I had the coolant change in the Park Avenue yesterday. After the change, I looked in the reservoir and saw yellow coolant, with some yellow splashes on the tank. I checked the level today and its down an inch or so below the "add" line. I went out to our shed and found some Prestone green and used that to top it off. Is this a problem? Mixing yellow with a bit of green for top off? I would saw the MOST green I used was 1 liter. Question 2, when looking into the reservoir I see sediment and floaters. Is fluid exchanged between the radiator and the reservoir? Im just a little upset that I paid to have the system flushed and there are still floaters floating around in the tank.
2 questions about coolant / cooling system.....
- Thread starter gregk24
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Chances are the yellow coolant you found in the reservoir is one of the generic "universal" long-life coolants that's designed to be mixed with anything. If you used a small amount of green, I'd say no harm done. If you use lots of the green coolant for top-up, you may be shortening the service life of the extended-life coolant, if in fact that's what they used (you might check with them, if for nothing else than to know when to change the fluid next).
What do you mean by floaters? This could just be sediment and debris stirred up in the overflow reservoir. Lots of GM cars used those brown pellets that sealed the cooling system, it would also turn the coolant a funky brown color. If this is/was ever used in your cooling system, it's almost impossible to get all traces of it out- and it will leave traces of brown sludge and sediment in the overflow.
If the coolant is clean and bright like new coolant should be, I wouldn't worry unless the stuff is chalk full of contaminants. If it is, bring it back to them and ask.. [censored]?
What do you mean by floaters? This could just be sediment and debris stirred up in the overflow reservoir. Lots of GM cars used those brown pellets that sealed the cooling system, it would also turn the coolant a funky brown color. If this is/was ever used in your cooling system, it's almost impossible to get all traces of it out- and it will leave traces of brown sludge and sediment in the overflow.
If the coolant is clean and bright like new coolant should be, I wouldn't worry unless the stuff is chalk full of contaminants. If it is, bring it back to them and ask.. [censored]?
i see people mixing all kind of thengs and everything seems fine but i personally would Not mix coolant
Originally Posted By: 92saturnsl2
Chances are the yellow coolant you found in the reservoir is one of the generic "universal" long-life coolants that's designed to be mixed with anything. If you used a small amount of green, I'd say no harm done. If you use lots of the green coolant for top-up, you may be shortening the service life of the extended-life coolant, if in fact that's what they used (you might check with them, if for nothing else than to know when to change the fluid next).
What do you mean by floaters? This could just be sediment and debris stirred up in the overflow reservoir. Lots of GM cars used those brown pellets that sealed the cooling system, it would also turn the coolant a funky brown color. If this is/was ever used in your cooling system, it's almost impossible to get all traces of it out- and it will leave traces of brown sludge and sediment in the overflow.
If the coolant is clean and bright like new coolant should be, I wouldn't worry unless the stuff is chalk full of contaminants. If it is, bring it back to them and ask.. [censored]?
Well I just used it to run an errand, and I checked the over flow after, now there are no floaters floating around. Maybe the settled? My main question is, besides the mixing of yellow and green, is...will the coolant in the reservoir and the coolant in the radiator mix? Are the linked together and do they circulate? Or do they stay in there separate environments?
Chances are the yellow coolant you found in the reservoir is one of the generic "universal" long-life coolants that's designed to be mixed with anything. If you used a small amount of green, I'd say no harm done. If you use lots of the green coolant for top-up, you may be shortening the service life of the extended-life coolant, if in fact that's what they used (you might check with them, if for nothing else than to know when to change the fluid next).
What do you mean by floaters? This could just be sediment and debris stirred up in the overflow reservoir. Lots of GM cars used those brown pellets that sealed the cooling system, it would also turn the coolant a funky brown color. If this is/was ever used in your cooling system, it's almost impossible to get all traces of it out- and it will leave traces of brown sludge and sediment in the overflow.
If the coolant is clean and bright like new coolant should be, I wouldn't worry unless the stuff is chalk full of contaminants. If it is, bring it back to them and ask.. [censored]?
Well I just used it to run an errand, and I checked the over flow after, now there are no floaters floating around. Maybe the settled? My main question is, besides the mixing of yellow and green, is...will the coolant in the reservoir and the coolant in the radiator mix? Are the linked together and do they circulate? Or do they stay in there separate environments?
I thought the overflow reservoir was by definition linked to the radiator.
The cooling systems I'm familiar with work like this:
Coolant heats up and expands, creating pressure, the fluid goes out the radiator cap into the overflow (with built in pressure valve). Then when the car is shut off, the cooling liquid sucks liquid back into the radiator from the reservoir.
There should be a hose going into your overflow tank.
edit: I think I'm actually referring to an expansion tank, not an overflow. Maybe the Park Avenue just has an overflow and not an expansion?
The cooling systems I'm familiar with work like this:
Coolant heats up and expands, creating pressure, the fluid goes out the radiator cap into the overflow (with built in pressure valve). Then when the car is shut off, the cooling liquid sucks liquid back into the radiator from the reservoir.
There should be a hose going into your overflow tank.
edit: I think I'm actually referring to an expansion tank, not an overflow. Maybe the Park Avenue just has an overflow and not an expansion?
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You're probably already 99% better than before the flush. I dunno. Maybe run it a while, and plan on more frequent drain and fills?
Originally Posted By: gregk24
More importantly, will this sediment in the overflow get into the radiator and water pump?
Normally, debris contained in the cooling system flows to the overflow tank. If any contaminant contained in the tank, flows back to the cooling system, it will eventually be deposited back to the overflow tank. Occasional cleaning of the overflow tank will suffice to minimize the problem, which is not a serious one.
Mixing coolants, on small quantities will have no significant adverse effects. Coolants are stable solutions, so they are not going to react. If you mix larger amounts, the coolant lifespan will be reduced.
More importantly, will this sediment in the overflow get into the radiator and water pump?
Normally, debris contained in the cooling system flows to the overflow tank. If any contaminant contained in the tank, flows back to the cooling system, it will eventually be deposited back to the overflow tank. Occasional cleaning of the overflow tank will suffice to minimize the problem, which is not a serious one.
Mixing coolants, on small quantities will have no significant adverse effects. Coolants are stable solutions, so they are not going to react. If you mix larger amounts, the coolant lifespan will be reduced.
I usually just buy a new reservoir if the tank is really bad, you should have seen my Buick tank before I flushed it. No way it was getting clean.
There's pretty much no way to get all the stuff out especially if you pay a shop for a flush they are going to do as little as possible plus you need a special setup to get the extra stuff out. Like a wynns cooling flush. Either way it's not going to hurt the water pump it's probably soft silicate from old coolant.
Here's my before and after tank I replaced when I first got the vehicle right after a supposed coolant flush. Yeah right.
There's pretty much no way to get all the stuff out especially if you pay a shop for a flush they are going to do as little as possible plus you need a special setup to get the extra stuff out. Like a wynns cooling flush. Either way it's not going to hurt the water pump it's probably soft silicate from old coolant.
Here's my before and after tank I replaced when I first got the vehicle right after a supposed coolant flush. Yeah right.
Hello, All I want to say is that I used 6 oz. each of a friend's acid based swimming pool pump cleaner to clean the pressure bottles in 2 of their vehicles.
They turned out snowy white-darn near new looking.
The product label had long before peeled off the jug. Sorry. Kira
They turned out snowy white-darn near new looking.
The product label had long before peeled off the jug. Sorry. Kira
This is one of those times that a coolant filter would be highly appropriate, cheaper, and more effective than constantly flushing and refilling the system. Neglected systems are a perfect application for them.
Mine removed all of the garbage that wouldn't go away, even after thoroughly flushing the system. There's always more garbage that will come out. The coolant filter ensures it all gets caught.
Mine removed all of the garbage that wouldn't go away, even after thoroughly flushing the system. There's always more garbage that will come out. The coolant filter ensures it all gets caught.
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