chemical engineer to do anything anymore.