Proper coolant for Kia Rio (2013), OEM unavailable

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J23

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Jun 2, 2013
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Kielce, Poland
Hello.

What coolant will be most identical to Kia's OEM? I cannot get OEM in my country - dealer suggest Citroen long life, but somehow i don't believe them. I have been reading, and i want to make sure - will Mazda FL22 (avalible in my area) be good for my car?.

Thank you in advance.
 
Mazda FL22 is a newer type coolant and may be fine for your KIA Rio but, other members here will offer the best solution
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I believe nowadays the coolant is similar for all brands, except for some luxury car models. You can just go to toyota dealer, and get their Super OAT coolant and use it with peace.
 
My Hyundais just say use a coolant comparable with aluminum engines. I use the cheap green stuff.
 
Hi,
I work for Prestone and just checked with our chemists. They say if your topping off or servicing the entire cooling system, Prestone Extended life coolant can be used with no problems.
 
I want to add about 100-200ml for coolant reach the MAX mark on coolant tank. To be honest i have been using Prestone in my other car (Hyundai) - no problems at all - but with Hyundai I drained the system complety and then fill up with Prestone. I don't want/need to do it with Kia yet.

I can get premixed 50/50 Prestone Extended Life coolant - will think about it for sure.
 
What is the color of the coolant?
If it is green, I suggest Honda OEM green coolant.
If it is red, Toyota red might be best.

What kinds of coolant do your local auto parts stores sell?
 
My coolant is green. I've called Honda dealer - they said they OEM is blue.

I can get various coolants - Castrol, Mobil, Prestone, Hepu, Motul, and a lot of local/euro brands such as Lotus, Orlen, Statoil, BP, Coma.

The only OEM that I can get and is green is Mazda's FL22 and (probably) Mazda super coolant. There is also Ford Super Plus Premium (black bootle), but this one is yellow.

Heh, it's so much easier in America than it is in rusty, old Europe
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In America obtaining a phosphated-long life coolant outside the dealerships is not easy. The market is usually dominated by a limited number of brands.
For a KIA, I suspect the coolant is a H-OAT. That is hybrid organic acid technology, the hybrid being phosphates. However, almost any coolant (long life or not) will work as long as you change the fluid within its specified time interval. Certainly, it is best not to mix different coolant chemistries. The coolant color should not be your guide, the color is the result of coloring additives and have nothing to do with the corrosion protection package.
 
Maybe, but here I can't even get it through dealer - and there is Zerex - and this is only one example, but this is not the discution about USA vs EU.

And about color - I know, that's 100% true, but I don't wanna end up with brown mess.
 
Originally Posted By: J23
.... but I don't wanna end up with brown mess.


Almost any properly formulated coolant (long-life or not) will work for your vehicle. I suspect most of the choices you mentioned to be readily available are good products for your engine. Flush your cooling system well with water several times, this to discard the old coolant and any dirt. Then, add the proper concentrations of the coolant you select and bleed the system of any air bubbles. Don't forget to change it at the required interval. That should solve your problems while dissipating the chances of the brown mess.

Now, for just topping-off any coolant or plain water will work fine, as it was stated above.
 
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If the OP would just look in their owners manual they will find that Hyundai/Kia does not recommend any particular coolants. The recommended change interval is 5 years. And they are very vague as it just says use a coolant compatible with aluminum engines.

From the 2014 Genesis Coupe Owners Manual.

Quote:
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant. Your vehicle is delivered with high quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of coolant that should be used because it helps prevent corrosion in the cooling system, lubricates the water pump and prevents freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish your coolant in accordance with the maintenance schedule in section 7. Before winter, have your coolant tested to assure that its freezing point is sufficient for the temperatures anticipated during the winter


Quote:
When adding coolant, use only deionized water or soft water for your vehicle and never mix hard water in the coolant filled at the factory. An improper coolant mixture can result in serious malfunction or engine damage


Quote:
Replace coolant*6 (First, 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 120 months after that every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 24
months)


Quote:
Recommended engine coolant • When adding coolant, use only deionized water or soft water for your vehicle and never mix hard water in the coolant filled at the factory. An improper coolant mixture can result in serious malfunction or
engine damage.

• The engine in your vehicle has aluminum engine parts and must be protected by an ethylene-glycol based coolant to prevent corrosion and freezing.


Quote:
Coolant - Mixture of antifreeze and water
(Ethylene glycol base coolant for aluminum radiator)

2.0L
M/T 6.87 US qt. (6.5 l)
A/T 6.06 US qt. (6.3 l)

3.8L
M/T 9.51 US qt. (9 l)
A/T 9.30 US qt. (8.8 l)
 
Quote:
Replace coolant*6 (First, 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 120 months after that every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 24 months)


Then the factory fill is some long-life coolant formulation, that is organic acid technology (OAT).
The remaining question is if is phosphated or not. However, since the manufacturer does not specifies it, probably it is irrelevant.
 
From the 2010 and 2008 Hyundai manuals is states a 60000 mile first time change interval, then every 30000 miles. All the rest of the verbiage is the same.
 
Originally Posted By: J23
My coolant is green. I've called Honda dealer - they said they OEM is blue....

First, when it comes to AF, color is a very unreliable indicator of coolant type and chemistry. So I'd throw that out as the main consideration in your selection.

Second, don't count on the owners manual to give you an accurate indication or complete description of the specific type of AF to be used. Most, including Honda give a vague description like that above stating something like "high quality ethlene glycol". That description includes many many types of AF's.

While Hyundai/Kia is green, for a 2013 would be a Long Life/Extended Life Asian P-HOAT, making it the same as other Asian coolants now. Nissan recently went from a shorter life (~2yrs/30k mi.) green Asian PHOAT to a Long Life Blue same as Honda Type2. Toyota went from a shorter life (~2yrs/30k) Red to what they call Super Long Life now pink.

Mazda FL22, Honda Type2, the new Nissan Long Life and Zerex Asian Formula would all be acceptable equivalents to H/K oem. Another excellent option, if not too expensive, would be full strength Motorcraft Specialty Green, also and Asian PHOAT.

As for the advice regarding using Prestone AM/M, if it was my vehicle it would not be my first or even second choice for the 2013 Rio. It contains the active ingredient 2eha which is a known plasticizer and no Asian oem AF's will use it for that reason. If you want to know more about 2eha in some OAT/Dex coolants like Prestone, the link below does a respectable job of explaining the issues. Especially see section under "Extra Sealing Protection"*

All that said, with a 2013 you shouldn't need to be concerned about AF replacement for quite some time.

*http://articles.sae.org/11284/
 
My Hyundai coolants were blue. But who cares what came in it if you are flushing? Most coolants say they are compatible with aluminum engines and all other fluids. Unless you have the unique type that cannot be mixed I don't see much of a problem.
 
Again, color means nothing. But if one thinks all coolants are the same and compatible because an aftermarket AF manufacturer says they are, the link in my previous post explains why that's not entirely accurate.

To each their own, if using Prestone AM/M universal dexclone works for you great. My advice to the OP though for the reason identified, is that would not be my choice.
 
Originally Posted By: J23
My coolant is green. I've called Honda dealer - they said they OEM is blue.

The color is completely irrelevant.

Kia and Hyundai use a phosphated no-silicon HOAT with the same basic chemistry as all the other Asian brands, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, and so on.

Any of the current Asian coolants should be completely compatible.
 
Just to be clear, Honda Type 2 is bluish-green. One might call it blue, another might say green but it isn't at all like the old green Prestone color.

Originally Posted By: J23
My coolant is green. I've called Honda dealer - they said they OEM is blue.
 
Originally Posted By: J23
Maybe, but here I can't even get it through dealer - and there is Zerex - and this is only one example, but this is not the discution about USA vs EU.

And about color - I know, that's 100% true, but I don't wanna end up with brown mess.

If you choose Zerex Asian vehicle, it will work correctly. Unfortunately, you would have to replace all the coolant to avoid having the colors mix.
 
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