Coolant queries
 

Today I put in fresh coolant and used Halfords Advance Antifreeze (OAT)which is pink. The stuff that was already in there was green. Now I know that you're not suppose to mix types, but I also know that the colours are only dyes.

My questions are:
Is Halfords Advanced OK for a 1999X?
What was the green stuff likely to have been?
If the two were different, will it matter that there was residual green stuff that will have mixed with the new pink stuff?

And if the answer to the last question is 'yes!', then when I drain the system again which should I put in as there will now be traces of both.

Wishing I'd asked allthis before I did it!

MrTom

Re: Coolant queries
 

MrTom:
I think you now have a cooling system full of BROWN STUFF

Re: Coolant queries
 

i dont know if this will help, but a dealer told me that my so called green coolant is actually blue, the only reason it was green is because it had got hot.

whether or not it was a load of BS is a different matter but i put some castrol coolant into it, and ive had no worries, execept when i fill her up, it has a tendancy to come out of the over flow. but still it aint overheating. so no worries.

Re: Coolant queries
 

http://www.eetcorp.com/antifreeze/an...ze-faq.htm#q26

Judging from that mix a bit in but don't go more than 10% but if your just topping up then go for it. Most anti-freeze's sold in this country will probably cover down to about -15 degrees so it should matter. Colours are just a manufacturing thing.

Re: Coolant queries
 

Don't worry, what you've put in will be just fine.

The colours are usually a guide to the type of coolant, though it isn't a foolproof rule. The long-life versions tend to be red/pink, but as said it's not hard and fast.

Re: Coolant queries
 

Thanks for the replies. Yep, I certainly do have a lot of brown stuff in there now.

Embee, from what I can find the Halfords Advanced antifreeze is fine for the bike itself, but if the green antifreeze was IAT (inorganic) then I will have mixed inorganic with organic.

If this is the case will it definately cause problems, or is it just one of those best avoided things that'll be fine if I flush it in a year or so?

Thefallenangel, thanks, that link gives me some confidence to leave it.

Re: Coolant queries
 

You will have drained the vast majority of the green stuff out, the amount you'll have ended up mixing with the new stuff is very unlikely to cause any issues.

When changing coolant it's a good idea to flush it with clean water, tap water will do for a flush through, any hardness won't be a problem if you're not heating it to full working temp (unless your tap water is exceptionally hard, then you can use clean rainwater). Just fill and empty it a couple of times with tap water before filling with fresh coolant, no real need to run the engine.

If you're really concerned, simply drain, flush, and refill with new coolant. The amount an SV holds is fairly trivial in cost (compared to fuel for example).

Re: Coolant queries
 

+1 It doesn't take long to do either. Flush it out with a hose, run it with clean tap water for a few minutes, flush it through with the hose again, drain and refill with mixture.