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There are many different brands of coolants/anti-freeze, and different prices. I've used SMB antifreeze, STP, Preston, and Popular Mechanics, I can't tell the difference, but I'm no mechanic.
For you more knowledgeable people, is there a difference in the coolant brands?
There is a difference, but among the general brands the difference is slight. Some of the proprietary blends have superior liquidity, meaning they can stay liquid at lower temps and resist boiling at higher temps. Porsche and BMW blends come to mind. (Ferrari, at least in the past, used BMW fluid in their cars, and may still do so now, just branded under their own name.)
Aside from greater resistance to freezing/boiling, some coolants have additives to prevent rust, etc.
However, for the vast majority of people, any brand you use is going to function roughly the same, so long as you don't mix/match different coolant types.
Quality may not be the issue you're seeking regarding your car.
Performance of the anti-freeze in your car is what counts.
Some coolants are specifically formulated to deal with the metallurgy of various engines ... hence manufacturer's OE coolant.
For example, I've found that the Subaru dealer coolant provides better corrosion protection in their engines than many off the shelf "quality" branded coolants. Especially in those cars where the owners neglect to perform the recommended coolant changes in a timely manner.
Other car makers have similar additive packs in their coolant formulations that are targeted to their vehicles.
OTOH, you may find that a major branded coolant kept clean and changed in a timely manner may be quite sufficient for the time of your ownership of a vehicle. There are a lot of additives on the market which may enhance the properties of the coolant for your vehicle, too.
Yes, there is a difference. GM products use the orange Dex coolant. Mopar uses OAT in newer vehicles and HOAT in older vehicles and the plain old yellow for really old vehicles. If you mix OAT and HOAT it will turn into a sludge and cause lots of problems. My Hyundai and Kias used plain old yellow. You owner's manual will tell you what you need to use. Other manufacturers may have their own special requirements. One thing I don't trust is those coolants that say they're for any and all vehicles. As for me, I use Mopar OAT in my Jeep, Dex in my Silverado and plain old yellow Prestone in my Hyundai. Yes, I have three different types of antifreeze in my garage, but that's a small price to pay for ensuring each vehicle gets serviced with the correct antifreeze.
As long as its speced for the engine, itll work. But you do have to be careful on some vehicles. The one that comes to mind the most is the Ford Powerstrokes. Ford says its conventional antifreeze is good for the Powerstrokes from like 01 and up, but it barely, just barely meets the spec. People who have changed over and got this from the factory are just learning Ford was wrong.
Me personally, when the warranty is up, Evans goes in.
There are differences between types of antifreeze. Rarely any difference between brands. Most of it comes from the same vat in the same factory.
Some cars require special expensive antifreeze (Pentosin) and if you use the wrong kind you will damage that car. Some kinds of antifreeze will destroy any car. GM had a 100,000 mile antifreeze in the mid 1990s that corroded everyhting.
Like Alaska mentioned - Dexcool is infamous beast that can coagulate from mixing with other coolants. But, now all generally available coolants sold in any parts store clearly say that they can be mixed with Dexcool. Or, any other coolant, entire gamut of colors included.
For the sanity purpose, any of them will work for you car, as far as you do change it at around 100 plus thousand miles. ANY coolant will go bad if driven forever on it.
There are many different brands of coolants/anti-freeze, and different prices. I've used SMB antifreeze, STP, Preston, and Popular Mechanics, I can't tell the difference, but I'm no mechanic.
For you more knowledgeable people, is there a difference in the coolant brands?
With arrival of aluminum radiators ,and other aluminum components, the best place to get the only correct answer to this question is..........your owners manual.
While others will disagree use of the wrong coolant can cause some very expensive repairs.
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