Antifreeze or coolant is the second most important fluid for virtually any car, right after motor oil. That means experimenting with antifreeze is never a good idea without proper research. And even then, it’s best not to do it. That’s especially true if you are thinking of mixing green and orange antifreeze.
You should never mix green and orange antifreeze because the two are not soluble in each other. Mixing them will create a thick sludge that won’t be able to circulate the engine and much cool it down. That will result in an overheated engine and a completely clogged-up cooling system.
What Is Antifreeze?
Antifreeze, also called coolant when it’s mixed with water, is, in most cases, an ethylene glycol-based fluid. In most cases, plain water does a great job of cooling, but when it comes to engines, its properties are not good enough. The engine can easily heat up the coolant to over 100C. At that point, plain water starts to boil, creating heat pockets, and the engine overheats.
Antifreeze, on the other hand, has a much higher boiling point of 187C, making it perfect in that regard. Water also has a freezing point of 0C. Those temperatures are not uncommon, even in moderately warm climates. And if the water freezes inside an engine, it will crack the block, cylinder head, and other components.
As the name implies, antifreeze has a much lower freezing point, and even when mixed with water, that can be well below negative 20C. And lastly, water accelerates corrosion which is not something you want to happen inside an engine’s cooling passages and the radiator. Of course, antifreeze protects the engine from corrosion as long as it’s relatively fresh.
But after two or three years, it starts losing those properties, and the engine can begin to rust. That’s why flushing the antifreeze every 30,000 to 40,000 miles is recommended by virtually all vehicle manufacturers.
What Are the Different Types of Antifreeze?
Antifreeze, in one form or another, has been around for pretty much as long as the internal combustion engine has. During those 100 years, there have been a lot of different antifreeze types. They can have different bases, different additives, different applications, and different colors to help identify them easier.
Those identifying colors are green, dark green, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, violet, and blue. Green, dark green, yellow, red, and pink antifreeze are all based on ethylene glycol. That means they can be mixed to a certain degree, but it’s not recommended since each has different additives. Some are better for diesel engines, some are better for aluminum engines, and some are better for turbocharged engines.
By mixing them, and especially replacing the antifreeze in your car with a different type, you are always risking some damage. Even if the damage doesn’t happen immediately, it can develop over the course of a couple months or years. Orange antifreeze isn’t based on ethylene glycol but rather organic acid technology (OAT).
That different base gives it different properties and essentially makes it an entirely different product, like diesel and gasoline. The same goes for purple and violet antifreeze, which are based on propylene glycol.
Although propylene glycol is a newer technology than ethylene glycol, it has inferior cooling and heat-absorbing properties. But it’s less toxic and better for the environment. However, despite similar names, it cannot be mixed with ethylene glycol antifreeze.
Can You Mix Green and Orange Antifreeze?
You cannot mix green and orange antifreeze because they have different bases. The same goes for mixing purple/violet antifreeze with orange or green. Not only can you not mix them, but replacing green antifreeze with orange is also discouraged. Since green antifreeze is based on ethylene glycol and orange antifreeze on organic acid, the two will not mix together like different types of oil will.
Instead, there will be a chemical reaction that drastically changes the properties of both orange and green antifreeze. The resulting substance can hardly be called a fluid at all and will, without a doubt, cause major damage to your engine.
And if you are thinking of adding just a tiny amount to your coolant level back to the middle, forget it. That small amount won’t do anything because it will create the same chemical reaction. And while it won’t destroy your engine, it can still cause some damage, and it will do absolutely nothing in terms of cooling.
Instead, it’s much better to just add distilled water or even tap water. And if you are determined to add antifreeze, try dark green, pink, red, blue, or yellow because those will mix with bright green antifreeze and won’t cause any damage. But if your car uses orange antifreeze, there is no substitute. In that case, you can only add water if you don’t have any orange antifreeze.
What Happens When You Mix Green Orange Antifreeze?
When you mix green and orange antifreeze, you get brown antifreeze. Just kidding. You don’t get antifreeze at all because of the chemical reaction you read about earlier. What you do get is a very similar sludge that happens when your engine oil mixes with coolant. Only in the case of orange and green antifreeze the sludge is much thicker.
That sludge cannot circulate the engine, nor does it have any significant cooling properties. The result is your engine overheating in a matter of 20 miles. The overheating itself is sometimes enough to cause damage worth several thousand. But even if the engine doesn’t overheat, you will still end up with a several hundred dollar repair bill.
That sludge will end up in every cooling jacket around the cylinders, inside the cylinder head, and in all the hoses, water pump, thermostat, and radiator. To clean everything out, you need a professional coolant system flush with multiple passes. That will end up costing at least $200.
Then you need to refill the entire cooling system and bleed it, which is another $50 to $100. All in all, it’s just not worth it. And even if your car is critically low on coolant, adding orange antifreeze to green won’t solve it. Instead, add green coolant, distilled water, or tap water, whichever you have close by.
Identifying Your Vehicle’s Antifreeze Requirements
The easiest way to identify your vehicle’s antifreeze is to check its color. Antifreeze doesn’t have any natural color, and a special dye is added for the sole purpose of identifying it. To make sure you don’t confuse different shades of antifreeze green, red, or purple, a quick Google image search will clear everything up.
But if you are not sure that the antifreeze sitting in your car right now is the correct type, check your owner’s manual. Every vehicle owner’s manual will tell you what type of antifreeze, oil, and all other fluids your car needs. You will also find instructions on how to check the level and top it up.
If you can’t find your manual, check model-specific forums. Chances are someone already asked that question, and who better can you ask than people who already drive the same model you are driving. Another way to check is to just visit your local auto parts store. All auto parts stores have extensive computer programs that tell them everything there is to know about each car when it comes to spare parts and fluids.
And lastly, you can always call or visit your local dealer. Even if you drive an older model, I’m sure they will help you out. They also have the same computer programs as auto parts stores, plus they have extensive experience with maintaining and repairing your exact model.
How To Mix Green and Orange Antifreeze Safely (Alternative)
As already mentioned, there is no way you can safely mix green and orange antifreeze. A chemical reaction is inevitable, and any amount of orange antifreeze you add will turn into sludge. But if you don’t have any green antifreeze, add distilled water or tap water. You can also add any ethylene glycol-based antifreeze without causing any damage. Those are yellow, dark green, blue, pink, and red.
By mixing different colors of ethylene glycol antifreeze, you are only changing their anti-corrosion properties. If you add red, you will improve the anti-corrosion properties of your green antifreeze. The same goes for all other ethylene glycol colors since bright green antifreeze is the oldest type. And while we are here, you can’t mix violet and purple antifreeze with green either because the same thing will happen with orange.
Conclusion
In the end, mixing any antifreeze type or color with one another is not recommended. Each engine requires a specific type of antifreeze, and mixing it with another color will change its properties and potentially cause damage. But if you mix orange with green, the antifreeze will turn into sludge in a matter of 10 miles or so.
That will overheat your engine, and you will have to thoroughly flush out the entire cooling system. The same goes if you mix violet or purple antifreeze with green. Instead, it’s better to add water if you don’t have any green antifreeze lying around. And if you are hell-bent on adding antifreeze, add one of the ethylene-based ones. Those include yellow, blue, pink, red, and dark green.
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